Christmas Week in the Exumas!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Had a wonderful Christmas Week in the Bahamas with Charlie, Tabby and Katie arriving on Christmas Eve.  We celebrated Christmas officially with a roast and Yorkshire pudding and opening of stockings on Christmas Eve in order to accommodate the sailing schedule – leave on Christmas or be stuck in Nassau for three days of weather.  We missed Alison sorely all week.

Set off from Nassau on Christmas day for Norman’s Cay in the Exumas. It was a beautiful sail, an easy reach, flat seas with good wind and everyone enjoying the cockpit and decks.  Norman’s Cay is infamous having been a drug lord’s den in the 1980’s, but all that’s left of that history are a few beaten up buildings and stories.   Spent a night at anchor off the West side of Norman’s, but in the morning we expected a cold front to move in, so we moved to Norman’s Pond.  The Pond is a great big anchorage, about 200 acres, fully enclosed with only one narrow (and shallow) entrance.  We arrived at high tide and saw no depths less than 6 feet (we need 5).  We “walked” into the Pond, slowly, carefully, with inch by inch course corrections – it was a moment to be so proud of father-son tag-teaming.  It was a daring move in; only one chart gave a sense of possibility, but once through the cut we saw a dozen other boats peacefully anchored.   As the front arrived we had winds gusting to 40 and 50 knots, but barely a ripple in the water.  The result was a comfortable night and a cozy second day and night as the front passed and the weather subsided.  The Pond was beautiful, if the weather was not.  Katie and Tony did our first swim off the deck; Charlie began the first of his week of sea-water bathing after a swim.  The snorkels came out, board and word games were played, we ate well, enjoying being together, and waiting for Alison’s evening call.

On Tuesday, we intended to leave Norman’s Pond on the rising tide and figured we were at mid-tide for our 10:00 A.M. start.  This time, as we skirted the channel close to shore, with one more left hand turn to put us in the cut, our depth sounder read 4.6 (did I say we needed 5?).  We stopped.  Or, more appropriately, we were stopped.  Rising tide.  No worries.  We let out the staysail to push us off.  No movement.  We let out the big headsail to grab that forward breeze.  No movement.  Finally, we put up the mainsail and caught a big gust which lifted us up and over the shallow bank.  But, our turn to the cut was immediate, so we need to quickly drop the sail and stay off the rocks.  Flawlessly done.  Only an hour’s delay.  And where were Katie and Tabby during these tense moments.  Recognizing danger, they retreated below to chit-chat and ignore the drama in the cockpit.  Did he say ‘drama’?  Let’s picture this:  we have run aground between rocky piles looking more like a mogul run at Sunday River than a passable cut.  We have Tony, Tess and Charlie above deck with lines going out and coming in and eyes peeled watching for both positive movement (to port and forward), negative movement (to starboard and aft to the 2’ stake), and inertia with just sand kicking up beneath and around us.  Getting us off the spit was certain, but the technical requirements were intense.  Charlie loaded the main and the jib and immediately upon getting the load needed to dump it to execute the turn through the pass…it was Awesome when it worked; a little tense in the lead in, especially when Tess mistook the word “No” for “Go” and began to release a sheet early which I’d been clearly asked to leave alone.  Oops, my bad.

But, rewarded we were.  A great sail South in Exuma Sound (back to the 1000s of feet of depth) to Warderick Cay and the Exuma National Maritime Park.  We had been granted a mooring so we were tucked in close to Park Headquarters.  This gave us an opportunity to take a long hike which ended at Boo Boo Hill; the highest point on the Cay.  The next morning we did it all.  Hiked.  Snorkeled.  Kayaked (Tess’ Christmas gift from the kids).  Lazed on the beach.  Dove on a wreck.  A really amazing place.

Off we were on Thursday for Highborne Cay.  A great anchorage on the western beach.  The high pressure system which arrived after the cold front past has been paying off.  Great weather.  Warm water.  Great beach.  And snorkeling at a reef called Octopus’ Garden.  Great chance to practice with my new dive mask camera (another Christmas gift from the kids).  Check out the pictures that follow.

What we’re not telling you is  that we get to each of these places, and see perhaps 10 people, maybe a dozen…and they’re not really near us, we simply see them, or walk past them, or wave.  We’re alone in paradise with most of our kids.  Pretty cool.  Alison was taking pictures of the snow in Brooklyn while we were rinsing the sand off our feet before going aboard……

But alas, knowing we had flights to catch on New Year’s Day, we sailed the next morning to Nassau.  I caught a fish en route, thanks to my schooling from George earlier this month (used that green grass skirty thing, you suggested). (he looked so CUTE in it)  It was about 14 inches, smooth and silvery.  I think it was some kind of Jack, a Bonito or a Great White Shark.  I dropped it on the deck and it escaped before Charlie could get the camera set up for the big picture.  I’ll get another, I’m sure.

New Year’s Eve, we took a cab to Atlantis and saw all the things the tourists see.  The “Dig” which is an amazing and huge aquarium.  The Predator Aquarium filled with sharks.  And all of the grounds.  It seems we went in the wrong door and all of a sudden had access to everything the paying guests get to see.  Not bad.  Like a free trip to Disney World. 

Dinner at the Poop Deck, back toward home was followed by Sailor’s Midnight (9:00 P.M.) at which time we all said good night.  But in Nassau, we were awoken by the Midnight fireworks.  An amazing spectacle, though we each merely glanced out our respective portholes and then covered our ears with pillows until the explosions stopped.  Too much of a good thing, I guess.

The only downside of the trip was sharing a family flu/cold.  We each took a turn going to bed before dinner one night, using up a box or two of tissues a piece, discussing the merits of Nyquil v Sudafed v Mucinex and drinking hot tea with honey to ease our throat and chills.  For this one thing, Alison joined us.  I’m sorry honey; I wish I could have made you some tea and listened to you cough and try to breathe with the rest of us!  I hope you’re feeling better, too.

Sadness on the departure of the family.  Now we feel that we are here.  Left to explore the rest of the Bahamas.  After the clean up and re-provisioning, we sail South….