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.