YACHT "WANDERING STAR": Big Majors Spot

Showing posts with label Big Majors Spot. Show all posts

Friday, February 12, 2016

A 'Good' Day In The Life Of Wandering Star.....In The Bahamas

Gorgeous man on the gorgeous beach at Little Bay, Great Guana Cay

I want to share a good day in the life of Wandering Star. We have good days and bad days, boring days and exciting days, frustrating days and happy days just like everyone else. Yesterday was a good day, and mostly a typical day in the life of the crew. A day I enjoyed, and I asked the captain that he said he enjoyed it too.

At 6.30am the alarm goes off and Sim gets out of bed to listen to Chris Parker, our weather man on the single side band radio. This is almost a daily occurrence while we are on the move. We are anchored in Big Major's Spot, the place for the infamous swimming pigs and just around the corner is Staniel Cay with Thunderball Grotto - the caves teeming with fish. But we are not interested in either, we have seen them before. Unbelievably its still too cold for snorkelling, the weather in the Bahamas is very different from last year - they say this is due to an El Nino year.

The pigs that swim at Big Major's Spot. I have to admit I dont see the appeal.

We were going to stay here for the day, the anchorage is comfortable, the wind has finally clocked around behind the Islands and we are no longer bouncing about like a ship in a storm. Despite a nip in the air, the sun is out and it looks like a lovely day. I feel the need to be out and about. I look around, without a long wet dinghy ride, there are only tiny strips of beaches. I ask Sim if he feels like moving around to Black Point, an island about 8 miles south.

The anchorage at Black Point, Great Guana Cay, Exuma Islands

Black Point is a popular stop among cruisers because of the Rockside Laundry. A one of a kind laundry offering showers, haircuts, cake and conch fritters as well as some rooms above. Aside from that, it is a quaint, quiet and pretty island. The residents are friendly and welcoming, everyone greets you as you walk by, even the children. I haven't done any laundry since Marsh Harbour and I feel like a walk. Sim agrees, though I can tell he's not fussed either way. But he says there's potential for the anchorage to be uncomfortable so we should go soon and do what we want to do with time to move if need be. He is happy as he pulls out a sail. We have often said it is Sim that likes the sailing and me that loves the destinations. I'm eager to get round there but Sim is happy pottering along at 4kts on just the headsail. He asks me why I live on a boat if I don't like sailing. I do like sailing, I say defiantly. But sometimes it's just so slow, (or scary or uncomfortable). He smiles. It's a good balance, he likes the journey, I like the destinations.

Dinghies tied up at the goverment dock at Black Point

We pull into Black Point and anchor just off the laundry. But because of the northwest winds it is still pretty bouncy. We gather the laundry together, drop the dinghy and run ashore to the government dock as it looks a better place for leaving the dinghy in these swells. As we tie up we watch a ray scurry for food under the dock. Everyone greets us, a man is hoeing at the side of the road, making pretty beds out of rocks and plants.

Wandering Star at anchor - its hard to tell from the photo but its quite bouncy out there.

The views between the palm trees out across the bay are of gorgeous turquoise blue as the sun makes a rare appearance. It's gone 11am by the time we get to Dockside Laundry and its already busy. We pile the laundry into two machines and go for a walk while we wait. We intend to take the laundry back to the boat to dry - islands dryers are often expensive because of the cost of electricity and can take a very long time. Two loads of wash only laundry (and a slice of homemade carrot cake) is $9.50.

The quaint but picturesque settlement of Black Point in the Exuma Islands

As we walk back we can see Wandering Star rolling in the bouncy sea and we agree to move but have not yet decided where to...further into the bay or around the corner to another anchorage? As we get back to the dock the supply ship is docking where all the dinghies are tied up. A man is trying to get them all out the way. Our dinghy line is now under the mooring of the ship. We wait for them to get settled, our dinghy only gently nudged as the rusting beast pulls along side. The ship is loaded with all sorts of stuff, palm trees, jet skis, roofing, soft drinks and food supplies. We should have remembered that the supply ship always arrives on a Thursday.

The supply ship arrives and dinghies are quickly moved out the way...except ours.

Back on the boat, we agree to head around the corner to Little Bay. We dump everything on the floor, start the engine and motor around. It only takes about 1/2 an hour but it makes all the difference. This anchorage is flat and calm, protected from the northerly winds. I hang all the laundry out and Sim makes himself lunch, then I make mine - we almost always make our own lunches. The laundry dries quickly in the breeze. Although surprisingly, despite the sun there is still quite a nip to the air.

The beautiful beach at Little Bay just around the corner from Black Point.

I persuade Sim that it's a walk on the beach not a nap that he needs and we jump back in the dinghy to go ashore. It's just gorgeous. Rippled sand lies under clear shallow water filled with tiny starfish. Little sand banks are forming as the tide goes out. We walk from one end to the other and round a rocky outcrop. Often wading in the sea that is warmer than the cold air around us. We watch the crews of other boats come ashore to walk their dogs all dressed up in their sailing gear. We often giggle at our lack of proper sailing attire. Apart from our uniform scruffy shorts, tees and flip flops of unnamed brands, we own less sailing clothes now after 12 years of full time sailing than we did when we were land based wannabes. We each have an over a decade old Musto jacket and that's about it.
I've loved walking on the beach. I always do. Even Sim said he liked this one. The sand firm and hard - not making it difficult for his knees.
We wade back out to the dinghy that we anchored and go back to the boat and shower. It's gone 5pm so we pour ourselves a drink and sit down with our tablets to see what's going on in our cyber world. I flick through the photos from the day and I think to myself - its been a good day.

Sim walking around the rocky outcrops at Little Bay

I'm always happy on the beach

Tiny little starfish litter the sea bed.

We found pretty shells with live inhabitants and plenty of sand dollars too

Stunning beaches at Little Bay - this for me, is what it's all about.

As the sun goes down we go back to the boat. Its been a good day.

Sunday, January 18, 2015

Sharks, Snakes and Star fish - My Sisters Visit

Colonial Beach, Paradise Island, Nassau, New Providence
Great for beach combing

My sister Jen’s visit has been and gone. It’s been good. Nassau had us in its sticky clutches for a little over a week while we waited for her to arrive. It’s not a bad place if you can overlook the high crime rates, over inflated tourist prices and less than adequate anchorage where wind against tide and constant boat wakes keep you constantly vigilant. I love walking the windward shore to the lighthouse on Colonial Beach hunting for sea-glass and shells. When Jen arrived we made good use of the Green Parrot Bar at Bay Street Marina which serves the most phenomenal Conch Fritters and huge Burgers that justify their hefty price. We snuck into Atlantis (after 6pm) and walked around their impressive underwater world with massive Jew fish and Saw toothed sharks. We took to the streets of Nassau Harbour full of tourist shops and duty free shopping for the cruise ships where you can buy souvenirs and cheap knock offs.

Jen and I at Atlantis

Just before leaving grubby Nassau behind we made a last minute decision to buy a generator at great expense – (twice the price of the US) as our huge battery bank has slowly been depleting with the shorter and often more cloudy days. With the boat fully stocked - as there are no shops, restaurants or even cellular service where we were going, we left the clutches of Nassau behind and pointed Wandering Star in a south easterly direction bound for the Exuma islands. We stopped briefly at Rose Island snorkelling and hunting for more sea-glass but didn’t stay as strong winds were expected that night and we wanted to put ourselves somewhere a little safer.

We arrived late to Highbourne Cay just as the sun was setting and struggled to get the anchor to hold. It is always a little fretful when darkness starts to wrap its finger around you and you are not yet settled for the night. But eventually with the last vestiges of light the anchor finally took hold – which was just as well as the wind blew hard - we pitched and rolled wildly in the built up seas. Sim stood watch through the worst of it, making sure everything was ok. The next morning it was still too lumpy to launch the dinghy so we all had a quiet day on board reading and playing Farkel.

Isn't the water amazing?- At Hawksbill Cay

When the winds finally eased we sailed around to Hawksbill Cay 10 miles further south and executed a perfect example of anchoring under sail, not something we get to do often but made easy in this otherwise deserted anchorage! Hawksbill Cay is one of the less frequented islands in the Exuma chain and yet one of the most spectacular. Totally devoid of human inhabitants, it is just bay after bay of jaw dropping beauty. Crystal clear waters lap gently on the unspoilt beaches. There is nothing there, except for sea, sand and sky. Less than a mile across the shrubby land the ocean rolls onto the windward shore. The only sign there is human life is from all the debris washed ashore. Jen and I explored the individual bays in our kayaks. We hovered over giant rays with wing spans the width of our outstretched arms; we saw all kinds of starfish, and even a shark as we kayaked through the waterways of the shrubby marshland. We hiked across the island and crossed paths with snakes. We even got to see a very impressive green flash as the sun sank below the horizon. But mostly we walked on some of the most spectacular beaches around.

Wow - @ Hawksbill Cay

Soon it was time to move on again, we stopped for one night in Warderwick Wells but carried on the next day to our final destination with Jen, Big Majors Spot and Staniel Cay enjoying the company of a lone dolphin playing in our bow waves on the sail south. We snorkelled at Thunderball Grotto; made famous by the James Bond movie. The coral gardens around the outside of the cave are some of the best we have seen, so healthy and colourful. Inside light pours in from the natural skylights above, the cave is full of Sergeant Majors and colourful Angel fish all waiting in hope to be fed. Even a small reef shark swam in before Jen chased it out trying to catch the moment on camera. We enjoyed a night with John and Shirley from Khaya Moya who pointed out the sparkling Pulsar stars twinkling a multi hue of colours in the night’s sky. We bravely (read Jen, I hung back) fed the swimming pigs with their yapping jaws and protruding teeth that live on the beach at Big Majors Spot. We were surprised at the sheer number of nurse sharks that hang around the yacht club at Staniel Cay waiting for chum from the fish cleaning station. Even under our boat, everyday as the sun sets, a shark would loiter making the thought of swimming an unattractive prospect. Though I do believe nurse sharks are harmless enough, it’s hard to put the knowledge of a recent shark attack to a lady in the Abacos out of our minds. We walked around the small picturesque island of Staniel Cay enjoying more conch specialties at the yacht club.

Oh My! - A shark!

Eventually it was time for Jen to go, we walked her to the tiny airport and put her on a tiny plane. Like I said it has been good, how can it not be? When we have walked on stunning beaches, swam in caves, seen sunsets and full moons, green flashes and colourful pulsars, sharks and snakes, rays, dolphins and swimming pigs.