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Wednesday, November 22, 2017

Northern Exumas - Bahamas

We just got back from a weeks sail in the Bahamas. Trip started on New Providence with the Nav Tours company. We sailed from New Providence over the Northern Exumas and stayed over at Highborne Cay, Shroud Cay, Warderick Wells, Norman's Island and Allen's Cay. The wind was pretty strong all week with 20 to 28 knots the first day for our 30 nm crossing across the yellow banks. The coral heads were pretty easy to spot and as long as you are vigilant, the crossing shouldn't present too many problems. Ruth and I went with our good friends Karen and Bruce.

Karen

Bruce relaxing

Ruth

Beautiful water



It took us about 6 hours to cover the trip across the yellow banks. With 5' seas at 6 second intervals the trip was a little bouncy and we had to sail a close hauled course to get there. Nothing like a good salt bath to start the trip. After an overnight at Highborne Cay we headed down to Shroud Cay with nice 20 to 25 knots of wind on a beam reach. Part of our tour was the northern river on Shroud Cay where you can motor from the banks to the sound at a slow speed.

On the ball at Shroud Cay

Sitting on the ball, not many boats around

Motoring down the river

We did hit a little storm

Captain and Admiral

Sound side


Mangroves
From Shroud Cay we sailed down to Waderick Wells and the Exuma Park. We decided to stay in the southern mooring field and ended up right next to Emerald Rock. There was only one other boat that night and we pretty much had the place to ourselves. We explored the park and hiked up to the famous Boo Boo Hill. Legend has it that you hear the howls of ghosts on top of the hill. Ruth and I also had an interested experience with a 4' barracuda following us back to the boat on our snorkel trip. I've heard that barracuda think we're larger predators and follow snorkelers hoping to grab a morsel from our catch. Never really concerned but I did keep an eye on toothy the whole swim back.

Karen on the SUP


Ruth relaxing

Happy at the helm

Karen at the helm

Boo Boo Hill, short hike

Tree growing out of the rock

Small creek to cross up to Boo Boo Hill

Top of the hill



Our boat in the distance

Beautiful sunset


Next stop was Norman's Cay. We anchored off the western shore and had dinner at the Norman's Bay Beach Club (aka McDuff's). I thought it would be nice to have a manhattan but they had no idea how to make one. They seemed to think they had bourbon and sweet vermouth and offered to let me behind the bar to teach them how to make a good manhattan. Unfortunately, there was no sweet vermouth so it was back to run. Next time through I'm bringing sweet vermouth and bitters and we'll redo the manhattan making class. Dinner was great at McDuff's with a casual relaxed island atmosphere.
Being passed by a cat

McDuff's is behind these cottages


Harbor at Allen's Cay
After another overnight at Highborne Cay, it was 30 nm back from the Exumas back to New Providence. Someone we managed to have to go close hauled on the trip back also with winds piping up again to 20 to 25 knots. The sail back was pretty fast and in 5 hours we were back at the Palm Cay Marina and Nav Tours base. The trip included sailing from Sunday through Friday and we totaled over 135 nm for the week with two 30 plus nm crossings of the Yellow Banks.

Nav Tours was a great company to charter with and included a pick up at the airport, provisioning trip, and the first and last night docked at the marina. We'd highly recommend them as a company to charter with. The rest of the sailing season will be pretty quite for us until it's time to launch the Turtle again in the spring.


Happy to be back?

38' boat for the week


Sitting on a conch by the bay

The dark spots are sharks in the water

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