MAKING OUR WAY SOUTH IN THE EXUMAS

12/22/2011 HIGHBOURNE TO NORMAN TO HAWKSBILL IN THE PARK


THURSDAY

TOTAL MILES TRAVELED TODAY: 17 NM

MOORED AT HAWKSBILL CAY IN THE EXUMA CAY LAND AND SEA PARK

SUNRISE IN THE EXUMAS: 6:48 AM

SUNSET IN NASSAU: 5:25 PM

TEMPERATURES IN THE MID 80’S

Pulling up anchor in Highbourne we headed for a quick stop at Normans Cay to snorkel the infamous ditched aircraft that dates from the Bahamian drug trading era. Carlos Leder based his operations here on Normans and the story goes that more than one cruiser was shot at when they ventured too close. Eventually the feds infiltrated and cleaned out the “bad guys”.

THE BOYS EXPLORING THE PLANE WRECK AT NORMANS

Our next stop was the beautiful mooring field at Hawksbill in the Exuma Cay Land and Sea Park. While the mooring balls in the park proper are assigned, these are on a first-come first-serve basis. We did call in and let them know we were occupying one of their sites and given direction to deposit our minimal fee at the box. The boys walked the beach, gathering any wayward trash along the way, and then spent hours snorkeling the waters. This area does not abound in fish but the boys saw several rays and some color on their backs.

Dan and I talked to John and Diane Zabell on S/V Spirit while we lounged on the sandy beach. They have sailed these waters for years and were a wealth of useful information.
We are now drifting in and out (mostly out today) of cell service but hope to be able to hook up again tomorrow.

FINALLY IN THE EXUMAS

12/21/2011 NASSAU TO HIGHBOURNE CAY IN THE EXUMAS


WEDNESDAY

TOTAL MILES TRAVELED TODAY: 38 NM

ANCHORED AT HIGHBOURNE CAY IN THE EXUMAS

SUNRISE IN NASSAU: 6:50 AM

SUNSET IN NASSAU: 5:24 PM

WINDY AND IN THE 80’S

Well, we’re off to the Exumas, finally! Steven and Andrew made our exit from the busy and constantly surging Nassau Harbour a snap. Whew, what a zoo! We did, however, enjoy our time there and still have much left to explore so Nassau is no longer totally off my list.
It was windy and a bit rough out there today but nothing too bad. Today’s extremely low tide over the Yellow Bank proved to hold no problems and by 1:00 we were “anchor down” and set for the night.

Although Highbourne Cay has a beautiful marina, the anchorage seemed like a magnet for the huge yachts. Before the night was over there were 5 big yachts anchored around Quest that ranged in size from about 90’ to 150’ in length and only 3 of the expected sailboats.

Steven and Andrew made quick work of donning the snorkel equipment and setting off to explore. Even though the waters were not quite in the 80’s that I prefer (yes, weenie Judy), even I enjoyed a bit of snorkeling.

ANDREW AND STEVEN OFF TO EXPLORE

We did explore around in the tender but the waters were so rough it was not quite as enjoyable as it could have been. The sparsely populated marina looked beautiful and we may have to make it a stop on our journey home later in the year. It offers lots of protection from the winds and surge and appears to be quite upscale.