20091226 Warderick Wells Cay - Exuma Land and Sea Park
We had a little trouble leaving Staniel Cay Yacht Club on
the day after Christmas. After settling
our bar bill, some new cruising friends helped us with dock lines. “Lucy B”
is a 100+ foot mega yacht that had pulled in behind us. With a beam of 25 feet, she took up most of
the deep water. Rick the captain, got
into their 25 foot Contender service boat and with a line attached to our
starboard stern, applied power to keep us away from the mother ship. Once past, he shifted his attachment to our
bow to spin us on the sandy bottom and point us into the deep water. This was nail biting tension for me, but we
eased into the channel, slowly passing Thunderball cove, and keeping close to
Pirate Beach, we felt the swell of the Exuma Channel entering Big Rock
Cut. Making our way to deep water, we
set sail, and with an easterly fresh wind, we headed northwest for an easy sail
to Warderick Wells – Exuma Land and Sea Park.
The 18 miles passed quickly and the sunshine chased away all
clouds, intensifying the blue of the deep water. We contacted Darcy by radio upon entering
Warderick Wells Cut, and were assigned mooring ball #8. Behind Warderick Wells Cay is a bay, where
the park has installed mooring balls to protect the seabed from anchor
damage. While the bay is circular, the
deep water is limited to a narrow channel very close to the moorings. I came in a little hot, and Cathy snagged
the mooring with the boat hook from the bow, but could not hold it. Backing up, I picked up the cork pendant,
walked it to the bow and attached ropes and made all secure.
Cathy came forward and we performed the, now well rehearsed,
launching of the dinghy. Removing the
sun cover, I attached the spinnaker halyard to the dinghy’s bow ring and with
Cathy tailing, raised the inflatable over the lifelines and lowered it
overboard. I removed the halyard and
Cathy walked the dinghy to the stern, tying it up ready to receive the motor. I hoisted the motor from its mount on the stern
rail, attached a safety line, which I ran through a fitting on the boom end and
to a snatch block and on to a mainsheet winch.
Again Cathy tailed the line, while I eased the motor over the side,
setting it onto the stern and locking it into place. Adding a life jacket bag to support the seat,
the gas tank, and gas line, we boarded and headed to the park office to
register.
As always, we were welcomed and met more cruisers with
advice on where to go, what to see and where to anchor. Examining our park map, we returned to Angel
to retrieve water shoes to allow us to take the trail up Boo Boo Hill. This is the highest point in the park and
cruisers have taken driftwood, written the names and dates of their visits and
built a memorial here. The spot also
provides a great vantage point to survey the park. I took many pictures of the Exuma Sound, Park
mooring field and afternoon sun falling to the western horizon.
On Saturday’s, the park rangers sponsor a bonfire and
“sundowner” on the beach. Promptly at
6pm, the driftwood fire was lit in a fire circle made of conch shells. We motored over, donating mixed nuts and
jelly beans to the fare and for the first time, carried insect repellent for
mosquitoes. Others brought dip &
crackers, cheese rolls and granola mix.
We chatted and got to know our fellow cruisers in the mooring
field. After 2 hours, all retreated to
their dinghys, and one by one, the outboards came to life slowing pushing their
owners home.
The mooring field was lit by a ¾ moon, the yachts bobbing
gently on the calm waters. Around the moon was a gigantic ring, appearing
as a target with the moon as the bulls eye.
Climbing back aboard Angel, we found all well, with the installed
screens, providing an insect free environment.
We fell asleep quickly and deeply on the calm waters.
20091227 Exploring the Exuma Land and Sea Park
Last evening, we slept soundly, hardly sensing the motion of
Angel on the mooring in the lagoon.
While warm, a breeze kept the boat comfortable. We arose, ate a simple breakfast of cinnamon
& raisin bread with butter and prepared for a day in the park. Cathy removed all the beer ( 8 cans) from the
ice box and I retrieved a bag of ¼ X20 stainless steel bolts from my hardware
stores to contribute to the park rangers.
We loaded up the dinghy added water and snorkel gear and headed out.
The beer and stainless hardware was well received and
appreciated. We asked for and received a
sketch map of the snorkel sites for the park.
Heading out we started near the ranger station, working our way south to
the deserted beaches and dinghy mooring buoys near the coral heads in the
park. As we slowly explored, we picked
up some plastic bottles, fishing line and a 5 gallon bucket, that had washed up
on various shores.
Along the way we discovered hundreds of baby conch and
larger, crawling slowly in the shallows, seeking sea grass. Many of the beaches have VERY shallow
approaches. I put a leg over the side of
the dinghy and when my foot touches, I know it is time to stop the engine. I tilt it up to protect the propeller, then
get out and pull toward shore. This
could happen 2 yards or 100 yards from the beach, depending on location. We saw NO other boats, NO hikers, NO
snorkelers during our travels.
The coral heads shelter a wide range of fish. Angel, sargent majors, grunts, grouper, and
numerous smaller fish populate these areas.
Swimming through these mixed schools, the fish move calmly away, then
reassemble in my wake. They seem to
exhibit the typical Bahamian attitude.
Returning to Angel, we heat up and finish our Christmas
dinner, turkey chunks & green bean casserole; except we ate these on an
open face sandwich. We were hungry and
made short work of the meal. Both of us
lay down in the cockpit, listening to Sirius radio. We finished the afternoon listening to NFL
football and napping.
Tomorrow, we head out early to Hiborne Cay, the next stop on
our trek north out of the Bahamas.
Cathy and Jim
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