Okay, you’re going to have to work with me a little bit here. I am incapable of putting words to the amazing experience we had the other day, so here’s what I need for you to do. Imagine yourself aboard Let’s Dance…it’s early morning, the sky is clear, but not yet showing the strength of color that will come later. We’re still anchored, preparing the boat for departure. The sea is flat. Not a wrinkle, not a wave, not a hint of movement. Follow me up the stairs from the saloon to the pilothouse. Now, let’s step outside onto the starboard deck and look down over the railing. You are about 8 feet above the water line here. Another twelve feet below is the bottom….white sand littered with giant, black starfish. They are scattered in an abstract pattern that is broken only by the occasional sea urchin and stray bit of coral.
The anchor chain hangs off the bow, falling straight down into the calm water. As it reaches the bottom, it snakes outward in a sinewy line. Let’s Dance has shifted through the night in the light current and the chain has left a distinct pattern in the sand as it stretches towards the anchor. It would be idyllic to stay here for hours, just watching the serenity of the sea floor, but we must head out sometime, so we prepare to pull up the anchor and move on. I go into back into the pilothouse, put on my headset and am ready to guide Let’s Dance to the anchor as Bill directs from the bow, using the newly repaired windlass to pull it up. Look over his shoulder as the chain is slowly pulled from the ocean floor. One of the starfish -- directly in the chain’s path -- lifts slightly to allow the heavy chain to pass under him. Smart fellow!
The anchor safely up and secured, Captain Bill takes over the command of Let’s Dance in the pilothouse. Follow me upstairs to the fly bridge where I will serve as lookout for the shallow reefs that dot this area of the Bahamas. The fly bridge is open to the fresh breezes this morning and the blue canvas cover protects me from sun. Bill has plotted our course carefully, but there are still areas to be wary of, so we’re going to use visual piloting as well as our charts. To better my vantage point, I stand on the captain’s chair. Communicating with Bill through our handy headsets, I am able to direct him between the maze of small reefs that line our path.
This is where it gets fun. Imagine now that you are on the water, sliding along beside Let’s Dance. Perhaps you have on your dive mask, swimming goggles will work as well, whatever’s comfortable. It’s twenty feet down to the ocean surface from up here, but I might as well be on the glassy surface, too. Spotting a dark area ahead, I direct Bill 15 degrees to starboard and we glide slowly by the first of the reefs. It is small, maybe 30 yards across, almost circular, and filled with various corals. Sea fans, stag horn, brain and others, intermingled, some waving up at us, others solidly attached to the sea floor. They shelter a myriad of sea creatures between and under their branches.
If you look closely you can see that the rainbow is well represented here -- fish of almost every hue dart in and out of the coral corral. You’ve probably seen them before -- at aquariums or in person…little fish, big fish, needle fish, grunts, butterfly fish, red fish, blue fish…..all represented in healthy numbers. High speed predators are here with us, too. As the shadow of Let’s Dance skims over the scene below, a few sharks, maybe a barracuda even, dash out towards the docile reef fish, hungry for a little snack. Not to worry, though, you’re floating on top and they aren’t interested in you today.
This scene repeats itself many times this morning until we’ve finally cleared the shallows and I’ve come down from the fly bridge to be with Captain Bill in the pilothouse. You can come up now, too, and dry off. We’ll have lunch soon as we’re underway. Gazpacho, perhaps. Our destination is Spanish Wells in Eleuthera as we leave the Exumas in the rearview mirror. Goodbye, Exumas! See you next year.
Thanks for coming along on the boat today -- I had fun taking you on the little tour and mixing my metaphors -- enjoy the rest of your day, and remember, you’re always welcome aboard
Let’s Dance…..Carol and Bill
Monday, February 28, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Lorraine's Place
Greetings from the saloon of Let’s Dance. The famous pigs of Big Major’s Spot could not be bothered to swim out to meet us after our town excursion to Staniel Cay. In fact, only one of them even ventured up from his shady siesta to give us the once over, and he apparently didn’t want to get his hoofs wet. Glad I didn’t save any scones for him! All was not lost, however, for as we watched the sun setting from the fly bridge (our nightly ritual with cocktails and snacks in hand) we saw our second ‘green flash’. This is big in these parts, and neighboring boats tooted horns and blew conch shell salutes to mother nature. It was cool!
The guide book description of Staniel Cay would have you believe that there actually was a town, when in fact, a few scattered, colorful houses, a church, small government office and Batelco (Bahamas Telephone Company) office were it. At the little market we found, much to our delight, fresh grapes, apples and a few other treats. Then we checked out the yellow, blue and pink houses…all noted in the guides. At the yellow house, we met a wonderful woman whose specialty is coconut bread. “Treat it like a baby”, she crooned as she handed me a warm loaf from her kitchen table. We can highly recommend French toast made with coconut bread -- it is a taste treat straight from heaven!
Leaving Staniel, we inched north to Sampson’s Cay -- a polar opposite of Staniel and most of the other islands we’ve seen so far. It has a small, private resort on it, with a restaurant, store and marina that is said to be one of the safest in the Exumas in heavy weather. The buildings are made of stacked stone with pale green trim and gabled roofs. Snappily dressed staff, Jimmy Buffett music and pet sharks in the dinghy dock area complete the package that can be yours for $8,000 a week in season. We got it for the price of lunch.
Black Point Settlement on Great Guana Cay gets a lot of good press in the guide books as well. Lorraine’s Café, in particular, is written up as a must do experience. Here’s our take…….we dinghy in to the Government Dock and tie up with no problem. A short walk up the pier we find two guys just hanging out in front of the “Government Building”, a 20 foot square stucco structure with peeling paint and sagging shutters. Bill asks them if there is a place open for lunch (it is Sunday) and they reply that Lorraine will probably be cooking at her place after church. Aha! This is good, we think, but it’s already past noon, when is church over? They have no idea.
We walk in the direction they have indicated, and easily find Lorraine’s -- a couple from another boat and their dog are sitting under a tree in front, busy at their computers. A quick glance inside reveals that the place is empty, however, so we wander further down the road. Blue trash bins line the road at about 50 yard intervals, and all are full or close to full, and still garbage lies along the road and in the yards of the small homes that line it. What a shame. There are few people out -- still at church, we guess, so we wander back to Lorraine’s. This time we discover that there is a back room where other boaters are congregated using their computers. One has a key to the cooler out front that he offers to unlock if we’d like something cool to drink. Lorraine left it with him. I have a water and peruse the overstuffed shelves of the lending library that makes up one side of the tiny restaurant. Bill finds a magazine and we settle down to wait for the place to open.
Finally, Lorraine herself comes in, dressed to the nines in her Sunday best, to tell those of us waiting (about 10 now) that she will be back in a bit after she changes clothes. It’s now about 2 pm and hunger is setting in for real. Lorraine leaves and the clock continues ticking. One couple finally gives up, saying they are off to find a restaurant that is actually open. Where’s the adventure in that? We wait, meet a nice couple from Arizona, check email, wait, get a beer, wait. At last, Lorraine returns in jeans and a t-shirt, ready to cook up her much touted grilled snapper sandwich. We wait. She serves us, at last, after three in the afternoon, what Captain Bill describes as an ‘adequate’ meal. I would not be that generous.
We did meet some nice people, however, who invited us to their sailboat for drinks that evening. The next morning we made new friends as we motored back north to a place called Shroud Cay -- a southbound Nordhavn hailed us and we traded tales for a bit. Further north, then, back to Ship Channel Cay to prepare for our next crossing. This one only 40 miles -- the Exumas to Eleuthra. That story next. We leave you now for a quick trip in Love Me Tender into Spanish Wells where we hope to find gasoline for the dinghy, a hose nozzle for the outside shower and maybe some groceries. All in a day’s work for this crew --
Let’s Dance -- Carol and Bill
The guide book description of Staniel Cay would have you believe that there actually was a town, when in fact, a few scattered, colorful houses, a church, small government office and Batelco (Bahamas Telephone Company) office were it. At the little market we found, much to our delight, fresh grapes, apples and a few other treats. Then we checked out the yellow, blue and pink houses…all noted in the guides. At the yellow house, we met a wonderful woman whose specialty is coconut bread. “Treat it like a baby”, she crooned as she handed me a warm loaf from her kitchen table. We can highly recommend French toast made with coconut bread -- it is a taste treat straight from heaven!
Leaving Staniel, we inched north to Sampson’s Cay -- a polar opposite of Staniel and most of the other islands we’ve seen so far. It has a small, private resort on it, with a restaurant, store and marina that is said to be one of the safest in the Exumas in heavy weather. The buildings are made of stacked stone with pale green trim and gabled roofs. Snappily dressed staff, Jimmy Buffett music and pet sharks in the dinghy dock area complete the package that can be yours for $8,000 a week in season. We got it for the price of lunch.
Black Point Settlement on Great Guana Cay gets a lot of good press in the guide books as well. Lorraine’s Café, in particular, is written up as a must do experience. Here’s our take…….we dinghy in to the Government Dock and tie up with no problem. A short walk up the pier we find two guys just hanging out in front of the “Government Building”, a 20 foot square stucco structure with peeling paint and sagging shutters. Bill asks them if there is a place open for lunch (it is Sunday) and they reply that Lorraine will probably be cooking at her place after church. Aha! This is good, we think, but it’s already past noon, when is church over? They have no idea.
We walk in the direction they have indicated, and easily find Lorraine’s -- a couple from another boat and their dog are sitting under a tree in front, busy at their computers. A quick glance inside reveals that the place is empty, however, so we wander further down the road. Blue trash bins line the road at about 50 yard intervals, and all are full or close to full, and still garbage lies along the road and in the yards of the small homes that line it. What a shame. There are few people out -- still at church, we guess, so we wander back to Lorraine’s. This time we discover that there is a back room where other boaters are congregated using their computers. One has a key to the cooler out front that he offers to unlock if we’d like something cool to drink. Lorraine left it with him. I have a water and peruse the overstuffed shelves of the lending library that makes up one side of the tiny restaurant. Bill finds a magazine and we settle down to wait for the place to open.
Finally, Lorraine herself comes in, dressed to the nines in her Sunday best, to tell those of us waiting (about 10 now) that she will be back in a bit after she changes clothes. It’s now about 2 pm and hunger is setting in for real. Lorraine leaves and the clock continues ticking. One couple finally gives up, saying they are off to find a restaurant that is actually open. Where’s the adventure in that? We wait, meet a nice couple from Arizona, check email, wait, get a beer, wait. At last, Lorraine returns in jeans and a t-shirt, ready to cook up her much touted grilled snapper sandwich. We wait. She serves us, at last, after three in the afternoon, what Captain Bill describes as an ‘adequate’ meal. I would not be that generous.
We did meet some nice people, however, who invited us to their sailboat for drinks that evening. The next morning we made new friends as we motored back north to a place called Shroud Cay -- a southbound Nordhavn hailed us and we traded tales for a bit. Further north, then, back to Ship Channel Cay to prepare for our next crossing. This one only 40 miles -- the Exumas to Eleuthra. That story next. We leave you now for a quick trip in Love Me Tender into Spanish Wells where we hope to find gasoline for the dinghy, a hose nozzle for the outside shower and maybe some groceries. All in a day’s work for this crew --
Let’s Dance -- Carol and Bill
Thursday, February 17, 2011
It Was Inevitable !
Yes, all you vicarious thrill seekers, it finally happened. We ran aground. And we did it up right! We really dug into a shallow, sandy spot off the northern end of Bell Island in the Exumas. For the prior two days we had been anchored in another area of the Exuma Land and Sea Park (more on that later) but decided to move south for a different perspective. So, after about two hours underway, in strong winds and cloudy skies, Let’s Dance missed a step and Bam! All of a sudden we’re not moving and the engine is still pumping out rpms. Didn’t take us too long to figure that we weren’t going to get out of this easily. Luckily for us, we were still within the Park, and where there is a Park, there are Park Rangers.
A few hours later, we are approached by a 24 foot, open cockpit boat with twin 150 outboard motors. Rangers to the rescue! We hope! Now it’s raining and the winds are picking up. This is not helping the situation, but all are enthusiastic, if a bit daunted. Can 300 horsepower dislodge 85,000 pounds of sand encrusted trawler? Captain Bill throws a line to the rangers which they cleat to their stern. The line goes taut -- they rev, we rev, the line snaps loose. So much for the first try! And the second, and the third. Each time, as the park boat guns their engines, they lurch at crazy angles -- and we do nothing. Finally, after about 10 attempts, they agree to give it one more go, against their better judgment, I think. It works (yeah!) and at last, after 3 hours, we are freed from the sand. Lesson Learned: Go Slow!
There have been lighter moments, too. Before the park adventures, we over-nighted in several beautiful spots -- Highbourne Cay, for example. From there it’s an easy ride in Love Me Tender to Allen’s Cay, home of the endangered Exuma iguana. These scaly creatures hang out on a tiny bit of beach, alert and aligned in rows, waiting for the next tourist to stop by. You’re not supposed to feed them but you can tell by their aggressive posturing that the rules are often broken. I picked up a small bit of white trash on the beach and, thinking I had something for them to eat, several rushed forward towards me. Yikes! Quickly back into the dinghy --- let’s move on.
Also at Highbourne, we discovered that a small school of sharks (remorrah, we think) lived under our shadow. Bill threw out an apple core, and they swarmed after it, twisting and fighting to be first in line, only to discover that they weren’t into fruit. This is tempting……what would they prefer? Hmmm….I ‘m not much of a cook, but with the help of my new, spiffy bread maker, I had made scones a few days before. Actually, they turned out to be small boulders that tasted exactly like flour and water. Oh, well. I broke one in half and threw it overboard to see if the sharks would chase it and, guess what? They loved it! Not only did the boys fight over the pastry, they devoured it. Six sharks fighting over my home cooking -- maybe they should go to culinary school!
Our next learning experience came the following morning as we began raising the anchor. I’m at my usual station in the pilothouse, Bill’s at the bow, when Crunch! Sounds of metal on metal and then nothing. We’re going nowhere today. Bill gets down and dirty in the anchor locker where he discovers that the motor for the windlass has come unbolted and fallen, taking out the electrical connection along the way. Oh boy, this is just great. What do we know about this? After assessing the situation and collecting a large amount of grease, oil and mud on himself and his clothes, Bill calls James Knight in Florida. James is the Nordhavn mechanical guru and he is able to talk Bill through the needed repairs. Thirteen phone calls and 24 hours later, we are up and running. Lesson Learned: Pre-paid cell phone is a must. (We were fortunate that this happened while we were in a covered area.)
Other adventures, of a more benign nature, include snorkeling at the Sea Aquarium off O’Brien’s Cay. Captain Bill donned his wetsuit, fins et al and jumped right into a veritable battalion of Sgt. Major fish. He reported that there were thousands of them, all curious and all trying for a closer look. Turning in any direction he found hundreds staring back at him from only a few inches away. That would have freaked me out! Today we are anchored off an island with the curious name of Big Major’s Spot. Its claim to fame is the beach where a pair of pigs (yes, pigs) will swim out to your dinghy for snacks. We’re headed into lunch at the Staniel Cay Club first, hoping to send this blog, before checking out the pigs. Too bad I ran out of scones!
Until next time……
Let’s Dance -- Carol & Bill
A few hours later, we are approached by a 24 foot, open cockpit boat with twin 150 outboard motors. Rangers to the rescue! We hope! Now it’s raining and the winds are picking up. This is not helping the situation, but all are enthusiastic, if a bit daunted. Can 300 horsepower dislodge 85,000 pounds of sand encrusted trawler? Captain Bill throws a line to the rangers which they cleat to their stern. The line goes taut -- they rev, we rev, the line snaps loose. So much for the first try! And the second, and the third. Each time, as the park boat guns their engines, they lurch at crazy angles -- and we do nothing. Finally, after about 10 attempts, they agree to give it one more go, against their better judgment, I think. It works (yeah!) and at last, after 3 hours, we are freed from the sand. Lesson Learned: Go Slow!
There have been lighter moments, too. Before the park adventures, we over-nighted in several beautiful spots -- Highbourne Cay, for example. From there it’s an easy ride in Love Me Tender to Allen’s Cay, home of the endangered Exuma iguana. These scaly creatures hang out on a tiny bit of beach, alert and aligned in rows, waiting for the next tourist to stop by. You’re not supposed to feed them but you can tell by their aggressive posturing that the rules are often broken. I picked up a small bit of white trash on the beach and, thinking I had something for them to eat, several rushed forward towards me. Yikes! Quickly back into the dinghy --- let’s move on.
Also at Highbourne, we discovered that a small school of sharks (remorrah, we think) lived under our shadow. Bill threw out an apple core, and they swarmed after it, twisting and fighting to be first in line, only to discover that they weren’t into fruit. This is tempting……what would they prefer? Hmmm….I ‘m not much of a cook, but with the help of my new, spiffy bread maker, I had made scones a few days before. Actually, they turned out to be small boulders that tasted exactly like flour and water. Oh, well. I broke one in half and threw it overboard to see if the sharks would chase it and, guess what? They loved it! Not only did the boys fight over the pastry, they devoured it. Six sharks fighting over my home cooking -- maybe they should go to culinary school!
Our next learning experience came the following morning as we began raising the anchor. I’m at my usual station in the pilothouse, Bill’s at the bow, when Crunch! Sounds of metal on metal and then nothing. We’re going nowhere today. Bill gets down and dirty in the anchor locker where he discovers that the motor for the windlass has come unbolted and fallen, taking out the electrical connection along the way. Oh boy, this is just great. What do we know about this? After assessing the situation and collecting a large amount of grease, oil and mud on himself and his clothes, Bill calls James Knight in Florida. James is the Nordhavn mechanical guru and he is able to talk Bill through the needed repairs. Thirteen phone calls and 24 hours later, we are up and running. Lesson Learned: Pre-paid cell phone is a must. (We were fortunate that this happened while we were in a covered area.)
Other adventures, of a more benign nature, include snorkeling at the Sea Aquarium off O’Brien’s Cay. Captain Bill donned his wetsuit, fins et al and jumped right into a veritable battalion of Sgt. Major fish. He reported that there were thousands of them, all curious and all trying for a closer look. Turning in any direction he found hundreds staring back at him from only a few inches away. That would have freaked me out! Today we are anchored off an island with the curious name of Big Major’s Spot. Its claim to fame is the beach where a pair of pigs (yes, pigs) will swim out to your dinghy for snacks. We’re headed into lunch at the Staniel Cay Club first, hoping to send this blog, before checking out the pigs. Too bad I ran out of scones!
Until next time……
Let’s Dance -- Carol & Bill
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