After our short trip to Alabaster Bay, we packed up and headed adventuring right away. Our anchorage LOOKED like a peaceful beach with a resort, but we knew that just behind the trees was some hidden US history.
One of my “short cuts” to the exploring!
Just on the other side of the street were ruins of a US Naval Experimental Facility that was open from 1950-1980 with the purpose of using underwater microphones to identify unwelcome submarines trying to sneak into US waters. They also took part in weather forecasting and offering guidance to NASA related to weather for shuttle launches. It was a cool site, but there was lots of debris, as the area was quite **ruined**! Everything was left behind to bake in the sun when the site was abandoned 38 years ago. Interesting and kind of creepy.
This was the mess hall where coolers and storage areas were obvious. The tile and wallpaper were amazing. The debris all over made us thankful we insisted on real shoes and no flip flops. There was rusted metal, broken glass, and other booby traps all over the place!!
Mike made one little mention of tiles with asbestos and Colin wouldn’t step foot in any building. That kid is scared of his shadow sometimes and other times he’s jumping off of cliffs?!
This large building was divided into barracks with bunks. At one point 150 contractors and servicemen worked and lived here. Higher ranking officials had houses on the installation.
Tobin checked it out. SummerCamp came to see this place the next day and said a goat came flying down those stairs when they attempted to climb up. That would have given me a a heart attack!!Not sure if this was a holding cell or for security purposes.Creepy paintings all over the insides of the buildings.
The housing building also housed the chapel and the times for services were still evident on the wall.
Apparently the government used Nissan trucks.
This is the “T building” where they recorded sounds picked up by the hydrophones from the Atlantic in the mission of anti-submarine warfare. There were no windows, and the building was surrounded by a gate where only certain workers were allowed.
The fence around the T Building.GE switchPan American Airways was one of the main contractors on site.
Walking through administrative offices.
Apparently they liked Stroh’s.
In the back of the administrative services building we found the Brig. Hayley sure looks remorseful, but I think Tobin needs a little more time to think about what he’s done.
The gate separating the Naval facility from the Auxilliary Air Force Base—we did not explore the AAFB side of the installation.
We headed right down this paved road to the beach on the Atlantic Ocean where they did their listening. The water had a lot of concrete clumps in several areas, including what looked like foundations for docks. We weren’t quite sure what it was, but wondered if it was used to hold the wires for the hydrophones in place.
There were several huge water catchment areas, as this was their only means of having freshwater at that time. Ironically enough, it is now used as a water treatment facility.
The edges of the property had seen better days, as debris was falling down (maybe washing down?!) the sand dunes. There were also several sinkholes in the concrete catchment area that looked like they had been used as a landfill. Eventually, the US couldn’t reach an agreement with Bahamians to extend the lease of the property, so the land is currently owned by the Bahamian government. All of the equipment and buildings were left to bake in the sun and cover with rust.
We had a nice picnic lunch on the beach and then played in the pink sand and in the waves. I was kind of freaked out by the concrete and rebar left behind in the water, but it was so clear, it was easy to see what areas to avoid. We also had a local come down and make sure no one was bothering us (which they weren’t–only him). He said sometimes other locals give tourists a hard time for coming to this area and he wanted to make sure we were okay. It was nice of him, but it put us on edge a bit. No one else bothered us the whole time, though.
When we got back to INNTW, the sun was getting low and the water was perfectly calm. It wasn’t necessarily our planned anchorage for overnight, but the conditions were right, so we stayed put. We were the only boat there until SummerCamp showed up just as the sun was setting.
In the morning we woke up to the calmest, clear water. Our little cove reminded us of northern Michigan with the sandy beach and pine trees along the water. It was just beautiful!
The boys went spearfishing and fishing early, so Hayley and I were left to relax. Eventually she paddled over to SummerCamp to play, so I had an hour on the boat ALL BY MYSELF. This never ever ever happens. I blogged.
No fishies today and lobster season is already over.
Later that morning about 4 more boats moved in to the anchorage and all the cruisers seemed to head to the beach. The tide went down and the sand flats were exposed. It turned out to be a pretty cool spot. Together with the kids from SummerCamp and Sand Flea, another cruising family we met way back in Great Harbour, our kids played for the rest of the day.
Hayley asked me if I would leave her my coconut coozy in my will. It seems like an odd request, but how could I turn it down? CI hereby bequeath the coconut coozy to Hay.Sundowners with the captain.
Thanks for reading and following along on our amazing adventures!!
Our last morning in Cape Eleuthera was so beautiful, it was hard to leave. But it was also a great boating day, and we were anxious to get moving north. The water was like glass, so we put the boat on autopilot and enjoyed the view from the bow for a while. It’s amazing being able to see down 15 feet clear as day.
Our first sunset at Governor’s Harbour.
Again, our friends on SummerCamp were anchored nearby, so we headed over there for dinner and sundowners which was so kind and generous of them. It turned into an interesting night, with the kids grabbing minnows right out of the water with their bare hands and Mike paying the kids to eat them. They also caught some crabs floating on top of the water, but luckily none of them were eaten. I guess sometimes we have to make our own entertainment out here, and things like that seem fun.
In the morning we saw this guy swim right past our bow. We also saw some dolphins in the harbour. Seeing sea creatures from the boat is always fun–especially when they’re not sharks!!
Colin was thrilled to beat Mike for the first time at chess!! They have battled about a dozen times or so since Colin learned how to play in August and he finally beat his dad!! Don’t worry–he keeps track!!
Mid morning we headed in to town to extend our visas and visit the grocery store. In the Bahamas, you get a 90 day visa when you enter by boat, and ours expires on 4/8. Since the customs and immigration office is convenient to the anchorage, we figured it was a good time to extend for another month or so.
Waiting to head to town.
Unfortunately, the customs and immigration wasn’t where we thought it was, so we tabled that chore for a while and headed to get groceries. We found these thin pizza crusts that we brought from the Dollar Tree in Florida. It was interesting to see the mark up–$4.42 instead of just $1. I couldn’t bring myself to pay that much more for them even though we only have about 5 of our original 40 left. The grocery store had more options than some islands, but it was all so expensive and fresh foods were already starting to over ripen. We were picky and only bought what we really thought we needed.
After unloading groceries and having lunch on the boat, we headed back to town to extend the visas and explore a bit.
View of the anchorage.Heading toward the town dock and customs and immigration offices.Tobin signing his visa extension form.We passed by this colorful building used for the weekly Friday Night Fish Fry, which we hear is quite popular and enjoyable.
This building was built in 1897 as a library and it is now the town library again, after being several other businesses through the years. It was a beautiful building, inside and out, and interesting to explore. I love thinking of all the history in a place like this.
I think more buildings at home should be painted these bright colors–so cheerful and happy.The archway separates the children’s area from the main area.The kids had a lot of fun reading and playing. It was nice to be in a library again.One of the sections in the children’s area.What a beautiful view out the front door!! The desks to the left were filled with laughing school-age girls doing homework who kept getting shushed by the librarian. It was fun to see them carefree and acting like children.
Outside the library, we did some more exploring. Tobin fell of this cement wall shortly after I took this picture and hit his head on the grass. I felt like a bad mom, but accidents happen and it wasn’t serious at all.
The day before there were 3 stray dogs running and barking on this beach, but I was glad they were absent for our visit.
Governor’s Harbour is one of the original settlements in Eleuthera settled by the Eleutheran Adventurers in 1648 who left Bermuda in search of religious freedom. They crashed on a reef at the northern end of the island and called it home. Eleuthera comes from the Greek word for “freedom.”
There were a few restaurants and shops in town to check out and a very old cemetery. I saw a headstone that was over 200 years old.
After exploring and returning back to the boat, Mike and I enjoyed sundowners watching a gorgeous sunset while the kids relaxed and watched TV.
The captain looks pretty official with his handlebar mustache.
Governor’s Harbour was a cute little town to explore and a nice anchorage. It was a good stop. Thanks for reading about our adventures and following along!!
We had a calm, sunny morning to head across the Sound to Eleuthera. This is a deep water crossing that is fairly exposed to the Atlantic, so we definitely wanted a good travel day and we lucked out.
Playing with the hermit crabs was great entertainment and distraction from traveling!We saw a small pod of HUGE dolphins within the first half hour, so that was a great morale booster, as well! They weren’t very social, though, so they let us cruise right on past without even playing.Breakfast underway. I’m not sure Tobin ever wears a shirt!!?Beautiful, clear morning.Getting closer, you can see land in the distance! We saw about a half dozen sportfishermen on our way across, but not much else.Flying fish!! This is a great picture a friend took of a flying fish that landed in their cockpit. We see flying fish every time we have a deep water passage. They are SO COOL, and to think we didn’t even know they existed before we crossed to the Bahamas!!?
Since we were expecting a big cold front to head through that would bring high winds and heavy seas for a few days, we decided to hunker down at Cape Eleuthera Marina. We hadn’t been to a marina since the end of January, so docking felt new and tricky and nerve-wracking again!! This marina has a restaurant, a pool, and a $300 credit when you stay for 4 nights so it was PERFECT!! Plus, our friends on SummerCamp met us here, so that made it even better!!
All tied up at the dock!Heading to the pool after some lunch!Our first sunset in Eleuthera. Beautiful.
Cape Eleuthera is on a point at the southern end of the island, so it is surrounded by beaches and water. We could see both the Sound and the Atlantic Ocean from our slip. Amazing.
The winds picked up on our 2nd day.Out walking and exploring the grounds. They are set up for future development, but there’s not much to see away from the marina at this point.INNTW on a dock!!Boat school on land. It was a nice break from being on the boat all the time, but we really had to keep track of all our stuff with that wind!
Of course we spent plenty of time at the pool each day. Tobin was swimming on his own so much that by the 2nd day, I didn’t even bring his lifejacket to the pool anymore!! Amazing!! It also helped that we had friends there to motivate him to swim. The beach was just on the other side of the pool, so it was a great set up.
The pool, the beach, hermit crabs, and coconuts–lots to play with here!Overlooking the pool, overlooking the Sound. Sure can’t complain. Lucky kiddos.It is wonderful to see their independence and confidence grow.
Mike and I were so lucky that SummerCamp offered to watch the kids on their boat one night so that we could go out to eat at the restaurant onsite. DATE NIGHT!! Having friends around is definitely fun for the kiddos and the adults, but it leads to some late nights!!
Dinner at Barracudas.Bahamian beers.Our view from dinner.
This mega yacht was parked in our marina for the first few days we were there. One morning another boater told us that the marina is owned by the owner of Amway from Grand Rapids, Michigan. I stopped cold because I realized that is Betsy DeVos’ family. I don’t want this to be a political blog, but let me say that as a public school teacher, I was instantly ashamed to be staying in this marina and disgusted that I was supporting their family. In that exact timeframe, DeVos was in the news defending her plans to cut funding for special olympics and explaining how larger class sizes can be beneficial. It did lead to many good jokes between our friends for the rest of the stay, and we felt vindicated because of our $300 credit and we may or may not have peed in her pool. I would never stay here again knowing that it is owned by DeVos.
She also owns part of the company that made her yacht. A parody I watched said that she “bathes in teachers’ tears and burns up school supplies to fuel her yachts.” So that’s where all our school supplies are going?!
The beach was decked out with all kinds of hammocks and tikis for relaxing.
Give kids a bag of chips and a hammock and they’ll be happy for hours!!Feeling lucky to be in this beautiful place.
Later that day, we entertained the girls from SummerCamp so their parents could have a solo date night. We got out all our sporting equipment and played a little of everything. Wall ball, frisbee, football, soccer, sidewalk chalk, and finally a fairly organized game of baseball. We followed it all up with mac ‘n’ cheese, peanut butter and jelly, and a movie. What more could a kid want?!
Lots of coaching during this game!! And unfortunately we don’t have a bat, so we had to use a paddle?! Everyone had fun regardless!!
On our last day we rented a car to go exploring. I’ve read that Eleuthera is best explored by car, so we set off to explore the 110 mile long island along the *only* road, trying to remember to drive on the left. There were a lot of little settlements to drive through and we got a little glimpse of local life.
We ran a few errands and then stopped at this food truck set up right in someone’s backyard. It is interesting how some Bahamians have come to be so resourceful, that they find ways to fill a need or find a void and make a living. When we passed by this spot later in the night, it was a full on party!!
We stopped at French Leave Beach which is a pink beach on the Atlantic side, right in front of an old Club Med. It was a very light shade of pink, and darker where the waves washed up on shore. It sure was fun to look at. Like a trick of the senses.
The sand is colored with plenty of pink crystals, and the kids spent a while trying to pick out JUST the pink parts. The big waves brought a little seaweed up on the beach.
On our next stop we hiked to The Cliffs, which is exactly what it sounds like. It was an area of high cliffs overlooking the menacing Atlantic Ocean. The gusting wind was dying down, but the waves were still pretty intense.
Hayley and I look miniscule from Mike’s vantage point. Doesn’t his camera take the best pictures?!The boys walked out on another section and ended up stumbling upon an actual Geocache. It was neat to look out at the waves, but if you fell, “you would surely die” (that’s our no-nonsense kid way of telling the kids it is serious and they need to be safe).We saw several large ships on the horizon and I looked them up on Marine Traffic. There were 3 cruise ships out there, pushing through the waves. That is a bonus of our trip, that we don’t HAVE TO travel on icky weather days!!
The area around Hatchet Bay had rolling hills and lots of old silos.
The next stop was the Hatchet Bay Cave. We weren’t quite sure what to expect here, but it turned out to be a gem!! Probably the highlight of our day. We headed toward the cave right after another couple, and while they didn’t get very far before turning around, we traveled deep into this cave and saw some amazing history. It’s interesting how great adventures often lead to questions and curiosities about other things, isn’t it?!
Wondering what in the world we’re in for, heading through this hole in the ground!!Getting the lay of the land after the first set of stairs. This was a bigger, bright room, with lots of crushed rock and a few very dark nooks and crannies.The ceiling had all these straws and stalactites forming. There were some very large stalactites further on that had crashed to the ground. It’s amazing to think how long it took them to form.
After the picture below, we went down a ladder under a spray painted sign saying “Welcome to Hell.” The other adventurers down there with us turned around at this point, saying this was the stuff of their nightmares, but we pushed on. It was pitch dark from here, and we relied on cell phone flashlights to see. There was a thin string on the ground running through the cave, so it was easy to find our way as long as we followed the string. There were several “rooms” and other pathways we did not travel.
I was equally amazed by the cave itself AND the signatures and years on the walls. We saw dates back to 1849 and even King George VII. This cave has some amazing history!! Just imagine people venturing down there with oil lamps or torches and writing their names with cinders. You can tell this writing is from long ago just by the formation of the letters. There were also signs saying there was hidden gold, but it was marked as found….bummer!!
I wish we would have taken more pictures of the walls to examine closer later, but to take a picture literally everyone had to stop walking because we had to point our flashlight/phone/camera over to the side of the wall. Then we all stood still in darkness while the picture took and until we could shine a light on the path again. It took quite a bit of coordinating, and of course, we had no idea if they were turning out at all.
Is it creepy that it smelled like cigars down there, the further we went?
The kids are amazing and were not scared at all really. It helped that there were no creatures that we saw, though we have read that there can be a large number of bats down there. Eventually, Hayley, Tobin, and I turned back. We weren’t sure if the cave was going to have a dead end or another exit, and we were ready to be done traipsing through the dark. We turned around and followed the string all the way back to the entrance. Mike and Colin said we only needed to travel through one more “room” before we could see the light streaming in from the exit.
We had another real life experience with column formations, flowstones, and all that cool cave stuff!!
Look at that smile once Colin could see light pouring in from the exit. Such a good feeling!!
There was a rope ladder at the end to climb out. The boys had such a feeling of accomplishment after traveling through the cave from start to finish. They were ecstatic they stuck with it. In hindsight, we should have pushed on, too.
Even though I was disappointed we didn’t travel the whole way through the cave, I was thrilled that Colin and Mike did and very happy with how brave everyone was on this uncertain adventure. We estimate the cave is about a mile long to walk through, but less than a half a mile on the surface. If you want to read more history on this cave (it was first mentioned in a magazine in 1874!!) or learn about it’s diverse biology, check out Project Eleuthera. I recommend this site for lots of great info on adventures in Eleuthera.
Driving past the governor’s residence in Governor’s Harbour we had this spectacular view.
The Glass Window Bridge was our last touristy stop. This is an very narrow part of Eleuthera where the Atlantic Ocean is on one side and the Sound on the other side. When the waves really get rolling, they can go right over the road and it has to be shut down. People have been swept away from this area. It is beautiful to see the deep, dark blue water on one side with no one except for the crazy cruise ships far out to sea, and the shallow, light green water on the other side with cruisers and boats anchored nearby. Such a dichotomy.
Atlantic side–thousands of feet deep.Sound side–maybe 20 feet deep.
This picture (borrowed from the internet) gives you an idea of what the Glass Window Bridge looks like from the side. We never went close to it in our boat, as it was slightly out of the way. I sure hope they check the integrity of the bridge regularly, especially with all that salt water corrosion!!
We were starving after this long day of adventuring, so we found a great restaurant overlooking the sunset. Mike had fish and Tobin just had to eat another eyeball. Gross!!
After dinner, we still had a 2 hour drive to get back to the boat. Luckily the kiddos were exhausted so they conked right out which made it easier to focus on driving in the dark on the left side of the road.
This is when you know you had a full day of adventures!!
The next day we were off to explore Eleuthera more by boat! Thanks for reading and following along on our adventures!! Make sure you follow our Facebook page, INNTWadventures, for real-time, daily updates, too!!
Here is a video recap of our trip south through the Exumas. February was the most amazing month, so be prepared–it is about 20 minutes long, but full of adventure. These were the absolute best days!! Thanks for following our adventures!!
We felt stuck and lost, not knowing which way to turn next. Our time was growing short in the Bahamas and we had 2 choices–head west back through the Berries and Bimini or head east to Eleuthera and then north to the Abacos. Plus, we had a cold front creeping in that was supposed to bring wicked west winds for 3 days. Mike and I sat there for a good few hours hashing out options and looking over possible routes, trying to match them with good weather protection. Finally, a friend mentioned Cape Eleuthera Marina as an option and instantly, we knew we found our path. We had 1 more day to play in the Exumas before we needed to head east, so we went to the east side of Norman’s, just outside of the pond, where there is a “whale’s tail” for protection. We loved this area the last time we were at Norman’s and do you want to know the REAL reason we went there?! Hermit crabs!!
See why they call it the “Whale’s Tail”?A beautiful morning to tuck around to the whale’s tail.The captain getting a good look at the water–so clear and calm.
As soon as we dropped anchor, we gathered our gear for the beach. We have fond memories of playing here before, and the scenery is gorgeous.
INNTW, outside of Norman’s.The kids loved playing in the trees and on the beach, with a little swimming in the mix.Such a beautiful spot.
After a bit of beach walking for the adults and playing for the kiddos, we walked over to the other side of the whale’s tail to the spot where we found lots of hermit crabs before. Both sides of the tail are beautiful and amazing. I could stay here for a long time in the right weather!!
Another beautiful beach on the north side.
Sure enough, the kids found tons of hermit crabs and had races and competitions of all kinds. We told them (reluctantly) that they could each pick 3 crabs to bring back to the boat. Our friends have hermit crabs and they are so entertaining for the kids and very low maintenance, so….why not?!
After everyone picked their 3 crabs, we headed back to the boat for lunch. We were surprised to find we had a big sister anchored RIGHT behind us. Seemed like they could have given us a little space, but what can ya do??
After lunch we swam off the back of the boat and made the hermit crab habitat just right. I was desperate to explore some of the other beaches, so we took off exploring until just before sunset when we went back and gathered up all of our gear at the first beach. All in all, on our last day in the Exumas, we set foot on 10 beaches. That is a good day!!
Mike made preparations for our 40 mile crossing through the Sound the next morning, which included putting the dinghy up, securing it, securing all the toys in the back, and probably checking some “tings” in the engine room. We are lucky he isn’t afraid of hard work!!
What a great last day in the Exumas!! It’s been a fun ride!! Thanks for reading and following along!!
The next day was blustery and overcast. We had some wavy seas, but luckily we were staying on the Banks side so it wasn’t too intense. Heading north we saw all these mega yachts in the distance. These things are massive!! Again, we looked up the names and read up on the boats and their features.
Interestingly enough, these two yachts travel together as a team and are privately owned by the Chairman of Harbor Freight. The top one, Intrepid, is the “support yacht” for the lower one. It has the helipad, tenders, and toys. The yacht on the bottom, Infinity, is like the home (and probably the office) and has a 15 foot swimming pool, movie theater, and beach club. It’s crazy that people are this rich. If you want to read more about this yacht duo, click here. Don’t worry, these guys are no match for INNTW!!
IntrepidInfinityThis one is called Air and he must feel awfully lonely not to have a big sister following him around. At least it has a helipad on the back.
We stopped at Shroud Cay with the thought that we would dinghy down that northern channel again in hopes of seeing more turtles, but that was not an option today. We made the trip, but it was blustery so there were little ripples over the water, even in the protected channel, so it was hard to see what creatures were swimming below. We dinghied down the whole channel and didn’t see much, so we came back to the boat and headed off on our merry way. It was disappointing because we loved Shroud Cay on our way south, but this just goes to show that good weather can make or break a stop!!
We continued further north to Norman’s Cay. You might remember we stayed in the pond on our trip south, but this time we chose to anchor off the beach near the airport, right next to Livin the Dream. They just can’t get rid of us!! We also saw 3 other boats we met back in Bimini when we first came to the Bahamas. Small cruising world!!
The kids played on Livin the Dream while the adults had big discussions about all things life, cruising, and boat related. We were thankful for the distraction from this blustery day.
The next morning, however, was sunny and clear. We watched as Livin theDream took off to head towards Nassau, Bimini, and eventually Florida, but we weren’t quite sure of our next move so we did what we do best: we loaded up and headed to the beach. We hadn’t explored this end of the island before past the infamous lookout boat, which we could see clearly from the anchorage.
We walked along the sandy beach, searched for hermit crabs, attempted to get a peek at whoever closed down the famous MacDuffs Restaurant (they were closed to the public for 4 days to protect the identity of their guests), and played some good ol fashioned beach baseball before a squall chased us back to the boat.
Just the day before this anchorage was full and now it was only us. For a while at least.Just when the game was getting good, the squall started moving uncomfortably close and I called a rain delay. We scurried back to the boat and got a bit wet in the process, but we were drier than we would have been had we stayed.It looks like a water spout was forming as the storm built, and then it dissipated.The rain stayed around for the rest of the day, but it was a good excuse to read and snuggle on the couch!We have a few leaks when it really rains hard. Guess it’s time to add some waterproofer to the bimini top.In the evening we were treated to this beautiful rainbow peaking through the clouds.
Thanks for reading and following along on our adventures!!
Destination: Hawksbill Cay (though of course we weren’t sure when we left!)
Distance: 23.1 miles
Speed: 7.8 mph
Time on the Move: 2 hours and 58 minutes
After a morning of movie making with these pirates, we headed off to the north. Of course, we weren’t sure of our destination, but we had 3 good ideas and figured the right choice would come to us as we cruised.
It was a beautiful day for boating and beaching, and as soon as we saw the white sand beach on Hawksbill, we knew that was the right choice for the day. We found a different beach to anchor off of than when we were here previously, and we enjoyed Hawksbill just as much.
I feel like this place is a hidden gem because it is never busy, it has the most gorgeous beaches, and even a few trails to keep you busy. I don’t want to tell too many people, but Hawksbill is within the top 3 stops of the Exumas for sure!!
Bro bros kayaking to the beach. Mike paddled over after finishing up some chores on board.Isn’t this place amazing?!If I ever go missing, this is where I’ll be.
We had the best day playing, swimming, and relaxing on our own private stretch of sand. Days like this just can’t be beat!!
Thanks for following along and reading about all of our adventures!!
Heading out of Staniel Cay we had the calmest water with gorgeous sunshine over head. We started towards our destination, but after half an hour or so of pushing through this amazingly calm and clear water, I couldn’t wait to jump in. So we stopped the boat and let her float for the next few hours while we swam and played. It was completely magical!
Hard to tell where the water ends and the sky begins.The water here was so clear, we could see straight down to the sandy bottom.My little mermaid.Colin did the usual quick check for sharks and other creepies, but then even he swam and played for a while.
These are the best days!!I love not having a schedule for this exact reason. If something comes up, we can totally go for it!!
Unbelievable.The Captain!!
We swam near the boat while it slowly drifted along for about an hour without seeing any living things. Then we happened to all be out of the water and about to all jump in off the side when we saw a 4′ long barracuda swimming around. It was a little surprising, but barracudas are usually curious, so it wasn’t out of the norm. We looked at the charts and realized we were about to drift over a reef area still 10 feet below us. This must be where that guy came from. We enjoyed floating over the top of the reef and “snorkeling from the bow.”
You could see everything below clear as day! Not many fish, a little coral, and lots of rocks.The boys all tried fishing. I even offered $3 to anyone who spotted a lobster, but no luck. After we crossed over the reef, Mike worked on scraping the bottom a bit while he could see so clearly.
After about 3 hours we had enough swimming and playing so Mike fired up the engines and we carried on towards our destination. What a fun afternoon. We sure don’t see water that calm very much, so it was a great time to take advantage of a beautiful day!! If not now then when?!
Carrying on, we got closer to some mega yachts that were in the distance during our swim. This one in particular was fascinating. It had a huge blow up slide from the 5th level down to the water, with all kinds of water toys and tenders floating off the back. As we passed by, a sea plane landed and headed over to drop off the guests that probably had an amazing afternoon running from salty pigs on the beach and eating at the yacht club. Such a display of wealth. I can’t imagine the life these people must live to be able to afford this extravagance. Our time in the Bahamas seems so similar to theirs, but on such a simpler scale and for a fraction of the cost. Food for thought for all of us.
Our plan was to anchor near the Rocky Dundas caves to do some snorkeling inside before heading to our anchorage. The water in the picture below was so calm and it was slack tide, so we thought it would be the perfect time.
Rocky Dundas caves are inside that cay.On our way to snorkel–or so we thought!!
However, after this short dinghy ride over to the moorings, we watched swells coming off the ocean and slamming in to the rocks and we weren’t so sure about it being the perfect time to snorkel anymore. Mike swam over to check it out while we watched the waves bang him around in horror. He swam gently toward the opening, got swept in to the rocks by a giant swell, got swept underwater by another swell, and then swam underwater all the way back to the boat before he could get knocked around again. He was a tad bloody and absolutely sure that it was not a good time for us to snorkel Rocky Dundas anymore. We even called it Rocky Deadlas and said that if you swam there, you would surely die. Not worth it for us!!
Instead we dinghied back over to the bay at Fowl Cay where we anchored the big boat and did some snorkeling there. The current was pretty strong, but there was a lot of coral and fish to see and no swells to speak of.
Tobin jumped right in!Hayley floated on her life jacket so she didn’t have to worry about swimming against the current too much.Colin literally stuck his head in to check it out, but didn’t want to get in the water.The current was so strong I gave Hayley and Tobin lines off the dinghy to hold on to in the water. Extra peace of mind for all of us.Everyone that went in said it was a great place to snorkel with lots of stuff to see. We turned Rocky Dundas lemons into lemonade!
After moving INNTW to the mooring field at Cambridge Cay, Hayley and Mike paddled over to pay our nightly anchorage fee. We settled in just in time for a beautiful sunset and full moon kind of night. What a long day of swimming and fun in the sun!!
Sunset over Bell Island.A beautiful moon shining over the anchorage. You can see the bright blue lights from the mega yacht parked next to us. It was interesting to look up how much they chartered that yacht for and realize they spent more on one week of yacht rental (not even food, fuel, tips, excursions, etc) than we plan to spend in a whole year. Craziness!!The next morning, the moon was still visible over Bell Island.
Our buddies Livin the Dream were anchored in the next anchorage over, so the next day we made plans to meet up at the beach for a little hike and “beach playground” kind of fun.
This makeshift swing was created by a huge line that washed up on shore.These boys can have all kinds of fun with some beach treasures and sticks!! The girls were off somewhere collecting beach trash and playing baby dolls.
Later we hiked on some trails that head to the north. The cay has some pretty good hills to climb and overlooks to admire the view.
A beautiful view for miles!! Barefoot and wild. What lucky kiddos!The kids are way in the background and the adults don’t bother trying to keep up.View of our anchorage from the hills.What a beautiful spot!
When we got back to the beach, we found our dinghy high and dry. Funny, because it was floating just fine when we left it. It looks odd to see the anchor just sitting there. Luckily, our dinghy is pretty light, so with some teamwork and help from the kids and Zeeffs, we got her back to the water. Then we had to pull their dinghy back to the water, which is not near as light!
Every time you beach/anchor/tie up the dinghy you do the quick tide check to see what is happening with the water, but sometimes your adventure takes longer than you anticipated and you return to this!
We found out it was International Water Day, so Mike had to document us making fresh drinking water with our reverse osmosis system right from salty ocean water. Science is amazing!!
Water is life!And according to Mike, so is beer!
Thanks for following along on our adventures!! This cartoon perfectly captures our thoughts on days like today! Start your own adventure!!
Destination: Between the Majors anchorage at Staniel Cay
Distance: 43.2 miles
Speed: 8.4 mph
Time on the Move: 5 hours and 13 minutes
We woke up to a beautiful sunrise over Lee Stocking and had a great day to travel. Again, we had to venture out into the Sound for part of this trip, so we hoped for a calm day. We were sad to say goodbye to Walden and happy that SummerCamp was moving north with us. Goodbyes are a regular occurrence in this cruising lifestyle, but thank goodness social media makes it so easy for us to keep in touch!!
Traveling in the Sound was a bit rougher than anticipated, but easier than our trip to Lee Stocking. The Captain was intent on fishing in the deeper water, so we toughed it out longer than necessary and were thankful when we cut back over to the Banks.
Captain Tobin took over for a while.Playing Memory on the way. This kid has a great memory!!Living a carefree life, cruising through the Bahamas on a Tuesday morning.
Heading in through the cut wasn’t too bad, but when wind/waves oppose current, it can really kick up some chop!!
As we neared Staniel Cay, we noticed a whole lineup of mega yachts anchored further out. The caliber of mega yachts during this visit at “high season” has definitely increased!! We couldn’t believe how big these yachts were!!
One of our first orders of business after getting diesel fuel and anchoring was to head to the airport. Our hotspot got a little too wet on that wavy day back in Georgetown when we sloshed through the waves again and again to get all of our chores done, and it didn’t want to charge anymore. Thank goodness for “My Island Wifi” we had a new hotspot sent right over to the airport here at Staniel. Unfortunately we had to come back 4 times before it actually arrived, but we met some cool people in the process and saw some different parts of the Cay.
Flights run in and out all day here and this is about the biggest plane you’ll see. Passengers take their luggage right out to the plane and usually load it in a compartment themselves before they climb up the steps built into the door. This is not DTW, it’s island life!
That night we played with our friends on SummerCamp and mentally prepared for a big west wind that was expected the next day. There isn’t a whole lot of protection for winds from the west, but this spot between the Majors has great protection, so we felt comfortable and safe, despite it being a high current area. Pig beach is on the other side of that cay in the picture.
We woke up to overcast skies and blustery winds. It looked like it could rain at any time, but luckily, it held off through most of the day. The winds weren’t even as bad as expected.
The only other Carver we saw for 3 months is anchored at the top of this picture. We waved to each other in solidarity.
Despite the icky weather, we had chores to do: garbage to drop off, hot spots to pick up, groceries to buy, and lunch to eat. Getting ready to head off the boat is such a normal part of our life at anchor, yet it still requires a million reminders to get all the kiddos ready. Sunscreen, sunglasses and/or hat, lifejackets, and of course, a purse for Hayley. Looks like they’re finally ready!!
INNTW at anchor between the Majors.Off on an adventure!!Staniel is one place we saw lots of nurse sharks heading south, and it didn’t disappoint on this stop, either. This guy was relaxing in the channel on the way to the airport.We had to sneak around the front of this huge yacht several times to and from the airport. I HATE being close to big boats, so taking this picture was difficult.Heading to the airport. Again. Finally got the hot spot!!Look at this cool teal fish we saw swimming under the docks!!Quiet reading time after getting back to INNTW.We saw this awesome rainbow after an evening squall. Beautiful!
Even though the weather was overcast and threatening for most of the day, we were treated to an amazing sunset. We accomplished a lot in a short time here, and we are ready to move on tomorrow.
Thanks for reading and following along on our advetures!!
We were sad to leave Georgetown, but looking forward to new adventures. Unfortunately, our first adventure was pumping out our holding tanks and it didn’t go well. It was quite rocky and rolly out there, and of course the power connection wasn’t working. Mike had to come in and make a new connection for the pump before we could even think of starting this chore. This was the worst day pumping out for us, as the seas were about 3 feet and we had to change course to go into them so we could be as safe as possible. We were all so thankful when the task was done so we could speed up and start working towards our destination.
After we turned to get back on course, the waves were on our stern (coming behind us). That is an uncomfortable position for most of us on the boat, as it tends to make us nauseous. I kept morale high with lots of dum dum suckers, but the crew was pretty miserable.
Luckily, we had no pukers, and as soon as we turned in that cut, the waves disappeared, the beauty returned, and the crew perked up. After three weeks in Georgetown, we forgot how clear and sparkling the water is in other places. It was amazing and we couldn’t stop taking pictures and talking about how beautiful it was.
Doesn’t everyone travel with laundry on their bow?!Clear, blue water greeted us on the calm Banks side of the islands. Too beautiful to capture with pictures!Tobin brought me this treasure map and asked “Is this where we’re going??” Obviously the answer was “Yes!! Exactly!!”
We dropped anchor right near Walden and SummerCamp joined us later in the day. As soon as the kids had lunch, we loaded up all the toys and dinghied over to 1 of 3 beaches surrounding our anchorage where they climbed rocks, explored, and made houses and forts in the brush. I took the opportunity to float in peace on the Lilly Pad.
The kids followed each other, climbing around these rocks all afternoon.Our anchorage, with INNTW right there in the middle
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, beautiful anchorages are even better with friends nearby!
The next morning the dads headed out bright and early to try their hand at spearfishing. The moms got the kiddos ready (no small feat!) and headed to the beach to hike Perry’s Peak again.
Great hunters!
You might remember that Mike and I hiked Perry’s Peak on our last trip through Lee Stocking Island all by ourselves. Well, one of the moms knew that there happened to be treasure hidden up there, so it was perfect motivation to get the kids up there (not that they need much motivating to go exploring with their friends!!).
Tobin found this HUGE lobster head on the beach. Since you only eat lobster tails, many people just break the head off and throw it right back in the water, keeping only the tail. That means you randomly find lobster heads floating around–a sign someone had a great dinner!The kids were off in a flash, leaving the moms to follow behind. Fine with us!At the top of the peak, the kids found the treasure box easily and loved picking through the goodies to choose their own treasure. Just look at all that treasure!!Successful treasure hunters!! Tobin was there, too, but he often hides from pictures.Always with a stick in hand!!We saw the dads zip by in the dinghy on their way to a new spot.
After some playtime on the beach we headed back to the boat for a sunbreak and some lunch.
I love reading quietly with Colin or Hayley every day after lunch, while Tobin has a little quiet time in his room. One of my favorite parts of the day!
After the guys returned, they were happy to show off their catch. We decided we would have a group dinner that night, but first some beach playtime. The dads took their turn to watch the kids on the beach while the mamas enjoyed a little quiet wine time. Later they kept the kiddos occupied on SummerCamp while they started cleaning fish for dinner. It was a group effort to get dinner together and so much fun (especially because it was not on our boat!!).
They caught 2 lobsters, 2 lionfish, a parrotfish, a grouper, and a yellow-tailed snapper.Kid dinner on the bow of SummerCamp followed by a movie!!Kid boat buddies!!
The next day we took off to explore a trail right from one of the beaches by our anchorage. It was a beautiful view from a high peak right on the Atlantic side. We decided to hike south a bit and enjoyed climbing on the rocks and finding a little beach. We would have hiked further, but a squall was moving our way and we didn’t want to get caught out in the pouring rain.
Tour boats kept bringing people in to hike up here for the gorgeous view.Look at how clear that water is!! You can see every rock on the bottom of the sea, clear as day. By the way, it wasn’t cold, but Tobin HATES getting rained on, so he insisted on bringing a sweatshirt in case it started sprinkling.
Later that afternoon, all the kids came over to play and swim at our boat. They had lots of fun, and we were really doing our best to tire everyone out!! Another cruiser that we met in Georgetown, Traveler, happened to be in the area and sped by on their dinghy, so they stopped and joined in the fun. What’s one more kid, right?!
That night, Tobin was out for the count!! Sleepy buddy!!
One last beautiful sunset at Lee Stocking. We had so much fun here playing with friends and remembering what life outside of Georgetown is like–slower, but definitely gorgeous and full of adventures. Time to move north.
