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The last position reports for Tides Inn will be displayed on the map. (Courtesy of www.winlink.org) Tides Inn homeport is Dare Marina, Yorktown VA

Big Majors / Staniel Cay and Thunderball Grotto - 7 Mar

 


   We have a busy day today to get all the activities accomplished before heading back to Nassau tomorrow. 

   First on the agenda is feeding the famous swimming pigs at Big Majors. 

   This used to be a cute pastime for cruisers anchoring at Big Majors but now is a major commercial enterprise. Cruise boats from Nassau run down here offering $4000 a day cruises to see and feed the pigs plus snorkle Thunderball grotto which we will do next.


   Rivah was very interested in the pigs as well.


   From what we know, Big Majors is where "feeding the swimming pigs" started, but we noted when we were anchored off Nassau waiting for Jackson that there are pigs off Athol and Rose Cays just around the corner from Nassau where day tours take tourists from Nassau.

   Next on the agenda is diving at Thunderball Grotto, the site made famous in the James Bond Thunderball movie.  Again, because its a protected area with no fishing allowed, there are plenty of fish here.

   Normally you dive here at mid tide with slack current times, but we didn't have the luxury to time our visit. The current was running quite strong, but the advantage was we basically had the grotto to ourselves. It can be very crowded at peak times.


   Into the grotto. You can dive and swim underwater (as James Bond did) through 2-3 entrances to the inside open area, or you can carefully work your way through a narrow crack in the rocks just wider than your shoulders while keeping your head above water. We took that entrance. 


   There are several holes in the roof where daring folks jump into the grotto. The water is over 10ft deep inside so plenty safe. We skipped that.



    With the sun shining the grotto views are pretty spectacular.

   This is the underwater entrance on the backside of the island.

 
     Just inside the narrow opening, they have run a rope to the far side of the grotto. This was very handy in the strong currents we experienced. It let you hang on and stay in one position to observe the fish.

   These fish are used to being fed by tourists and will congregate around you if they think you are going to feed them.


Initially most of the fish stayed away from us until Sue broke out her jar of cheese. Then they scurried over.

Last time we were here folks were putting Easy Cheese spread on their diving mask and the fish would eat it off. These fish wouldn't come to our face, but they congregated just in front of us.


   Thunderball Grotto is really the highlight of the whole trip. We were fortunate to have the right weather and sea conditions to have a great visit. But it was soon time to head on back to the mother ship.


   We have one more activity to get in this afternoon before departing tomorrow. A visit to Sand Cay off Big Majors. This is a small island with no inhabitants (other than the tourists from the megayachts that park offshore) but beautiful beaches and some shells and palm fronds for Sue to make baskets.


   This was also a great place for Jackson to fly his drone and get some great videos and photos.


   I guess I have to get one of these drones for great videos of the boat. Jackson tells me flying from a moving boat is near impossible since the drone is remembering where it took off from. You really have to have someone from shore flying the drone. 

   He has some great videos that I can't add to the blog. You will have to visit him.


   Here's a shot of Sand Cay from the drone. You can see the megayacht anchored offshore. Tides Inn is the little white dot astern of the megayacht.

   There were several immature conch living among the rocks on the left shore. Sue found a couple empty conch shells here.


  Walking along the sand spit - photo from Jackson's drone. 


   And lounging on the beach.


  But all too soon, it was time for another sunset after a full day.



   But after sunset, it is game time. We did a different game each night ending this day with Skipbo, requiring a review of the directions.

   Tomorrow its a motorsail back to Nassau. Its been a fast week, but with plenty of activities.

Betty's Bubble Bath - 6 Mar


 

   This morning we are moving over to anchor outside the Cambridge Cay mooring field, then dinghy over to Compass Cay to see Betty's Bubble Bath where the Exuma Sound waves crash onto the rocky shore and bubble over a narrow pass into a pool, with lots of bubbles just like sitting in a hot tub.

   Hopefully the conditions will be favorable.


   You land your dinghy on a sandy beach area, then have to walk a few hundred yards up a sandy creek to the bubble bath. We're ready for a fun day.


   Its not that windy and rough today but there are still plenty of bubbles to play in. This spot can actually get a bit dangerous when the seas are raging. When we were here years ago there were strong currents and undertows. Today it was a comfortable bubbly sauna. 



   It was a very enjoyable time. I'm glad we made the effort to come over here. 

   Then it was time to head back to the boat and move on down the coast to Big Majors.


   Walking back down the stream we found a pool with several immature conch. Sue found one pretty conch shell that had no inhabitant, so added it to the collection. The others we set back to grow up and get eaten next year. 



   By now, Jackson has got the hang of the instruments and sailing routine. He drove us the 3hr trip down to Big Majors.

O'Brians Cay - 5 Mar

   Our next stop after Shroud Cay is off of O'brians Cay where there are a couple great snorkling areas. This was our first time anchoring in this area and we found a good spot near the submerged wrecked plane and forward of a shallow sandbar. 

   Transiting over here requires passing through some narrow channels along the private Bell Cay but with good sunlight it is fairly easy to follow the deep water displayed by darker blue colors.  The challenge was telling the 5ft water from the 7ft water. We need at least 5ft to pass through.    




   



Suited up and ready to go. Our first target is the large reef in front of our anchorage spot and the submerged plane nearby. 


   Jackson got some good shots of the coral reef with his GoPro camera. We thought this area was very scenic - but wait to you see the Sea Aquarium shots from later in the day.


   Two years ago there was a buoy marking this wreck diving spot but this year there was only a buoy over the coral reef. Just before departing the reef we noted the submerged plane to the east of the reef. This is supposedly a drug running aircraft which crashed or was ditched bringing drugs into Norman's Cay from Columbia in the 1970s.


   On the way back to the dinghy, Jackson spotted this turtle over the reef.


   From the coral reef we moved over to the what the Bahamas Sea and Land Park calls the Coral Garden and Sea Aquarium, a small area along the rock face of an island which sits near an opening between the Exuma Sound and the Banks. These waters provide plenty of food for coral and fish and, because they are inside the park which is a protected "no-take" area, there are lots of fish here. Its actually better than most aquariums one visits.


   There were more fish here than anywhere else we have snorkled. Lots of different species including many good eating ones, but they are all protected here.


    I usually have trouble finding lobsters, as they remain well hidden out where people are hunting for them; but, I spotted this guy's antenna right off and diving down I saw a great big granddaddy lobster hiding under this rock. He is well over 2-3lbs and living a long life in these protected waters.

   Before we departed I spotted another large lobster under a different coral head. Outside the park this would have been several dinners, but then outside the park I would probably never have found them.


 

   It was a great day of snorkling, the Sea Aquarium is a place to not miss. 


   Back to the boat for another sunset and night of dinner and games.

Shroud Cay - 4 March


   

   Shroud Cay is a great place to visit because of the salt water streams that cross the island that you can drive your dinghy up. 

   We dinghied to shore and Jackson broke out his drone to get some great video views.


 

   Here's a drone view of Shroud showing some of the inland streams and salt ponds. The ocean (Exuma Sound) is visible at the upper left. We are anchored basically underneath where the drone is hovering. 

   This is the entrance to the main river across the island that goes all the way through to the Exuma Sound side. At first I wondered who could possible have a jet ski down in the Exumas, which are 50miles from Nassau, but we quickly learned that, unlike 15yrs ago,  there are now normally 4-8 megayachts that anchor off Shroud and they bring all their water toys with them including jet skis, electric paddle boards, 35ft tenders with 3-4 300hp motors, etc...

   Shroud is now a primary tourist stop for the megayachts. 


   This is the stream exit on the Exuma Sound side and that's Sue and Jackson on the rocks. When the tidal current is flowing strongly through the narrow opening it creates rapids and people jump off the rocks into the stream and are carried either in or out, depending on the current direction.  We were there at a slack tidal current as you can see. 


   There's a second stream on Shroud that doesn't open to the ocean but stops about 200yds short. Its an easy walk to the ocean from there but you have to avoid the quicksand.

   This stream has smaller streams that branch off where you can often see small sharks basking in the warm waters. We didn't see any sharks this trip but we did see several turtles.



   Here's one of the turtles we saw. Jackson got some GoPro videos of it.



The end of day one in the Exumas. Tomorrow we will be off for O'Brians Cay where there is some great snorkling.



Jackson's here! 2-3 Mar


   We picked up Jackson at the airport Sat morning and will leave the marina for the Exumas on Sunday. Sat afternoon we enjoyed the Palm Cay resort beach and had conch fritters and a Bahamian Kalik beer (it was coke for Jackson even though he is old enough to drink in the Bahamas).  


   Pizza for dinner in the cockpit. You can't see easily but this is the tightest marina we have even been in. Its going to be a challenge getting out of the slip tomorrow without hitting someone. Hopefully the forecast for light winds holds true.


   Heading out to sea on Sunday morning. Thankfully there was just a slight wind helping us leave the slip and no current. We had 2 feet to spare aft and forward and made it out with no bumps.  I don't think we will be returning to this marina.


   We were lucky the winds were light enough to let us motorsail southeast to the Exumas and not lose a day waiting for a break in the winds.  Crossing the bank to the Exumas you have to pass over Yellow and White banks which are only 6-10feet deep with numerous coral heads. You have to post a bow watch to point out the coral heads and tell the helmsman which was to steer. 


   This is what Sue and Jackson are watching for. Unfortunately we're heading southeast in the morning into the sun which makes it near impossible to see the black coral heads until you are right on them or passing by.  We made it through without any bumps mainly because the route I take, although longer, is one of the safest through deeper water.


   Jackson getting his Gopro ready. He also brought his drone and collected extensive videos. Too bad Blogspot won't let me upload videos as they are very cool.


   The winds were light letting us motor on course but along with the light winds came showers. But with our full enclosed cockpit we just zipped up and stayed dry. The boat got a nice wash clearing off some of the salt. 


   Its a full day trip to the Exumas by sailboat at 6mph, but we arrived before dark and proceeded to an anchorage sight just outside the mooring field at Shroud Cay. The winds were a little brisk to start but by nightfall they had settled down and it was a restful night.

 

Nassau 27 Feb - 1 Mar

 


   A bright and cool Tuesday morning at the Montague anchorage outside of Nassau. The cold front that we rode over on from Florida has passed through and we have clear skies this morning. We will check in to customs tomorrow. We have a couple days to hang around Nassau until Jackson arrives on March 2.


   Sunset in the anchorage. Was a nice relaxing day letting us straighten up the boat and relax after the 30hr transit over from Miami.


   Easy entry to Nassau Harbour Club marina with light winds, although we did have to do it twice because the first slip we pulled into was so narrow we were bumping up against the boat next to us.  They moved us over a couple slips and this one was fine.

   Sue and Rivah are happy to be dockside. Time to do some laundry and a nice long walk for Rivah. 

   Immigration and customs reps came by soon and we were all checked in to the Bahamas for the next 90 days. 


   Next day we anchored north of Athol Cay just outside of Nassau and north of the Montague bay anchorage. We needed protection from the southeast winds that the Cay provided. 

   This is a anchorage area that's popular with tours out of Nassau to come feed and swim with the pigs at the nearby beach. They also bring out jet skies that the tourists can use for 30 min rides, racing around all the boats at anchor. Bit annoying but they all pack up and leave each night about 4pm.


 

   Pigs and tourists on the beach. 


   The next night we had to move over to anchor off Rose Island as the wind was shifting to the north.  It was a bit rolly there from the swell bending around the island but not too bad for just spending one night.

  The next day it was off to the marina at Palm Cay where we would wait for Jackson to arrive on Saturday.


   Tucked in at the Palm Cay marina. It was an easy arrival as none of these catamarans were here when we arrived.  They all came back Friday afternoon after their weekly charter trips.  Now how are we going to get out??  The fairway is just about 40 feet across and we have to back out our 39ft boat (with dinghy and solar panels on the back) and get turned 90 degrees to depart. Should be exciting. All depends on the wind and current.