Publish Date: Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Location: Staniel Cay, Exumas, Bahamas
Coordinates: 24° 11.063′ N 76° 27.491′ W
I am not the first to write about the clarity of the Bahamian waters, and I’m sure other people’s accounts are more poetic than mine, but tonight I am struck by the calmness and clarity of the water in our anchorage. We are about halfway down the Exumas island chain, near Staniel Cay, anchored off Big Majors. We are in about 10 feet of water, and it is currently perfectly calm. In the light of a half moon I can see sea stars on the sandy bottom, below our boat; Our anchor chain is perfectly visible, laid out on the bottom; It is like we are floating on liquid air.
Staniel Cay is the “headquarters” of the central Exumas. There are three stores, including one that is a marine supply store. There is a also a small marina that has a bar/restaurant, and it is the social center of the island. This is our third night here in the anchorage, and we’ll probably be here one more night. We’ve met many other cruisers in the last couple days, including a wonderful couple from New Zealand who are also cruising on a Nordhavn 43.
Nearby is a snorkeling site called “Thunderball Grotto”, which was made famous in the James Bond film of the same name. This snorkeling site is a domed cave that you can swim into through a tunnel at high tide, or an arch at low tide. We visited Thunderball Grotto this morning at low tide, and we all swam in through the low arch (Ayla was very brave!). It was an amazing geological and oceanographic phenomenon.
Also near our anchorage is an uninhabited island with wild pigs, sheep, and goats. We approached the beach yesterday in our dingy, and the pigs met us enthusiastically, expecting some handouts. We went back today with our composting scraps, and they were most grateful for the “salad”. On our charts, I now see that it is labeled “Piggy Beach”.
I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but tonight, life in the Exumas is pretty great.
David,
Your description was magnificent! I hope you realize how many of us are here waiting with baited breath for your next blog entry. Those of us who are armchair sailors love to hear about your experiences. The Stuart “Trawler Fest” is in a couple of weeks and we will be there drooling. My wife and I hope to be “out there” in the next 2-4 years, but in the meantime, we will await your next entry.