Bahamian Sloops

In summer the Bahamains hold their regattas. The one in Georgetown is in April, and they go on through the summer. These regattas draw boats from all over the islands. The Bahamian boats carry a lot of canvas and at least one class has hiking boards that remind me of the log canoes in the Chesapeake. We talked with one a man building a smaller sloop in his yard in Black Point ,Exuma. The wood is sawn , not steamed and then the hull is strip planked. It is interesting to see the design, which has almost no cut away in the bow or stern. There is almost as much keel as waterline. It seems that these boats still can routinely sink during a race , probably because they carry so much sail . The masts are huge and the boom extends further than any catboat we've ever sailed. The post race parties last well into the morning hours. Some things about sailors are universal I guess.

Cambridge Cay

Another astonishing place in the Exuma land and Sea park is Cambridge Cay. We found probably the very best beach ever here. There was also plenty of exploring and hiking and snorkeling but water based activities stopped at about 4 pm as two rather large andvery fast bull sharks cruised through the anchorage every day at that time. They were impressive , large and very fast. They were followed by a barracuda who looked positively benign in contrast. It was really fun to watch these guys from the safety of the boat. We mentioned them to the park ranger and he said Yea they seem to come in here every evening. I don't trust bull sharks and I wouldn't get in the water with them. I wouldn't either!

Wardrick Wells

We've spent a few days at the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park. We've been there before but this is a different anchorage. It as fun to be in a familiar area just the same. The park is one of the very best parts of the Exumas. We've been hiking and snorkeling a lot. This anchorage is a deep semi circle around a sand bar that is partially dry at low tide. We often would have drinks on the sand bar if the tide was right. Some folks on the boat behind us made this break into an art form bring chairs, a cooler and a beach umbrella. (They are in the picture) Great fun especially since the boat is really only about 5 feet away but in 20 feet of water. A couple of boat lengths away we snorkeled on a wreck of a boat which, according to local stories, caught fire and sank at a mooring. Supposedly the skipper left the boat while the generator was running. It is a bit eerie to see a boat not too different from yours on the bottom growing coral . The current really rips through this area so we got a brief view of the wreck then swam like crazy to get back and see it again for just a few seconds. After a bit we smartened up and snorkeled at slack tide. The natural beauty here is amazing.

MORE BEAUTIFUL BEACHES

We haven't been able to post anything here for a while. Internet is not available everywhere.

We spent a little time in Nassau. We had the best sail from Allen's Cay there. Jib and 1 reef in the main and we still averaged 6 1/2 knots. We saw 7 plus a few times. It felt like flying. We had some interesting times getting the anchor to hold . Finally moved to another site after 3 tries .Then no problem. A boat later anchored where we had been trying and dragged into the boats behind him ; just poor holding in some places. Nassau put us in culture shock. It is so busy and developed . Town has some beautiful old buildingsand Paradise Island has all the stuff you could see in the states even Starbucks which I really liked. Cruise ships and freighters , tour boats and fishing boats put on a show and there are watering holes everywhere. Atlantis is impressive but made me think of Las Vegas. We had thought we might go into the marina there for a splurge - but when we toured by dinghy we saw that the smallest boat was about 80 feet. The tenders were the size of our boat! We've been back in the Exumas for a while, visiting cays we missed earlier. It seems impossible to me that there are so many truely lovely places here. As many boats head north, we find ourselves alone in the most wonderful tropical settings. It reminds me a little of September on Cape Cod - but even better.