We are one of four boats preparing to make an exit from Hog Cay at Exuma Park this morning. The wind is expected to subside sufficiently to allow us all to leave this beautiful secluded anchorage/mooring. The northeast wind has penned us in here for these past three nights. We listen to Chris Parker's weather broadcast at 6:30am and then begin planning the departure, ensuring that there is a back-up plan if the engine fails as we pound into the waves against the wind. We plan to leave with our sails set as we motor out of the Cay. We all leave at about 10am which provides sufficient time to exit into the Sound and make it through the Cut at Warderick Wells to the Exuma Banks at slack water. Good old Odissea xx makes it through without incident and as we make the turn past the north anchorage of the Park entrance, the water is calm and lovely. As it turns out, the wind is finally perfect for us to set the sails and turn off the engine. For the first time since we have set out, we are actually sailing without the engine! It is so quiet - an unusual noise for us while we are underway, but certainly one we would like to become accustomed to. The plan for today is to make our way to Big Major's Spot near Staniel Cay. We arrive in good time with plenty of overhead sunlight and find that there is a lot of room to anchor. We choose a spot in the west part of the anchorage across from the beach with the famous swimming pigs. We have been without cell phone service and internet during the time we were at Exuma Park, but it is back now and I am relieved. I miss my kids and waste no time sending them messages with an update as to our whereabouts.
As we have arrived here on Valentine's Day, Blair makes reservations for dinner at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club for 7 pm - this will be a nice change from cooking and eating on the boat everyday. Once the reservations for dinner are made, we launch the dinghy and venture over to take a closer look at the swimming pigs who actually come out to greet us - obviously looking for handouts. We took carrots from the fridge which had passed their "best before" date. We took a lot of photos and had the kids at home laughing (via text message) at our descriptions of this sight. Carmen suggested that maybe we had already had too many margaritas!- cheeky girl!
We head over to Staniel Cay Yacht Club for dinner just before dark - it is quite a long ride so we do our best to get our bearings as it will be very dark when we return. There is a large crowd at the Yacht Club and at first we are a little confused as to who to contact for seating for our dinner reservation. Within the next few minutes, a Bahamian woman wanders out of the kitchen ringing a huge dinner bell - and announces that we all need to line up for our dinner seating assignments. How funny - it is like kindergarten at recess time. Dinner is good - I have Mahi and Blair has lambchops - but quite pricey. We head out to the dinghy beach, turn on our portable light and make our way back to the boat, grateful that we have spent a little time reviewing our position in the daylight hours.
Tropical Breeze arrives on Tuesday and as they come into the area under full sail, we are able to capture lots of photos of their lovely catamaran which we share with them later. We offer to take Dave and Joanne to the Yacht Club for a tour of the Staniel Cary area - so we venture over to the dinghy beach in our tender. Staniel Cay is a very quaint area with absolutely breathtaking views of the water and the boats docked and anchored all around. The settlement is small, but colourful and quite magical. There are two grocery stores - one is a pink cottage, and the other is blue. Neither has an awful lot of supplies, but we enjoy visiting both of them. The biggest shock of all here is that the cost for a case of Bahamian Kalik beer is $68 US. We decide that our beer supply is more than adequate for the present time. The four of us stop in at the Yacht Club for some conch fritters and a beer - and we purchase a $10 internet card. The connection is painfully slow, and finally we give up, deciding that our next destination at Black Point settlement will provide us with far better internet access - at least this is the rumour in the cruising community.
As we have been unsuccessful at the internet attempt, we all decide to head back to our boats, so we pile in to our dinghy. We don't get far before Blair turns back with our damaged prop on the outboard. He is certain we will not make it back with the wind direction, so we return to the dinghy beach to avoid possible disaster. Blair races into the Yacht Club hoping that there is some small chance that there is a Yamaha 15hp prop available. That was not to be...so, Plan B: Dave hitches a ride back to his boat to pick up his tool kit, a drill, and most importantly, his dinghy. He arrives just before 5pm, and Blair goes to work with the drill and some screws to make some kind of temporary repair. I am not sure of the details of the repair, but suffice to say that it doesn't hold, and Dave and Joanne end up towing us back to Odissea xx. So...another repair.
Around sundown, Blair makes a general announcement/request on the radio for anyone with a spare Yamaha prop. We get a couple of responses - the most helpful from a boater who suggests we contact "Chubby" at Staniel Cay. Apparently he is the guy to know as he is able to get parts from Nassau and Fort Lauderdale through Watermaker Airlines that lands at Staniel Cay.
On Wednesday morning, we have trouble trying to track Chubby down, so Blair does some more extensive work on the prop and manages a fairly decent repair - this prop will now work and serve as a good back-up once we secure a new replacement. We decide to visit Thunderball Grotto just around the corner from our anchorage, to snorkle in the cave where the James Bond movie, Thunderball, was filmed. It is easiest to dive into the Grotto at low slack tide, so we head over at about 11am to secure the dinghy to the small mooring off of the entrance to the cave. The fish surrounding the cave are brilliant and colourful. There is a rather strong current at the entrance to the cave, and although I manage to find my way into the centre of the grotto, I lose my nerve and Blair helps me out. I don't usually panic, but for some reason I am not able to breathe slowly and calm myself down. I did manage to see the inside of the cave with the overhead sunlight cascading in. This is probably one of the prettiest underwater caverns/caves I have ever seen, so I am glad that I saw the inside of it before I developed the jitters! Once outside the Grotto, we find a beautiful coral that is a fluorescent blue colour - it is spectacular in colour and shimmers brilliantly - what a sight!
Once we are back aboard Odissea xx, we are visited by two local fishermen who are selling freshly caught lobster. Although they are a little expensive - $30 for two - we buy a large and a medium sized lobster tail for tomorrow night's dinner. We go below following the sunset and the melodic symphony of the conch horns closing out the day.
First thing Thursday morning we contact Chubby on the radio at Staniel Cay and ask him if he is able to get a new Yamaha propeller for us. He gets to work on this problem, and as the day goes on, he confirms that there is a new prop on its way from Nassau, expected by midafternoon. This is unbelievable service and we are overwhelmed by how efficiently and promptly Chubby has dealt with our problem. Our dinghy is back in business and we are thrilled. Chubby is a saviour - and we will sing his praises for the rest of our cruising season - and beyond!
While we have enjoyed our stay here at Big Major's Spot, it is time to venture further south, so we enjoy a lobster dinner and homemade apple pie as we get ourselves, and Odissea xx, ready for a departure to Black Point Settlement tomorrow.
Some Interesting Facts about Big Major's Spot and Staniel Cay:
The large anchorage to the west of Big Major's Spot rivals any in the Exumas for popularity for many reasons: the holding is excellent; the protection is fine; the airport, marina facilities and settlement of Staniel Cay are an easy dinghy ride away; the snorkelling and diving are as good as they get, especially with Thunderball Cave just around the corner; the beach is clear, white and wide; and, of course, there are the freckled pigs that swim out to your boat to beg for handouts.
Staniel Cay is a bustling little settlement with a lot more to offer than its size suggests. Mailboat day is Wednesday, and it is unbelievable how busy such a tiny place can be with all of the big pick-up trucks. Staniel Cay is populated by entrepreneurial and industrious natives and is second home to a good-sized community of folks from all over the globe.
The Staniel Cay Yacht Club is the hub of boating activity. Like many of the "yacht clubs" in the Bahamas, it is not an elitist club, nor does it cater only to yachts. On the contrary, Chubby greets every single boat with the same welcoming smile and offer of assistance. The Yacht Club's hospitality at its bar and restaurant is legendary, from posting printouts of Chris Parker's latest weather forecast, to providing dozens of places for cruisers to sip, sit and access the internet.
Thunderball Grotto (from the cave scene in the James Bond movie, Thunderball) is not a Universal Studio pseudo-cave constructed of plaster and stucco. It is the real thing, sans the came rs and Sean Connery. Inside the cave, one is dazzled by the overhead dome pierced with dramatic shafts of sunlight slicing down into the water. You will see the ledge where James Bond took cover in the movie. Looking below with a snorkel mask on, the live show begins. The shafts of sunlight illuminate the depths, creating a blaze of neon blue that contrasts the outer blackness of the surrounding walls. This fearless lot of multi-hued fish will bump your mask and nibble at your gloves as they demand handouts.
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