Fish, Friends, and Fits On The Brink
I can't believe it's already been 10 days since we dropped Grandma and Grandpa off in Nassau. We've been out exploring the Exumas. We had some weather come through, but for the most part it's been beautiful days and fair winds. We've had a great time, seen some very cool sights, and met some great friends and are back in Nassau to pick up our next guests. My friend from Utah and a sailing instructor. The next seven days will be all about me getting comfortable at the helm and able to maneuver the boat without Steve's help. We decided to go with a professional and save our marriage the stress and discomfort. I can be a little difficult to teach I've been told.
Our first day out after dropping off the Grands we had 2-knot winds and the ocean was dead calm, crystal clear, not a ripple. You don't get very far sailing in two knots of wind, so we were motoring. The ability to see the bottom of the ocean in depths of 20 feet made the trip fun. I felt like we were out cruising in a huge swimming pool. We were able to see schools of fish hanging around the coral heads as we made our way across the Yellow Banks.
We first stopped at Allans Cay to check out Iguana Beach. We had the beach to ourselves and as we pulled up, the big daddy of the bunch came right out to welcome us. We didn't venture too far beyond the beach as the longer we stayed, the more iquanas appeared. I counted 14 that were combing the beach as we pulled away. There was one that kept chasing off another smaller one, which made the girls a little skittish. So we piled into the dinghy, got back to the boat, and headed over to where we would spend the night at Highbourne Cay.
Our next stop was Little Halls Pond a lovely, private, little island owned by the handsome Johnny Depp. Being a private island, we were not able to actually go ashore, but there were plenty of smaller cays in the area with beaches to play on. After setting the anchor, I took the girls to a beach and didn't take my camera thinking it was just another day at the beach. I have plenty beach pictures, right? While we were exploring, I was wading through a little bay and came upon at least a dozen huge sting rays. I'm very lucky I didn't step on one as they had themselves hidden in the sand pretty good. I was able to get as close as a foot away from one bunch before they caught wind of me and shooshed off into deeper waters. They're so cool! MJ found another live conch. That girl has the eye to find them. Saylor built "our" sand family. She had formed balls of sand and lined them up, "Dad, Mom, brother, me, McKelle." I think she's missing the snow just a little.
Every time a boat would pass, I'd say, "There goes Johnny Depp" and the girls would run out to wave hello. Pretty soon they were hollering to me, "Mom! Hurry! Johnny Depp is passing by!" They don't even know who he is, so we decided to introduce them to him and watched Pirates of the Caribbean. Saylor says, "Dad, this movie is not appropriate for us." Ha! By the end of the movie, her favorite part was the skeletons.
A couple points of interest we found near Little Halls were the seaquarium and a plane wreck that you can snorkel around. MJ wouldn't get in at the plane and it spooked Saylor a little so she made it a quick in and out swim. There was a little bit of a current running through and I think that scared her more than anything. However, the aquarium was absolutely beautiful. The wind was blowing and the air was a little chilly as another weather system was coming through. The girls and I were a little hesitant to get in. I told Steve he could go first and to let us know if there was really anything cool to see. He wasn't in the water but a few seconds when he popped up and said, "You all need to get in right now! This is amazing!" Saylor didn't hesitate and in she went. She loved swimming around and diving down around the different schools of fish. It took some coaxing from Daddy to get MJ to finally get in. We liked it so well, we went back for a second look another day. Definitely a must see for anyone passing by Little Halls Pond. There are small moorings that mark the aquarium as well as the plane wreck.
As we left our anchorage, we passed by a catamaran with "Colorado Springs, CO" displayed on their transom as their hailing port. They had come out to give a wave good morning as we passed by. I shouted a hello and introductions. We had a quick conversation back and forth. They were headed to Staniel Cay as well and we made plans to contact them later in the day.
We anchored in Big Majors near Staniel Cay and the girls were anxious to get off the boat and go see the "swimming" pigs. Unfortunately, they are fed so very well, they weren't doing much swimming but rather hanging out on the beach. One gentleman was able to get a little one to follow him out into the water, but the little pig wasn't about to swim to get food he could get in his trough, so quickly returned to the rest of the bunch. The girls lost interest and we went sightseeing around the island in the dinghy. We found some fun beaches to explore. While wading through the water at one of the beaches, I was so excited as I spotted something that was a brilliant red under the water. I slowly walked towards it as to not chase whatever it was away. As I came closer, it was dancing with the tide and I was able to see clearly, a beautiful red... solo cup! Saylor was not impressed with my humor when I told my family I had found a great treasure, only to produce a broken plastic cup. I thought it was funny as I had taken such care to approach it.
We moved our boat around the point near our new friends and had a nice visit with them. We swam in Thunderball Grotto, an underwater cave named for Sean Connery's 007 days back in 1965. Saylor wanted to jump through the hole at the top! I strongly persuaded her to wait. That girl has no fear. I'm excited to see where life takes her.
It wasn't all play as we did do some school work. Swimming or a trip to the beach is a great motivator! We had dinner at the yacht club and arrived when the fishermen were cleaning their fish. That meant feeding time for the local nurse sharks. We said hello and chatted for a minute with a gentleman from Golden, Colorado. He and his family were there for spring break. It's interesting to me that thus far of the people we've really had significant conversations with, I think 90% have been from Colorado as well. Hmmm.....
Friday we had planned to travel a little further south, but an issue with one of the heads changed our planes and we headed back to Nassau where we hoped to find the part we needed. This trip has been full of learning opportunities, but I must say, the ones concerning the heads are ones I try to avoid getting involved in. Steve let me know very clearly he was NOT going to be cleaning up this time. Up to this point, I hadn't really had much to do with the head repairs and there's been a few, so unfortunately I couldn't argue with the man. Yet, still, I wonder, why is it the issues arise at the worst possible moment? We made it as far as Hawksbill Cay before calling it a day.
The next morning had it's good moments, like raising the main and sailing off the anchor and getting the bridle clip off the anchor chain using the new technique our friends had shown us, which didn't require me hanging over the bow of the boat. And then it had it's not so good moments. It's funny how one restless night can change the boat's dynamics. One day we're going along and I'm feeling like we're in our groove, feeling a little sad our season is nearly over. Then spent the night rockin' and rollin' and woke up with a crew that's a little cranky, a lot tired, and not quite ready to deal with others. A smart remark here, a snippity response there, and the next thing you know we're selling the boat and going our separate ways the minute we hit the States!
I was hesitant to share the ugly side of our sailing trip, but I want to be real. It's not all sunny days, crystal water, and beautiful sunsets. The struggle is real. I wanted to encourage those who, like us, are new to life on the boat, new to living in a small space, some days not able to get off the boat for very long periods, if at all, each day the boat teaching us something new that we may or may not have wanted to learn... specifically the head line leaking due to blockage from years of usage, as best we can tell, and a joker valve that's broke not keeping things where they should be, and just let them know they're not alone. Don't be discouraged. It's all part of the adventure. It's the hard moments that build a stronger foundation, right?
By the afternoon, all was forgiven and forgotten and we were back to making plans for next year. We had gotten the spinnaker up as we were sailing downwind and Steve enjoyed a full day playing with the sails. It was smooth sailing all the way back to Nassau.
Steve found the part needed for the head. Thank you! We met a super nice family who have been very generous inviting the girls over and even taking them to Atlantis to swim as Steve and I prepared the boat for guests. We set sail in the morning to the Berry Islands for a week full of instruction and fun!
