Post #70: Island Time

Tuesday, February 23 to Sunday, February 28, 2021

Somehow, gradually, almost imperceptibly, time has slowed down over the past weeks.  I struggle to remember what day it is (today), what time it is (morning) and to have much ambition to complete anything. Our needs have devolved to center around four things: water, food, trash disposal, and a good book. Oh, and Lorraine’s mother’s bread. 

It takes all day to do nothing.

We’re now anchored at Black Point on Great Guana Cay, about 10 miles south of Staniel.  We all agreed to a Sailing Challenge for the passage from Staniel on Tuesday:  you could use your engine only to work the windlass when raising and lowering the anchor.  Otherwise, you had to move the boat only by sail.  David had deployed our storm snubber (a bridle that absorbs some of the shock from the up and down bobbing when at anchor during a blow, thus aiding the anchor chain) on Monday night but had a bit of difficulty removing it as the others weighed anchor and set sail.  Much to his dismay, we were last in line to leave the bay.  It was my turn to helm, however, and Onward and I rose to the challenge.  Admittedly, there’s still enough of a competitive streak in me that I confess I did relish the sense of satisfaction when I came from behind and passed all the other boats.  We were anchored at Black Point before the next boat even entered that bay.  Yes!

Black Point is well known throughout the Exumas as the place to do your laundry. Seriously. The machines actually work, there’s free WiFi, Stick runs the operation for Ida, the owner, and also makes delicious $5 foot-long chili dogs for lunch. By the way, you can get your hair cut, rent bikes, purchase a few groceries, take a shower, and the view cannot be beat:

Rich and Ruthie on Equinox were “stranded” here at Black Point for 5 weeks during the Covid lockdown last spring. They encouraged us to try the three restaurants on the island,

to buy lobster tails (they were about 10-14” long!) off the dock when the boats came in,

and told us about the free RO (reverse osmosis) water available to all residents and visitors.  David took the dinghy to the water spigot and filled up our four 5-gallon water jugs.  He’d hurt his back about a week ago and lifting the 40+ pound jugs from the dinghy up to the deck was problematic.  So I got in the dinghy and attached the carabiner from the dinghy engine block and tackle to the jug and David hoisted each one onto the boat with minimal effort due to the wonders of “mechanical advantage.” I have developed an enormous respect for the millions of people (mostly women) who must daily trek to a well and then transport their fresh water home, usually on foot. This is “bonus” water for us as our tanks hold about 120 gallons but we have learned to fill up any time we can, especially if we can’t bring Onward into a dock.

There were some marine visitors at the dock when the lobstermen returned, attracted by the discarded lobster shells and chum.

Thursday morning we took a bit of a walk, starting at the one road sign on the island,

which is next to the Government Post Office and an actual working pay phone booth!

We were headed to see the blowhole that’s formed on the Sound side of the island. The nearby beach was lovely but the sand is being “mined” by the residents to use when mixing cement for new houses.  (Sadly, there was also a lot of plastic detritus.)

The blowhole was impressive even in light winds and waves.  

Our next stop in “downtown” Black Point was at Lorraine’s mother’s house.  She makes amazing, truly scrumptious coconut bread and “plain” bread in her kitchen.  The huge pink bowl you see in the photo is brimming with dough for her next batch.  I wish I could send you all a loaf!

 

Our Friday adventure was a dinghy ride to another deserted beach, loaded down with picnic lunches, snorkeling gear, folding chairs and umbrellas.  We were greeted by the endangered Bahamian iguanas like we had seen near Staniel.  But these guys aren’t regularly visited by tour boats so they pretty much left us alone—until we opened up our picnic coolers.  They hoped we’d feed them but the humans behaved themselves and did not.

At one end of the beach there was a massive promontory overlooking a deep cut and swirling currents.  Two osprey monitored our every move, protecting their huge nest (at the very outermost tip of rock ledge) from us interlopers.

We snorkeled around the teal waters, finding coral, yellow snapper, and a barracuda that Mike described in his Tulsa accent as “long as mah laig. Hay was fayerce!”

The highlight on Saturday was an all-you-can-eat Island BBQ hosted by Lorraine’s Cafe.  David and I made reservations and then went next door to Lorraine’s mother’s house to purchase more bread.  When I told her we were looking forward to the BBQ, she admonished me, “Now, don’t you go eatin’ none of this bread, then, or you won’t have no room for ribs.” Of course I took her advice!

We have found the residents here to be so friendly and welcoming. It’s going to be truly difficult to leave tomorrow.

Post #69: Staniel Cay and the Thunderball Grotto

Friday, February 19 to Tuesday, February 23, 2021

I’d heard about Staniel Cay some 38 years ago from my friend Leah although, honestly, I never realized where it was exactly until about a year ago! We were young mothers back in the early ’80s each with a 2-year old and each expecting our second child. We both lived in antique farmhouses in the rural town of Bolton, MA, joined the Garden Club, the babysitting-coop, helped out with the Bolton Agricultural Fair and spent our days as fairly traditional mothers and wives. 

Leah’s brother-in-law, Jack and his wife, Gail, on the other hand, had taken their 67’ motor yacht, Sumaria, from Westport, ME to Staniel Cay with their two children. Neither of us could fathom living aboard with 2 little kids, let alone home-schooling and entertaining them while our husbands worked on the same boat. (Sounds like 2020 during Covid.) I remember we waffled between head-shaking incredulity, self-righteous dismay and, well, outright jealousy (especially when Leah would share photos they’d sent of the beautiful aquamarine water and warm sunny days; sigh). Anyway, now that I’m here, I get why Jack and Gail chose this bit of paradise to call home.

Staniel Cay has been described as “interesting.” It has “an airstrip, 3 tiny grocery stores (the Blue Store (that’s it at the top of the street), the Pink Store and the Yellow bakery):

a large funky bar and restaurant,

and an amazing array of characters. The folks you see there seem to me to fall into three groups: the native Bahamians (which appear to be in the minority), the cruisers who are passing through,... and an odd assortment of people who seem to have come for a visit and never left.” 

We were thrilled to be able to properly dispose of our trash, purchase fuel, stock up on groceries, and we all really enjoyed being served beverages and snacks on the outdoor porch of the Yacht Club, especially as we were the only customers at the time.  It felt so normal to actually sit outside at a restaurant and be waited on!  I have to say, though, it was a bit unsettling to be around so many people again after almost a month of just being in our pod. It still feels safer to be back in our boat “cocoon.”  

A couple of the guys in our group walked to the Staniel Cay Laundromat and Island Bibben Liquor Store (or Suds & Buds, as it’s usually called) to restock their beer supply.  It’s a good thing only one of us likes it, as beer sells for over $60/case!!

Saturday morning most of us rose early to take advantage of low tide and dinghied to explore the Thunderball Grotto, so named as it was showcased in the 1965 James Bond movie, “Thunderball.”  Can’t say I’ve seen the movie but the Grotto was incredible!  You actually swim through one of the three entrances to the cave which is lit by a large opening at the top of the dome, like the oculus in Rome’s Pantheon. Dramatic shafts of sunlight pierce the darkness and slice down into the water, illuminating the thousands of fish who congregate there. Another astonishing natural setting that is absolutely breathtaking. (These are photos off the web, not mine.)

Nature also made good on her predicted “Norther.”  I’m writing this about 11:30 p.m. on Sunday night.  The wind has been howling from the north since about 4 p.m. on Saturday.  We’re secure on our anchor and surrounded by dozens of boats in the same situation.  But when the gusts go over 30 knots, Onward groans and creaks and lists a bit before righting herself again. 

I’ll be glad when this front passes through. 

Post #68: The More You Look, the More You See

Wednesday, February 17, 2021

Time for another hike, campers.  Grab your water bottles and let’s go!

I let everyone go ahead and lingered behind so I could take my time observing what was going on around the trail, not just zooming ahead to the beach.  I learned on a walking safari in Kruger National Park in South Africa that there is much to be gleaned by slowing down.

And taking time to look at the dirt. As the Park rangers in Kruger kept reminding us, the more you look, the more you see.

Obviously, the size of the animals is different from the African plain, but the questions are the similar:  who made these tracks? where did they come from? where were they going? what were they searching for?  Upon closer inspection you can see a spaghetti tangle of tracks that rival the superhighways of Los Angeles!  Why do some areas contain lines and groups of small shells and some areas contain only sand?  Did the pathways originate from the conch shell on the left side of the second photo or did they lead to the shell? Why are some pathways straight and others look like a maze?  So many questions.

More questions arose for me when we spilled out onto the beach for there were familiar rock formations of weathered limestone and coral with spikes and cavities.  But why were there also flat sandstone “shelves” on the southern side of the beach?  What happened here to make the two ends of the beach so different from each other?  

(I think I want to go back to school....)

It was pretty hot by the time we got back to the dinghies on the other side of the island so we jumped into the clear turquoise water.  Renee and Jim from Invictus joined us.  Renee is a photo journalist who used to work for The Columbus Dispatch.  She had a half-bubble attachment surrounding her GoPro that allowed her to take really cool under/above water photos!

Geologist Rick was exploring again, searching for more evidence of living stromatolites that we could see up close and actually feel. Admittedly, I have struggled to understand the concept of stromatolites even though I could “see” them. 

Now that we have reception, I was able to do a bit more research. According to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, “Stromatolites are layered rock structures made by photosynthetic cyanobacteria. The microbes secrete sticky compounds that bind together sediment grains (i.e., sand), creating a mineral “microfabric” that accumulates in fine layers.”

So the rock formations Sue pointed out to us in the video I posted earlier (Post #66) were layers that had dried out and hardened over the millennia.  On the other hand, the living stromatolites in the video below continue to form the microfabric mat that releases oxygen through photosynthesis into our atmosphere.  (I think I’m beginning to understand.)

 

All this thinking and exploring can be tiring (and fun!) so after our nightly gathering on the beach and a conch salute to the sun, it was time to call it a day.

Post #67: Traveling with the Rich and Famous (sort of)

Tuesday, February 16, 2021

A frontal passage is predicted for Saturday, bringing rain (first time in over a month) and strong winds (gusts in the 30+ knot range) so we need to keep moving south to an anchorage that is well protected from the “norther,” as these storms are called in local weather parlance. We also are in need of a place to properly dispose of our garbage and pick up some gasoline for the dinghy.I’m especially looking forward to better WiFi and fresh produce.

So today we headed about 10 miles to Cambridge Cay, also part of the Park.  The 14 moorings are first come, first served. Folks from around the world volunteer to live there on their boats for month, helping visitors to tie up to the mooring balls, handing out a map of recommended snorkeling spots, and collecting fees for the Park.

On the way to Cambridge Cay, we spied a ginormous motor yacht in the distance.

It dwarfed the surrounding islands and seemed way out of proportion to everything else in sight.  Using our AIS (Automated Identification System) David was able to peg it as Ulysses, a 381-foot super yacht.  Rumor has it that Mark Zuckerberg bought it for $150,000,000 (give or take a few mil) in 2018 but that story has since been debunked by both Facebook and Zuckerberg.  I’ve decided to believe the fake news and pretend that it is indeed my FB friend Mark and his family on vacation.  Makes for a better story.  And hopefully, if we can get close enough, his WiFi will be awesome. 

No matter who owns it, this yacht is pretty spectacular: yachtharbor.com https://yachtharbour.com/news/inside-the-107m-explorer-zuckerberg-did-not-buy-2396

The Park volunteers who welcomed us to Cambridge Cay were Lisa and her husband from Newport, RI on their motor vessel, Privateer.  They live on it year round, traveling back and forth to New England.  Hmm, not a bad plan....

Our excursion for the day was to the most appropriately named Sea Aquarium where we spent much of the afternoon.  We’ve snorkeled all over the Caribbean during our charters over the past 20 years but have never jumped into the water to be immediately surrounded by hundreds of fish of all varieties, shapes, and sizes. It was spectacular!!

I forgot to tell you that the other famous person who vacations next to Cambridge Key is none other than Capt. Jack Sparrow!  Yup, Johnny Depp owns Little Hall’s Pond Cay, a 45-acre treasure. 

Here’s how Capt. Jack describes the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, “I don’t think I’d ever seen any place so pure and beautiful.  You can feel your pulse rate drop about 20 beats. It’s instant freedom. And that rare beast—simplicity— can be had.”  

I agree.

Post #66: The Best Hike Evah!

Monday, February 15, 2021

We’ve been with only rare WiFi and no cell phone access for almost 10 days so when we heard that we might have reception at the top of Boo Boo Hill (I did not make that up), we were all ready and eager to begin the hike at 9 a.m.  Let’s go, campers! 

We followed the well-marked trail along mangrove swamps and hot, dry eroded mounds of coral and limestone.  Deep wells, craters, and shallow puddles had been carved by the wind and water and the remaining rock formed spikes and pockmarks.

(There’s actually a little fish in that water, although I have no idea how he got there!)

Since I’m one of “those” people who read every sign (ask my kids—drives them crazy), I learned today that there are actually three different types of mangroves: White, which grows in the upper reaches of the tidal zone, well above the high tide line; Black, which is more like a shrub or small tree and thrives in seawater because its roots can breathe even when submerged; and Red which is easily identified by its above ground “prop” roots that look like long fingers reaching down into the water.

It was the white mangrove that captured my attention.  How could anything grow in such a seemingly dry environment?

Turns out a fresh water “lens” exists under many of the cays and islands.  Rainwater percolates down through the limestone and collects at sea level. Due to the specific gravities of salt water and fresh water, the fresh water remains delicately balanced on top of the salt water, thus creating the lens. This water is life itself for many inhabitants—natural sinkholes in the rock act like wells and provide access to the lens for people. Many plants, including grasses, have roots that find their way through the hollows in the rock all the way down to the lens.

But other plants develop a vast network of shallow roots that are very efficient at capturing the little bit of rainfall that does occur.  The leaves of these plants, in turn, provide water needed by the animals, reptiles and insects that live on Warderick Wells.  Some of the plants, though, have developed incredible self-defense mechanisms, to protect their own moisture. The toxins in the Poisonwood plant deter many plant eaters (including humans). Joewood leaves contain a potent insecticide and the edges of its leaves curl down to shelter the breathing pores of the plant during high winds to keep them from drying out. Even more astounding to me, a waxy cuticle grows on the upper side of the leaf to prevent moisture loss and filters out UV rays.  In other words, Joewood produces and applies its own sunscreen!

The path next took us over the creek that feeds the mangroves thanks to strategically placed flat rocks and a simple wooden bridge.  (Can you hear us whistling the theme to Bridge Over the River Kwai?)

The climb afforded us a bird’s-eye view of the “lay of the land.” I could not help but reflect that we have become so laser-focused on the water, the wind, the current, the coral, the sand, etc., that we miss the bigger picture: the enormous natural forces that shaped this place over eons and continue to reshape it every day.

I’d like to know who had the job of christening the beaches we got to choose from:

We chose Barefoot Beach, a path that took us through a palm grove:

and brought us to an untamed beach of sugar sand, colorful shells, mounds of weathered limestone, sandstone and coral, and crashing waves.

Keen-eyed Rebecca from Pleiades spied a bird in the rocks, hiding in plain sight.  Can you find it? 

Here’s a zoomed in version to help you out:

Such serendipitous observations have been some of the best parts of traveling with this group for each person brings his or her special interest or expertise to our adventures. For example, Rebecca took a course in marine biology in college and is usually the first one to identify fish or shells. Rick and Sue on Miss Adventure are both geologists and have opened our eyes to some of the wonders of the ground right under our feet.

I had never heard of “stromatolite” reefs but it seems we’ve been surrounded by them in the Park. Let Sue explain:

And this is what “new” stromatolites look like, continuing to produce and release oxygen into our atmosphere as they have for over 3 billion years! (How did I miss this in high school biology??) According to the Bahamas Marine EcoCentre, “The Bahamian stromatolites are living relatives of Earth’s oldest reefs. Bahamian stromatolites are unique in that they are the only known examples of present-day stromatolites growing in open ocean conditions.”

But wait, there’s more!  Because this was the most awesome hike evah. On the way up the final climb to the top of Boo Boo Hill I saw three ethereal dragonflys with copper gossamer wings that sparkled like teeny sequins.

The tradition is for cruisers to leave an offering at the top of Boo Boo Hill to appease King Neptune and be blessed with good winds and smooth seas.  We scrounged the beach for driftwood, coconut shells, seaweed, etc., wrote our names on our contributions, and left them for eternity.

As I lay in bed tonight, I wondered with expectation and excitement, “what will I get to learn about tomorrow??”  What a great day this has been!