Monday, we headed southeast again to the Exuma Cays. After a forty mile sail with 12 knots of wind off the port beam, we dropped the hook off the beach at Norman's Cay. The sandy seabed offered good "grippage" for the CQR anchor and happily, the new windlass motor did its job. (Greg celebrated!) We enjoyed a swim and a bit of snorkeling and decided it was a perfect place to hang out for a few days. Tuesday, we hopped in the dingy and headed south to see what the "Norman's Cay Beach Club" offered. We happily discovered "MacDuff's" which Sharon had read about, but forgot its location. MacDuff's is a lovely beach bar and restaurant that has recently reopened after being closed a couple years, with new finishes and furniture. Unfortunately, it was closed on Tuesday, so we would have to return another time to enjoy the food.
The sunsets were the highlight of the evenings and the moon rise to follow, as it worked its way up to full.
Wednesday, we hauled anchor (well, really, we just turned on the switch and pressed the foot pedal. We didn't even have to spray it down since the water is clear and the bottom sandy). We headed south to Hawksbill Cay, second in the chain after the Exuma's Land and Sea Park northern border and one of the Cays we had visited with Sharon's sisters the week before. This time, we chose the northern mooring area and slowly poked our way in close to shore. One of the things you must learn in the Bahamas is how to read the water. As you approach any anchorage, you will find coral heads, shallow water and shifting sand. Once we find an area on the chart that we are comfortable with as an anchorage, someone stands on the bow and looks ahead for obvious coral heads, and shallow water. It is tricky and takes practice, but so far, we are learning and having success. That means, we haven't yet run aground, nor hit any coral (knocking on wood here).
We took the dingy to shore to walk on that sugary white sand and then walked into the water with our snorkel gear to explore the reefs near the beach. Barracuda, reef fish of a variety, beautifully colored coral varieties and thousands of tiny jellyfish kept us busy. Fish we have seen include yellow tail snapper, parrot fish, blue tangs, blue headed wrasse, sergeant majors, rock beauty, squirrel fish and many more. We have not yet encountered any rays while snorkeling, but have seen several swimming around. Greg spotted a Lion Fish (see this link for photos and description) highly venomous and destructive to the reefs. It was a small one that we were able to view easily from above as it settled into and around the coral head. It is a site to behold, quite beautiful! We kept our distance.
Another beautiful day in paradise!
Thursday, we headed back to Norman's Cay to a different spot so we could have dinner at MacDuff's. Such a treat! We met the few staff - a husband/wife couple and another guy, all from the Philippines. Treats included a wonderful pina colada, a dark and stormy, fish tacos and yummy fries! The bar is a gorgeous mahogany, there is a covered deck with cushy sofas and a beautifully weathered table filled with shells.
The experience was delightful and we recommend it to anyone in the area!
Friday, we had a good sail back to Palm Cay with the wind at 12-15 knots at our back. The waves pushed us and we settled in by mid-afternoon.
The hardest thing to portray is the wide open space, the endless blue water and big sky. Here is our best attempt.
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