February 11, 2020 Cambridge Cay, Exumas, Bahamas

Warderick Wells Gecco

February 11, 2020

We are not certain as to when this will be posted.  Cell signals in these remote areas of the Park are not good.  Here’s hoping it reaches you before all the Valentine chocolate has been consumed!

Rock Sound, on Eleuthera, was worth a repeat visit.   Sue Stott gave it high praise, so we were expecting the best.   It was large enough to provide anchoring options for wind from any direction, we were never more than a 1 1/2 mi. dinghy ride from town, water was pale blue over white sand,  swimming and kayaking were excellent.   The grocery was well stocked and the laundromat was  the best one so far…it came with an attendant who happily shared local lore and suggestions for good restaurants.  It was clean, well maintained and was advertised with a sign that read,
“Laundry Mat.”

Rock Sound First Responders?

Rock Sound street scene

Rock Sound School

Rock Sound's Ocean Hole

Rock Sound's Ocean Hole

Rock Sound's Ocean Hole

Rock Sound's Ocean Hole

Rock Sound's historic buildings

Rock Sound's historic buildings

Rock Sound shopping

We met Carol and Liz (on a Leopard Cat headed for a few years in the Caribbean) and Tommy and Emily (met them first on Jekyll Is., Ga.) on the dinghy dock.    We all had groceries and laundry to get back to boats but we couldn’t seem to get away.  An hour of chatter left us needing more so we met for dinner at Frigate’s restaurant.   We were six cruisers pouring our hearts out with life stories, tales of adventure and hopes for our futures.   It was a long  evening, we changed tables twice to get out of the rain and our dinghies filled with water.  We promised to stay in touch and we meant it.   Hard-hearted cruisers we were not.

We moved on to the unsurveyed area of Schooner Cay (pronounced as KEY in the Bahamas), off the SW end of Eleuthera.  Dietrich worked from info on Dockage.com that included photos, maps and charts.   We entered slowly, at high tide, through deep channels between sandbars.   As the tide dropped, mounded sandbars appeared around us, a protective ring. We stayed several days, isolated but focused on the changing scenery.   The mystery was a thatched-roofed picnic table on a tiny island nearby, sited on a sandy spot in lush landscape.    The low end of that island was thick with baby conchs, a nursery!

Schooner Cays anchorage

Schooner Cays anchorage

Schooner Cays anchorage

Exuma sound storm coming on

Exuma Sound storm coming on

Schooner Cays conch nursery

We spent a rough night at Norman’s Cay Cut, near wreckage of a DC3 from around 1980.  A tricky passage at high tide took us into Norman’s Pond (we nudged bottom once, yikes!) where we willingly stayed for five days.  It was about a mile long, surrounded by rocky hills, sandbars at low tide (sand dollars everywhere) and provided excellent protection.  We had plenty of good company but privacy, as well.  A short dinghy ride plus a 3 mi. round trip hike took us to MacDuff’s restaurant on the western shore looking out on the Exuma Banks.   Entrees were delicious and the wait staff was charming.  We shared the deep, covered porch overlooking the shore with our Pond neighbors, Bill and Molly on Salty Paws, fine company.   That evening six of us gathered on Jubillie II (named for Julie and another Bill) for snacks and tales.  At one point our host slid to the floor and passed out! Molly, a nurse, did all the right things in a hurry and a bewildered Bill sat up, ready to continue  the evening.   We all checked on each other the next morning, keenly aware of our fragility.

MacDuff's on Norman's Cay

MacDuff's on Norman's Cay

 We entered the Exuma Land and Sea Park at Shroud Cay.  (Anchoring a 34’ boat in the park is $20.00 nightly, some locations have moorings at $25.00 nightly.  Moorings are handy since currents, tides, and winds can be challenging on an anchor)   We made two dinghy trips along the wide creek cutting through the north end of the Cay, west to east, Exuma Banks to the Sound.  It was populated with big, old turtles and Sting Rays, landscaped with flowering bushes and pink-stemmed mangroves.  Broad curves brought sandbars, deep pools, strong currents and, after more than a mile, the crashing waves of the Sound.  It was glowing near sunset, bright and fresh near sunrise. Dietrich stood up to get the best views as he drove, I hung over the bow to chat with passing turtles.   Swimming in the deep, swirling pools at the end was a thrill.

the Pilot

Shroud Cay's dinghy creek

Shroud Cay's Sound side

Sea turtle

Shroud Cay

Shroud Cay's dinghy creek

Shroud Cay's dinghy creek

Shroud Cay's dinghy creek

Shroud Cay's dinghy creek

Shroud Cay's dinghy creek

Shroud Cay's dinghy creek

Shroud Cay's dinghy creek

Heading south, we stayed three nights at Park headquarters, Warderick Wells.  The moorings were settled in a spacious horseshoe surrounded by sandbars and hilly islands.  We enjoyed hiking, kayaking and conversations with Sherri, the Park office manager. Alessandro, Laura, Pepe and Orietta were great neighbors who made our stay so interesting and enlightening.  Sicilian wine and grilled veggies will always bring good memories!

Warderick Wells North Mooring Field

Cambridge Cay (still in the Park) has been a fine homecoming!  We spent many days here in 2009, surrounded with cruising friends and watery adventures. The area is dotted with islands, rocky mounds, miles of challenging hiking trails and a natural sea aquarium, beautiful from all angles.  Currents are strong so snorkeling at the aquarium site has meant clipping to a dinghy mooring then tying swimmers to lines on the dinghy.  Last week, Dietrich’s underwater camera filled with salt water (oh, the frustration!) so the aquarium will be a memory to cherish in conversation and the photos we shot from the dinghy.   We also clipped to a rowdy, big chop site  in

20 ft. of water that looked like Blue Moon jello.  The main attractions were the remains of a single engine cargo plane lying on its back, probably a relic from the drug running era decades ago.  

Bell Rock is conquered

Bell Rock is conquered

Bell Rock

Cambridge mooring field

Cambridge water

Groceries at Staniel Cay: $55 per bag

The Websters of Salty Paws

The Websters of Salty Paws

We are delighted to have gregarious mooring hosts who take care of collecting fees and provide wise advice about routes to consider as we head south.  They live aboard a Kadey-Krogen trawler with home base in Newport, R.I. and buzz around in the dinghy of our dreams.   The other bonus about being here is that Bill and Molly on Salty Paws are nearby again.  We have hiked, kayaked and shared marvelous conversations with them.   They will head home to the Maine coast eventually, but we hope a long distant contact will remain.    In the meantime, we are all rooting for Dietrich to continue his quest to be the Hot Shot bread baker of all time.   He’s working on a whole wheat-oat loaf with herbs and sea salt that is fabulous!  

another loaf