WOW!!! When you preliminarily envision what the Bahamas look like before you get there, this place checks all the boxes. The world’s first land & sea park created in 1958 encompasses 176 square miles and is an ecological preserve and wildlife refuge. The major influencer to form the park was Ilya Tolstoy, a naturalist and grandson of the famed author Leo Tolstoy. A study was done by the Bahamian gov’t and the Bahamas National Trust Act was signed in 1959 officially establishing the park.
We visited Warderick Wells and Shroud Cay’s in the park and they offer hiking trails, snorkel areas, dinghy paths thru the mangroves and the ultimate in pristine beaches. I’m going to quit typing and let pictures be the thousand words.
Shroud Cay; dinghy ride thru the mangroves to Driftwood Beach.
The photo images don’t really do justice to the actual scenery, but they’re close. These are the images that we will remember for a lifetime.
20 Mar, 2022
19 Mar, 2022
The Journey…
Show me da money!
March 19, 2022
The Bahamas is currently economically ranked 6th amongst the 32 countries in the Americas region. They were hit hard financially by Hurricane Dorian in 2019 and by Covid in 2020/21 due to the loss of their main income driver, tourism. Their current unemployment rate of around 11% is dropping after 14% in 2020.
There is however an exorbitant amount of wealth in and plying the waters of the Bahamas. Many of the 700 islands making up the Bahamas are private islands; 72 of which are for sale right now for $2-$55 million. Celebs who have islands here include Johnny Depp, David Copperfield, Beyonce & JayZ, Shakira, Tim McGraw & Faith Hill and Eddie Murphy. Those and countless other elites have their mansions in paradise. Wow, have your own private island, cannot conceive that notion. Is it all relative?
Then there are the not yachts, not mega yachts, but the super yachts. The one in the cover picture above is owned by a Pakistani billionaire, it’s 282ft long worth $75million and was previously owned by a Russian Oligarch. Another we saw was 180ft worth $60m owned by the richest woman in Mexico. Another was owned by a DNA sequencing scientist complete w/a lab on board from which he developed one of the rapid Covid testing products. The one that took the cake was 290ft worth $150m. The yacht itself was one thing, what put it over the top was its ‘support’ vessel, a 227ft worth $40m, complete w/a helipad. I could go on but I’ll stop, again cannot conceive of this magnitude of wealth. Is it all relative?
The coup de grace was a VHF radio conversation heard between the captain of the boat in the cover pic and the ‘support’ vessel below: “boat name, boat name do you carry a nurse on board; we have someone with a gash on her wrist, nothing too serious but we’d like someone to look at it”. Response after about an 8 second pause said w/a condescending tone, “no sir, we carry a doctor on board”. All relative?
Mother Ship
‘Support’ Vessel
So then you get into the big idea development opportunities and the drug king pins running drugs complete w/crashed planes in the waters; all driving the economy till they don’t. The drug king pins supposedly paid off the ruling political party at the time and its leader resulting in an inquiry leading to resignations and dismissals of officials.
In the mid 1960’s Lou Chesler was introduced to undeveloped Great Harbor Cay in the Berry Islands by Harold Christie, ‘The Father of Bahamas Real Estate’. An investment of $38 million was made to create a hideaway for the privileged. A golf course and multistoried ‘clubhouse’ were built overlooking the sea. It included the current marina basin. Again it was built for the socially elite; Cary Grant, Brigitte Bardot, Dame Margot Fonteyn, the Rockefeller’s, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr and Ingrid Bergman initially graced it w/their presences. In 1975 Chesler was in serious debt and abandoned the project leaving it to deteriorate into ruins.
Is it all relative??? You be the judge…
19 Mar, 2022
18 Mar, 2022
The Journey…
Bahamas – Pigs???
March 18, 2022
Ok, so D & I both SWORE over the Explorer Charts and just about anything else important that we could, that we would NOT go see the ‘swimming pigs’ at Staniel Cay. Multiple times, multiple places, to multiple people, NO we would not go see them. A tourist trap. So what happens? After a Goombay Smash & Yellow Bird cocktail, we are hightailing it in Bo from the Staniel Cay Yacht Club back to Rory and we both look at each other. 5 minutes away, they’re just 5 minutes away. Swerve, even tho the depth of the water under Rory’s keel is only 1.3 ft, swerve – to da pigs. Sigh, we are so weak!
18 Mar, 2022
18 Mar, 2022
The Journey…
Bahamas – Staniel Cay
March 18, 2022
Staniel Cay is located just about in the middle of the Exuma chain of islands. It’s one of those, ‘kinda gotta go to places’ but very touristy. A lot of cruisers make a stop there for the Staniel Cay Yacht Club for fuel and water and snorkeling the Thunderball Grotto, which was featured in the 1965 James Bond movie of same name (take bread and feed the reef fish so they come to you), swim w/the nurse sharks (fed w/fish so they come to you), and the swimming pigs (take food w/and feed them so they come to you). We visited the Yacht Club, they make VERY strong drinks, saw the nurse sharks and the pigs (did not swim w/either) and due to the fact it was high tide did not go to the grotto. We took a dinghy ride around the area which had amazingly clear water and beautiful beaches. Lots of people and boats around so we decided to head to the Exuma Land & Sea Park the next day instead of hanging around. Both the ‘famous’ Blue & Pink grocery stores were closed 🙁
So now it’s a been there done that kinda place.
18 Mar, 2022
15 Mar, 2022
The Journey…
Bahamas – Chris & Tony
March 8-15, 2022
Chris; my forever friend, college roommate, soul sister, nose sister, and as ‘weird’ as I am sister! We are the type of friends that could go a year without talking, then pick up a conversation like time never existed or mattered. She has been through a lot the past year and SO needed a break and planned on meeting us in Georgetown, Bahamas. The break she got was not what she was expecting (her upper arm) but still managed to come anyways. She was just a bit frustrated that she couldn’t swim & snorkel. The warmth of the sun & sand was sufficient to get her by. Tony, her good friend was excited about coming to the Bahamas and doing some scuba diving, he hadn’t been in awhile. He got two opportunities to do so and enjoyed each of them.
And of course the wind had to wreak havoc w/our time together w/them as w/all of our guests this season so far. Of the eight days they were here we were able to get together w/them 4 1/2 of them. I was especially lucky as I got to stay w/them in their VRBO and luxuriate in a hot shower, have the floor not move, and sneak in a couple loads of laundry! Along with many good catch-up conversations. D was a trooper and stayed on Rory at nite. She was at anchor and we trust her ground tackle but not always others, plus the winds were to predicted to pick up. I went back to the boat to move her to our Georgetown ‘hidey hole’ off Elizabeth Island (we call it Cheryl’s Cove, for Mark & Cheryl M stay there frequently) that will protect her from gnarly winds to be and stayed w/D on her.
Great & Little Exuma Islands
S end of Little Exuma
Proof
N end of Great Exuma
Proof
One of the luxuries Chris & Tony lined up was a rental car for the time they were in Georgetown. It was a treat. We literally drove from the N end of Great Exuma Island to the S end of Little Exuma Island. Stopping at many places along the way. Sights seen: the Tropic of Cancer beach & bar, a stop at Mommy’s Bakery w/awesome pastries, lunch @Santana’s-ironically the couple sitting to our left had a cabin 10 miles from Tony’s cabin in WI, and the beautiful Cocoplum beach on the N end. Note: Tropic of Cancer, 23d 26′ 22″N and its counterpart the Tropic of Capricorn, 23d 26′ 22″S in the Southern Hemisphere delineate the most northerly & southerly latitude at which the sun can appear directly overhead.
15 Mar, 2022
8 Mar, 2022
The Journey…
Quote – ‘Moonie’
(Maureen Elizabeth Jelle Jones)
A perfect summation after a conversation w/Maureen & Matt about the fickleness of the winds/weather we’ve had on our 8.5 month trip so far…
“So, it’s predictably unpredictable?“
8 Mar, 2022
6 Mar, 2022
The Journey…
Bahamas – Wind?!? What?!?
Deja Vu!
March 6, 2022
Ok, so enough w/the wind already! We’ve been ‘sequestered’ on Rory again in Georgetown for the past 2 days due to strong winds, think consistent 25-28kts (28-32mph). Enough to keep us from taking our niece & nephew-in-law, Maureen & Matt, sailing for a few days; let alone being able to traverse the harbor to visit them on land. Enough to force them to extend their resort stay for their entire time in Georgetown rather than staying on the boat w/us. Enough to keep Bo from even thinking of going in the water. Enough to have Bert the gull take a break on Rory for awhile. Enough to have a Bloody Mary @9:00am. That’s sailing life @face value, and accepting that is all you can do.
So, where were we last? Ah yes, just getting done being wind sequestered on Rory w/Jodi & Dan. Able to finally leave Georgetown we managed to have the best-est sail of our entire trip for the 55nm to Cat Island; east of Great Exuma Island. Wind mostly a bit before the beam and very consistent for the sail; getting us to our destination much quicker than planned! Ended up anchored in front of Rollezzz Beach Resort near Old Bight on Cat Island. Had a fantastic grouper meal at the resort. It was a very cool, chill place.
Jodi @helm
Rollezzz Beach Resort
Waiting for our meal
The Grouper
Rollezzz Beach
Many Sea Stars on the beach
Moved a whopping 4nm north to the small village of New Bight. Saw our first waterspouts albeit very tiny ones. Very sleepy town, only a couple places open in the fish fry village; most towns have one of these. They consist of a group of brightly painted small buildings each of which serves a specialty of sorts. We chose Duke’s Conch Stand. The one across the road had a caveat line at the base of their menu board-‘Eat at your own risk’. :0
We’d all been on the boat for awhile and decided we needed to hike to the top of Mt. Alvernia and its Hermitage. It is the highest hill in the Bahamas at 206ft. After being on the boat it seemed like 2006ft! Built using local stone by Father Jerome in 1939 as an admiration of St Francis of Assisi to peacefully contemplate.
Next day we planned to get to the southern tip of Eleuthera Island but due to increasing winds and conflicting waves we halted 10nm short and anchored at Little San Salvador Island. If it wouldn’t have been for the cruise ship half of the island one could call it idyllic. One of the prettiest places we’ve seen. (Note: cruise ship lines actually buy whole or portions of islands around the world and build any kind of amenity you could think of on them; water parks, bars, restaurants, motocross etc. Everything but true local spirit and culture.) Got going very early the next day because the idyllic anchorage began to exceedingly roll, the back and forth kind; rounded the tip of Eleuthera Island and headed to Rock Sound Harbour. Great 33nm sail hitting 8kts on the beam then forced to motor-bash 10 miles directly into the wind & waves. Jodi & Dan got just about every kind of sailing experience possible on their trip, smiling the whole time.
Cap’t Dan
8.0kt
Southern tip of Eleuthera
Rock Sound Harbour
Wild Orchid meal
Bday Girl at end of table, proud as a peacock that bday was 2/22/2022!
Obvious
Right in town
Fish in the ‘Hole’
Alas, all good things must come to an end; we miss you Jodi & Dan. Till the next time our travel paths cross…
Next up for D, K, Rory & Bo – get from Eleuthera back to Georgetown to meet up w/ Maureen and Matt close to 3/2. So we spent a day provisioning and doing laundry. K spent the laundry time analyzing the ills of the world w/Walter the proprietor of the laundromat. He was on the Bahamian National Track team, when younger. Sounds like an extreme privilege. Had a few choice words for Mr. Putin.
We left on 2/26 sailing in rain for about 10 miles, but were treated to the most incredible rainbow we’ve ever seen.
Had another incredible sail back to the Exumas to Conch Cay Cut, 55nm. Actually timed getting to the cut perfectly and were able to sail right thru it. Passed right by our friends Bob & Linda on Tiger Lily. Anchored by Pipe Cay and slept well.
With a bit of a roll the next morning we felt the need to continue south while the winds were with us. So we lazy sailed w/just the headsail we made for Issac Bay, 23nm and ended up w/the anchorage and a beach all to ourselves. Doesn’t happen that much in the Bahamas. We felt lucky. We stayed 2 nites, snorkeled some good reef rocks, and walked the beach.
Onward to Georgetown. By this time with our process of wind and weather planning we had determined that the winds were going to be blowing like stink right during our time w/Maureen & Matt and made the suggestion to extend their resort stay. That in addition to getting their 2nd Bahamian Covid test (since has been cancelled) would make getting to/from the boat very difficult for them. We sailed half the way to Georgetown not bad. We got in just in time to anchor next to Mark & Cheryl M on Paradigm Shift and had our last Bahamas happy hour w/them. They were just back from the Ragged Islands and were to begin their trip back north. We will miss them as well.
Crammed a bunch into the 3 days before the blow, made it to town to meet w/Maureen & Matt for happy hour and dinner on the 2nd. It was SO good to see them, it has been a while. Managed to get a day sail in to Pigeon Cay for them to hit the beach. Then met up w/up them at the famous Chat & Chill bar and restaurant on Stocking Island in Elizabeth Harbor just before the winds were to begin. D & I got exceedingly soaked in Bo on the way back to Rory that nite. Then the sequestration occurred.
