Chat 'N Chill

We ended up spending a week at Emerald Bay and on the second to last day, some of our cruiser friends showed up, including Knot Home. We first met Ken (our crazy Canadian friend) on Sail Away back in the Dismal Swamp.

Bob on Island Moon and Ken on Sail Away

It was time for Serenity to depart; finding the cut into Emerald Bay and the Exuma Sound had calmed down a bit.

After a nice motor sail, we found George Town and Elizabeth Harbour.  Reportedly, there are 284 active cruising boats here.  Next week is the 31^st annual Cruising Regatta.  The skyline at night with all of the anchor lights is quite impressive. 



Our first priority was claiming the mail that we missed in Nassau.  We thought the marina had sent it regular mail to the George Town Market, but it turns out they used DHL.  Our hunt led us to very official looking Police Station and Post Office.



Getting to George Town from our mooring in Gaviota Bay off of Stocking Island is usually a wet dinghy ride across Elizabeth Harbour and then under the bridge into Lake Victoria.



While there, we checked out the local sights.

Wherever we go, Pollie has to checkout the library



Back when we were in the snow planning our great escape, I was looking on Google Earth at the various islands in the Bahamas when I clicked on a picture taken from the Chat ‘N Chill.  “That’s it, I want to go there,” I said as I made that picture my screen saver.

Serenity moored off of the Chat ’N Chill

For your screen saver

 

Resort Living



Serenity found good protection from a prolonged period of strong winds and high seas at the Sandals Emerald Bay Resort and Marina.  The property was reopened in November 2009 after a $15 million upgrade – it shows.  The facilities are very, very nice, however there are some strange twists starting with the marina pricing structure.  They have a 40’ minimum, and the rate for boats 40-59 feet is $2.25 per foot with electricity and water metered (electricity: $.85 kwh, water: $.40 per gallon).  They also provide what they refer to “non-service slips” at a rate of $1.00 per foot per night. At the non-service slips metered water is available, but electricity and cable TV are not. 

OSHA violation

Let me see if I got this straight, you want me to pay 125% more just for the access to electricity I will then have to pay for? Guess where most of the cruisers are? Most cruisers share our belief that when slip fees approach $2.00 per foot, we expect daily maid service with clean sheets and towels. Over $2.00 we expect turn down service and mints on our pillows.

Showers, laundry and Wi-Fi are free, and the facilities are first rate. The marina club house is the best we have ever seen and features great furnishings, wide screen TVs (I got to watch the evening news), and a pool table.

The onsite bar/restaurant and pool did not reopen, but adjacent to the marina is the Grand Isle Resort where marina guest are welcome to enjoy Pallappa Restaurant & Bar. 

But, not the pool and hot tub because it seems previous cruisers are accused of pinching the towels.

While adjacent to the marina property, pedestrian access to the resort property has not been adequately developed. One gets the feeling that you are climbing through gaps in the fence. The villas in the Grand Isle Resort complex are exquisite, but empty.

The coconut telegraph reports that 31 of the villas are in foreclosure. If I were a prospective buyer, I would run, not walk away from the ghost town feel of the common areas.

Further on down the beach are the all inclusive Sandals Resort (children not allowed), and Red Lane Spa. Again, the prices exclude most cruisers. While I am sure that Sandals provides service industry jobs for the local Bahamians, an unintended consequence is that by being all inclusive it has dried up the local businesses. We did find Big D’s Conch House about 3.5 miles down the Queen’s Highway, but most cruisers do not have fold up bikes.

Just off of the Grand Isle Resort property is a small but very popular strip mall that includes a grocery store, liquor store, and a bank with ATM. There used to be a pizzeria/ice cream shop, and the bank is closed except for the ATM, probably a result of the unintended consequences and the nearby ghost town.

It looks like Tuesday or Wednesday will provide us with a good weather window to scoot on down to George Town.

Naked Angel surfing in

One boat tried to leave early in the week, but when they noticed waves breaking over the channel markers, they turned around and came back.

But, in the mean time, this isn’t bad at all.  Serenity’s food and liquor stores have been replenished, we have ridden our bikes every day, Friday night there was a cruiser potluck happy hour, yesterday we got in some reading, and today we may go snorkeling.                    

Sir Baxter

At approximately 23 51.24 N/076 13.42 W lies the Darby Islands.  There is a good anchorage between the Darbys with Little Darby on the Exuma Sound side providing protection from the prevailing winds. 



Just to the west of Little Darby Island lies the much larger Darby Island on the Exuma Bank side.  The owner of Darby Island in the 30’s and 40’s was Sir Baxter, an Englishman and a bit of an eccentric that was a known German sympathizer.  The most prominent feature on Darby Island is the large green house on the hill known as The Castle that he built in 1939. He had a first rate radio room and machine shop where he built beautiful wicker furniture.

He planted over 20,000 coconut palms and imported herds of cattle, sheep and goats.  His labor force was drawn from local workers and was probably the largest employer in the area, but he was known to be rather stingy.

He dredged the channel between the Darbys and built a concrete dock to allow U-boats to enter and tie up.  It is rumored that he would ferry supplies out to U-boats and even gave sanctuary to a few survivors of a U-boat sunk by Allies in the vicinity.

His popularity declined appreciably after the outbreak of World War II and eventually he and his mistress were asked to leave the islands.


At an asking price of $38,000,000, Darby Island can be yours (see: http://www.bahamaslocal.com/property_info/17734/Big_Darby_Island.html )

SOURCE: The Exuma Guide

Stephen J. Pavlidis

Conch Blowing, 101

A proud tradition in the Bahamas is blowing through a conch shell as an integral part of sunset services.  The rest of the services usually include the consumption of adult beverages.

Thank you, Annette

S/V Knot Home

Cave Cay

My favorite Bahamas guidebook always gives a brief description of what you will find ashore.
“There are some very prominent ruins just north of the entrance to the cove on the western shore. From the anchorage you can see the ruins of some pasture walls running down to the edge of the rocks. On the hill above the walls lies a large walled pen about 40’ square.


Since the last edition of this guide, Cave Cay has acquired new owners who have big plans for the cay. The new owners have constructed Cave Cay Marina (see: www.covecay.com) and dredged the inner harbor and there is a lot of new construction going on including marina and resort infrastructure and condos.”

The Exuma Guide

Stephen J. Pavlidis

Cave Cay is basically a private island being developed for cruisers and destination vacationers.

Cave Cay Marina with dredging equipment

The marina store in the picture above is not yet open, but the showers and washers are operational.

Marina showers and laundry building

However, it is washers, no dryers.

 There is a planned restaurant with great views.



Rental cottages are being built.

And, there is even an air strip.

Current amenities are limited to a garden where you are encouraged to pick fresh vegetables, hiking trails, and a couple of great beaches.

Feet in the water, ass in the sand



The marina mascots are Bella, Poncho, and Lobo.

We sincerely hope this place makes a go of it, because it is a great all weather harbor and the place is enchanting.  Construction anywhere is challenging, but in the Bahamas it seems next to impossible considering all of the constraints.  Before you can get something built the elements are working against you.

“…and island history repeated itself for the millionth time as one man attempted to build his dreams out of another man’s nightmare.”

Jimmy Buffett

 

Departing Little Farmer's Cay

Thank you:

Annette & Hank 

on

Knot Home

A Rage

The cuts between the cays can get rather “sporty” if conditions are right.  When the tidal current is flowing in or out and the wind is blowing against it, you get a condition called a rage.  Note the catamaran in the photo below.  Normally you do not see much roll, but this cat’s mast was all over the place.  

Of course, following the charts is a good idea, but occasionally the charts have a “VPR” notation on certain routes.  VPR stands for “visual piloting required,” e.g., Pollie on the bow giving me hand signals.  After awhile you get used to eyeball navigation and reading the water.

"Water that's blue is deep and true;

As it shades to green, the water gets lean;

White or yellow will ground a fellow;

If the water is brown, you'll run hard aground;

If the water is black, you'd better tack."

Super Bowl 2011

About all of the cays had a cruiser gathering place for the Super Bowl. At Staniel Cay it was the Staniel Cay Yacht Club.

We joined some cruiser friends for a pre-game party on the dock.

Yes, that’s a big ray behind me

SCYC had a great buffet dinner and several large screen TVs setup for the party.

Retrieving your dinghy after the game was a thrill.

Sharks!

Little Farmer’s Cay

Finding Great Guana Cay, Black Point Settlement rather lacking in amenities and protection from the wind and waves clocking around to the west, we moved on after only one night to Little Farmer’s Cay (apx. 23 57.25N/076 20.90W). The major attraction on Little Farmer’s is the Ocean Cabin Restaurant and Bar and its proprietor, philosopher, poet and story teller, Terry Bain. The hours of operation for Ocean Cabin are:

Most days about 9 or 10

Occasionally as early as 7

But some days as late as 12 or 1

We close around 5 or 6

Or maybe about 4 or 5

Some days or afternoons

we aren’t here at all

And lately we’ve been here

about all the time,

except when we’re

someplace else…

But we might be here then, too

We had just missed the annual Farmer’s Cay First Friday in February Festival (5F Festival) put on by Terry and Ocean Cabin since 1986. This year there were a record 117 boats in attendance swelling the island’s population of 60 considerably.

Cleaning Conch

Hope the Mail Boat came

On our first night at Little Farmer’s Cay we had a lobster dinner with three other cruising couples at Ocean Cabin.

Arriving for Dinner

No shoes, no shirt, no service

Our guidebooks refer to the private islands with the notation, “…cay is private and visits ashore must be by invitation only.”  Such is the case with nearby Big Farmer’s Cay.  We had noticed a strange structure on Big Farmers Cay, so we asked Terry about it. 

He explained that an eccentric foreign buyer (is there any other kind) was attempting to build his dream house, a geodesic dome.  Terry had provided the land and labor.  He gave us permission to visit. 

  

Rather strange, but it had a great view.

While there, we had to save the mommy goat from this rain barrel. After we pulled her out, and released her, she ran a few feet then turned around and looked at us as to say thank you.

Thunderball

With clean laundry and a full water tank, we moved south to Staniel Cay and took a Club Thunderball mooring (see chart).



Contrary to what our guidebooks indicated, Club Thunderball does not seem to be a going concern.  We tried raising the club on VHF to no avail, and their dock looked a little iffy for a dinghy landing.  So it was bike time.

On the way to Club Thunderball, you get to see most of the island (see chart).

But, we did find Club Thunderball, and no one was home.



So, we rode back to “main street” for lunch (see chart).

Finding the experience a little below even our standards, we moved down the street to the Staniel Cay Yacht Club (see chart).

David (new BFFL)

The next day we hiked a trail on the northern end of the Cay (see chart).

Did some beachcombing at Pirate Trap Beach.

Then, we snorkeled Thunderball Grotto (see chart), where a very small portion of the James Bond movie, Thunderball was filmed in 1964, and the locals have not forgotten.

Dinghies tied to a mooring while their owners dive the cave.

Serenity behind Thunderball Grotto

Thunderball Grotto is a great cave dive with assorted coral and fish.

On Sunday we are joining friends on Knott Home at SCYC for a Super Bowl Party (see David BFFL). Monday we will south to Black Point, and then on to Little Farmer’s Cay where we will be watching the weather closely.