Our Second Run through the Northern Exumas

We recently finished our second run through the Northern Exumas. This time family joined us - Steve, Mireille and my grandson Cedrick - at 6 months he has secured the position of our youngest sailor on board. The weather was spectacular and the company fantastic. We started with a bumpy ride of 42 miles from Nassau to Normans Cay. Steve was anxious to get the "fishin' stick" out so we dropped a hook in the water and we didn't have to wait long - Steve reeled in a Jack and after checking our reference book, he was only a "two hook" on the scale of one rusty hook to 5 silver hooks. Our Jack was sent back to the turquoise water with nothing more than a pierced lower lip. An hour later the hook was taken and the line flew off the reel. Everyone jumped into action again and Steve reeled in a beautiful Mahi Mahi. What makes it really strange is that we were on the Exumas Banks at the time and normally these fish like deep water. So my take is that we caught either a lost one or a stupid one .... either way it was very good eating!
We visited Shroud Cay and skiffed through the mangroves to the beach on the ocean side - amazing - we had all the sand and views to ourselves and Cedrick enjoyed his first skinny dip in salt water!
Warderick Wells was the next port of call and Steve did a great job of getting Ambition up to the mooring ball for Maryse to grab even though the current was running quickly. We dropped off out piece of driftwood with the boat name on it up on Boo Boo Hill. As the tide dropped, Steve was able to  attach Rusty to the end of his painter and step off on the almost dry sandbanks - incredible that Ambition is in 12 feet of water and within 10 feet the sand is almost dry!
On Wednesday morning we left Warderick Wells very early and made the 25 mile run to Staniel Cay - no action on the "fishin' stick" once we got outside the Exumas Park. Maryse enjoyed her first lunch of deep fried conch (even though she had ordered chicken - too funny!) At Thunderball grotto, Mireille fed the fish and they just swarmed by the hundreds around her. We decided to move Ambition to Big Majors for the night so we could catch the piggies early and also make an easier ride Thursday.
As mentioned in our last blog entry, Maryse offered carrots to the piggies without much excitement on their part. This time she tried a different strategy - peanut butter sandwiches. As we approached the beach, there were already 5 folks on the beach feeding the piggies. I think that piggies smell well because one of them headed off the beach and swam out to the dinghy - followed quickly by the other 3 pigs. Let me tell you.....there is a HUGE difference to the pigs between carrots and peanut butter sandwiches...one of them actually got two front hooves up on Rusty! Steve pushed him back off - excitement or maybe panic swept through the crew of Ambition! Amazing how they devoured the sandwiches. Once all gone, se started to head back to Ambition only the piggies swam along behind following us! I had to "herd" them back to the beach otherwise I think they would have followed all the way to Ambition!
We motor sailed back to Shroud Cay for the night - Mireille and Steve tried their fly rod and fishin' stick just outside the park but other than a few nibbles, nothing was landed.
On Friday morning we went in search of BIG FISH. Headed out through Wax Cay Cut into deep water. Big wind and waves forced us to tack back and forth as we made our way north. Mireille landed a big barracuda that I thought was a wahoo - Steve cleaned it and everything but we ended throwing it overboard due to toxins in the species. Steve landed a smaller barracuda and we released him to grow a little more. No Mahi Mahi so we made our back into shallow waters through Highborne Cut and on toe Allens Cay.
Saturday morning we visited the iguanas but most were still asleep and only 10 or 12 ventured out to get fed. Marsye had prepared a winning combination of cabbage and rice cakes - by the expressions on their faces, they seemed less enthused!
Unfortunately this weeks vacation is quickly coming to a close and we sailed to Nassau as the kids needed to catch a flight home this evening - a great week with Cedrick, Mireille and Steve - sad to see them leave.

Our first visit through the northern Exumas

We anchored in Norman's Cay for the night of the December 30th along with at least 4 other boats all from Montreal. Just like Lake Champlain, our anchor was barely on the bottom when I was called on the VHF that I was too close to someone. By the time the anchor settled in and the boat stabilized in the wind we were 300 feet from the complaining boat - didn't hear from him again!

For New Years eve we motored around to the bay in front of the now abandoned Normans Beach Club  and McDuff's - so very sad to see what was such a vibrant and entertaining spot now sit quiet. Damage from the last hurricanes is very evident. We were however very surprised at the amount of planes that were arriving and taking off from the airstrip - clearly there remains life on the cay for the few homeowners. I am sure that they miss Rox's meals at McDuff's!

Our next tour spot was Shroud Cay where we anchored on the north west side of the cay - all alone except for one other power boat. We were just a short skiff ride away from the creek that crosses the mangroves to the ocean side of the cay. This has o be one of the most outstanding beaches and views in the Bahamas.

Next stop was to the Exumas Park at Warderick Wells where we climbed Boo Boo Hill ... not exactly a mountain hike but it is for the Bahamas .... probably a good 75 or 100 feet high! This is where everyone leaves a piece of driftwood with their boat name on it. I looked for both L'Attitude's and Ambition's from 2009 but nothing found. I suspect that they make a bonfire every year to clear out the wood.

A trip to the Bahamas would not be complete without a  visit to Staniel Cay to snorkel into Thunderball grotto, made famous by the James Bond film by the same name and also the movie Splash. The fish surround you by the thousands and the water is lit by the openings in the top of the grotto - spectacular.
Big Majors is right next door and we got to see the swimming pigs in action - these are no little piglets that swim ... these are full sized family packs of ham with a side order of bacon kind of pigs!!! Maryse brought along some little carrots to feed them.... for some reason they were more interested in the leg of lamb that someone left on the beach and the handfuls of lettuce and leftover meats that the dinghy next to us offered up. Anyway I was kind of happy not to have these huge pigs nuzzling up to Rusty!

On our way back to Nassau we spent an evening at Allen's Cay to see the iguanas - the only place in the world where this species of iguana exists. There were hundreds to meet us on the beach - despite warnings to not feed them, they really enjoyed the lettuce that Maryse offered up this time.

January 7th we headed back to Nassau Harbour Club Marina so that our guests could catch their flight home on the morning of the 8th. Life is good in the Bahamas.

Christmas in Montreal and our escape back south!

We flew home for Xmas and along with a great time spent with family and friends we were able to enjoy with everyone, the record breaking 45cm snowfall on Dec 27th. I can't think of a better way to prepare for our return to Ambition in Nassau!

We arrived back on board Ambition on December 29th to glorious sunshine and 80F temperatures. Friends from Treadwell Bay joined us for 11 days so we knocked off the provisioning quickly and we left Nassau for Norman's Cay on the 30th. A great downwind sail in 15 to 20 knots of north wind - perfect!