Exuma Time!

We had an uneventful overnight to Georgetown, Exumas! We spent 4 nights there and were incredibly busy! We filled the boat with drinking water, tank water, provisions (food and rum!!), diesel, gasoline for the dinghy, propane and ice and Kathleen did 6 loads of laundry. All by dinghy in an anchorage that is known for wet rides. We did so many runs that we ended up doing an extra run for more gasoline for the dinghy! All in all not much time for fun, but we did manage to join in the cruiser’s trivia night on a team with Margaret and Jeff (s/v Bear) and had a respectable showing (actually we would have come in second if we had bet better with our points on the last question). It was a fun way to spend the evening! On our last day in Georgetown we did make it to the beach and then Austin joined some cruising folks (and Margaret and Jeff) for a night of poker. Not a winner that evening either but he had fun.

We are working our way up the Exumas. Our first stop from Georgetown was Cave Cay.

We arrived in the early afternoon in time to have a dinghy ride around to see some of the caves for which the cay is named. We also went for a snorkel. Not too much to see but Cameron did manage slip into the water from the dinghy on top of the biggest stingray we have ever seen. It must have been 5-6 feet in diameter! Not sure which “creature” was the most surprised!

The next day we headed just 12 miles up to the top of Great Guana Cay and tucked in for the night. That evening the winds picked up and shifted to the south a bit making the anchorage uncomfortable. In the morning we pulled up anchor and headed to the next harbor near Staniel Cay. The nice thing about this trip was we were finally able to stay on the bank side in the shallower waters with fewer waves. There was a front coming through and the winds were predicted to build from the south/west so we fortunately found a place to anchor that would be comfortable. We spent the better part of two days on the boat as the front and rain came (the first thunderstorms of our journey) but managed to set up some rain catchers and collected around 8 gallons of water. On the second night, after we had an incredible view of the full moon, it poured and the buckets were overflowing! Easter Sunday morning was time to move again as our awesome anchorage was exposed to the predicted northerly winds. Our trip had us passing through a 50 foot cut between two islands – would have loved to have taken some pictures but had to concentrate on getting us through safely! We then had an egg gather (no such thing as an egg hunt on such a small boat) and the kids enjoyed lots of chocolate treats! It was then off to “pig beach” for Alison, Austin and Kathleen.

Alison spent lots of time trying to entice the pigs into the water and enjoyed feeding them. Austin and Kathleen each took a picture with the largest pig on the beach.

After visiting the pigs we went to another beach on the island where the cruisers go. It was lovely chatting with new folk.

In the next few days we hope to snorkel “Thunder-ball Grotto” named for the James Bond movie filmed there many years ago. Lots to see and do here in the Exumas so we should be very busy for the next few weeks.