George Town

April 22, 2007


The beach at one of our anchorages in George Town.

We’ve been spending the past few days in George Town with Roger & Karin, Hans’ parents, who are visiting from Sweden. We are all pleasantly surprised with George Town. Hundreds of cruising boats descend upon the town and Elizabeth Harbour every winter and take up residence. There are planned activities such as backgammon, bridge, volleyball, beach walks, church services, etc. etc., however it is easy to keep a distance from this community and enjoy the town, the beaches and the snorkeling which are all close by.

Our time here has been divided between hanging out at the beach, reading, eating, snorkeling, eating (yummy lemon chicken Sofia!), sailing, cold beers and wine and good food both in restaurants and aboard Whisper. Life has been pretty difficult for the crew these days. Even Kit Kat has received increased rations including some bits of bacon and parmesan cheese.


Roger at the helm.

Hey crew! start swabbing the decks you scurvious dogs.



Overlooking Elizabeth Harbour in George Town from the monument.
The monument on Stocking Island in George Town.

Hiking down from the monument.


breakfast...

and time for some pina coladas.

Food vendors setting up their stalls for the Family Island Regatta.

The Ericssons looking cool.

Staniel Cay to Georgetown, Exumas

April 19, 2007

After spending a few days in Staniel Cay waiting out bad weather, we set sail for Georgetown, aka Chicken Harbor. We need to renew our tourist visas which expire on Monday and the closest place is Georgetown, so we needed to move quickly from Staniel Cay.

The winds were from the North on Tuesday so we had a fast, comfortable, downwind sail to Rudder Cut and anchored between the Darbys—a recommendation from Snowday. The anchorage was beautiful and protected from wind and surge from the Exuma Sound, a welcome change from the windy, bumpy anchorages at Staniel Cay. We arrived around 5PM. Roger and Hans jumped in the dinghy and went off in search of some fish for dinner and Kristen and Karin climbed to the top of Darby Island (a very strenuous 10 minute hike!) to check out the ruins of an old mansion. The mansion is rumoured to be a relic from WWII when a German sympathizer lived there and built a large concrete dock to host German U-boats. The house was obviously once beautiful and grand, however it is slowly crumbling and you need to use your imagination to see the house as it originally was. The fishermen were unsuccessful although we had a Spanish tortilla for dinner which was very satisfactory.






The ruins at Darby Island.

The weather forecast was correct for Wednesday—light and variable winds so we spent the day motoring almost 40 miles to Georgetown. It was a hot day…and no mahi-mahi were caught for dinner, despite our best efforts. Upon arrival in Georgetown, we anchored at the Redshanks anchorage (again on suggestion of Snowday). We were a 1 minute dinghy ride from a pretty beach and are surrounded by small islands and only a few boats. It is peaceful and a world away from all the other cruising boats anchored in the Georgetown area. We had a wonderful dinner at the Peace & Plenty Inn last night and, with full stomachs, a starlight dinghy ride back to Whisper.


Sailing is such hard work!



Enjoying a cold beer at sunset in Georgetown.

Staniel Cay pictures

April 17, 2007


Hans cuts his birthday cake. Yum!


Hans' parents, Roger and Karin and Hans hang out on the front porch of their cottage at Staniel Cay.



Hans with all of his birthday loot.

Staniel Cay, Exumas

April 16, 2007

Although the Log of Whisper currently has no pictures uploaded to document the occassion, Hans turned the big 3-0 yesterday. Despite a strong cold front that blew through the Bahamas yesterday evening and overnight, we had a great day. Hans opened many presents while eating a bacon and egg breakfast; we spent time at the pool; ate some cake and ice cream with coffee; and had a great dinner of grilled mahi-mahi at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club. The front passed through the area around midnight (the same weather system that created snow in Vermont), it was bumpy and rolly on Whisper but everything was fine.

Tomorrow morning we're setting sail toward Georgetown where Kristen and Hans can renew their visas and the Family Island Regatta takes place over the weekend.

Stay tuned for pictures!

Staniel Cay, Exumas

April 12, 2007

We've arrived in Staniel Cay in the Exumas after a week or so traveling from Nassau. Hans' parents are due here from Sweden on Saturday and we're eagerly awaiting their arrival. Staniel Cay is home to the Thunderball Grotto, an underwater cave made famous in the James Bond movie: Thunderball.

We'll have access to internet for a couple weeks, so expect some more frequent blog updates!

Hawksbill Cay

April 9, 2007

In an attempt to avoid the mega-yachts with their jet-skis, other cruisers and day-trippers from Nassau, we sailed down to Hawksbill Cay, the next island south from Shroud Cay. Snowday reported that Hawksbill Cay was one of their favorite stops in the Exumas and it’s easy for us to see why. The Cay is very hilly and filled with lush vegetation. There are ruins at the hill closest to our anchorage which reportedly date back to the days of the Loyalist settlers (late 1700s). There is also a great trail to the beach, which, like our anchorage, we had to ourselves—a great relief after sharing so many anchorages with lots of boats, most twice our size and some almost 6 times our size!

Whisper at anchor

The weather has gotten much warmer and has become more settled in the past week. We are hoping that this is a taste of what is to come.




Hmmm... Beach or ruins?


Here's the beach!


Some ruins


More ruins

Shroud Cay

April 8, 2007



Shroud Cay is a large, low-lying cay south of Norman’s Cay and is the northernmost cay in the Exumas Land and Sea Park. The Park is a protected area for both sea and land life. At Shroud Cay, the main attraction is the waterways that wind through the mangroves in the center of the island. We explored these canals in Ding Ding III although were a little disappointed at the lack of fish and birds that we thought we would see. On the other hand, throngs of tourists made up for the lack of wildlife once we arrived at the ocean side and provided for some interesting people-watching.


Looking east over the Exuma Sound from Shroud Cay


Looking west towards the Exuma Banks from the same location. The water snaking through the picture is the very shallow mangrove "river" that we dinghied through to get here.



A slew of tourists at OUR discovered beach! The audacity...

We had our first attempt at BBQ pizza for dinner. It came out really well, except it was rather scorched on the bottom. Next time we need to try a lower heat and perhaps a heat diffuser (aluminum foil?). We also made a small batch of cinnamon buns in the pressure cooker, which turned out great!



Pizza, Pizza!

Norman’s Cay

April 7, 2007



We spent two nights and one day in Norman’s Cay, which gained notoriety back in the early 80’s when a large cocaine smuggling operation was based there. Today, the only evidence remaining are some abandoned buildings and a plane wreck in the middle of the anchorage.




The leftover's of Carlos Lehder's drug smuggling operation: a sunken plane and abandoned buildings.

While in Norman’s we met up with the crew of Moxie, whom we had run into previously at Allen’s Cay and in Nassau. Shawn, the owner of Moxie, has some friends visiting for two weeks. We’re all around the same age which was a fun break from hanging out with the retirees. Since Kristen is out of the water to wait for her toe to heal, Hans and Shawn went diving for dinner all day Saturday with help from Katherine. Kristen, Alex and Camilla sat on the beach and caught up on some reading, sudoko and good conversation. The hunters were successful and returned with three Nassau grouper, a real delicacy. We cooked them over a fire on the beach with rice, veggie curry and salad. Yum!


Hans checking out a waterfront cave.

Allen’s Cay, Exumas

April 5, 2007



We woke up on Thursday with plans to go snorkeling for dinner and see the iguanas that live on the group of cays that comprise Allen’s Cay. Because the currents are so strong, it is important to go snorkeling as close to slack tide as possible. We first ventured out around 10 AM and although no dinner was found, we scoped out lots of potential hunting grounds and Hans saw lots of pretty (non-edible) fish. The coral formations are different here than in the Abacos. The coral in the Abacos is very dense with large structures and is usually found on the ocean side, while the coral we’ve seen so far is found in smaller clumps and scattered along the sea floor. At one point Hans was able to follow a grouper an maintain visibility beyond 50 yards. The water is so clear that it not only lets you see everything, but it acts as a magnifying glass on the coral head and the fish. It is spectacular. Later in the afternoon we went ashore and fed the iguanas. They are prehistoric looking, not very friendly and rather aggressive. While normally we wouldn’t be feeding wildlife, everyone feeds the iguanas and they probably don’t know how to hunt properly for themselves anymore. Massive tour boats from Nassua come almost daily with over 30 passengers, all bearing food for the iguanas.


A resident of Allen's Cay...the boss iguana.


The Malo 40, with the Danes aboard, leaving Allen's Cay.


Hans snorkeling.


Kristen modeling in Ding Ding III.

Our preconceived notions about the Exumas are proving to be far from reality. While the landscape and the snorkeling is exactly what we imagined, we never thought we would have to share the islands with so many people. Not only are there lots of other cruising sailboats (up to 12 right now anchored at Allen’s Cay), but there are massive mega-yachts from Nassau and Fort Lauderdale anchored just outside. The megayachts are around 150 feet long and all have 25 foot “dinghies” as well as jet skis and other water toys on which they constantly zoom around the anchorage. We talked with a crew member from one of the megayachts who gave us the inside scoop on the operations of the boat. The boat is owned solely as a charter vessel that operates at a huge loss every year to realize tax benefits for the owner. Even so, a week charter costs $120,000. And even though the guests were most likely treated like royalty, one of the girls was reputedly unhappy all the time. Maybe if she were on Whisper and not treated like royalty with no comforts from home she would be happy!


A mega-yacht at anchor off Allen's Cay.

Nassau to Allen’s Cay, Exumas

April 4, 2007

Two nights and one day was enough time in Nassau, so on Wednesday morning we weighed anchor and set off for Allen’s Cay, 28.6 miles south east of Nassau and at the northern tip of the Exumas. The winds were light and from the south east so we knew we would have to motorsail the whole way, however this turned out to be less of an issue since we thought since the winds died down completely and we ended up motoring in flat calm. We set up the autopilot and both sat on the foredeck and marveled at the spectacularly clear water. We have been told that the water in the Exumas is even clearer than that in the Abacos but that was hard to believe at the time. Motoring across the Great Bahama Bank to Allen’s Cay, we started to believe the rumours. At one point we saw a giant turtle swim past. We arrived at Allen’s Cay around 4:45 PM and set down two anchors in anticipation of strong currents running through the anchorage. Kristen dove down to set the Fortress by hand and stepped on a buried conch shell, cutting the bottom of her left foot. After cleaning it up and putting a bandage on, we decided that Kristen is out of the water until it heals so as not to attract infections or hungry underwater animals! So for now she is the designated dinghy driver for Hans while he snorkels and hunts for dinner. We started exploring the nearby reefs, but the current was too strong and Hans was unable to keep up with any potential dinner prospects.

Some friends from Denmark we met in Marsh Harbour a couple months ago were anchored here for the night and invited us over for dinner. It was fun to see them again and we caught up on what we’ve been doing, future plans and eventually the state of the world. They are on a Malö 40 which is a dream boat for both of us. You can check it out at maloyachts.com and maybe we’ll start a collection on this website for our next boat! Speaking of new boats, our new dinghy is proving to be a very worthwhile investment. Ding Ding III is dry and comfortable and the 8hp engine zips us around from reef to reef with ease. It’s very liberating and fun to go fast!






Scenes from the transit over the Bahama Banks.

Nassau

April 3, 2007

We hadn’t planned on going to Nassau since it doesn’t exactly receive rave reviews, however we were determined to make the best of it and went ashore with a list of things to buy as well as sights to see. While the sightseeing may not have been excellent, we managed to get almost on our list for Whisper which would have been tricky elsewhere. The immediate downtown area caters solely to cruise ship passengers which disembark by the thousands daily. The waterfront area is full of souvenir shops, duty-free shopping (which consists mainly of liquor, watch and purse stores), all you can drink and eat booze cruises, party boats and general hustlers trying to sell you the shirt of their back. We wandered around here for an hour or so and then walked a few blocks south to Fort Fincastle. The Fort was erected in the late 1700s but was never used in battle and eventually served as a lighthouse. It didn’t seem to have very much historical significance but provided a great view of the harbor. We walked back down to the waterfront and pigged out on Burger King for lunch!



two cruise ships at anchor in Nassau.


The view from Fort Fincastle in Nassau. You can see the cruise ships in the background.


The cruise ship wharf/Nassau's waterfront. The tourist industry in Nassau is focused on business from cruise ships and visitors on Paradise Island where Atlantis is located. The waterfront is filled with vendors catering to (and making money from) cruise ship visitors.


Kristen chowing down on some Burger King. Health food galore!

After fortifying ourselves with junk food, we dinghied to Potter’s Cay, an open-air produce market, and stocked up on fresh fruit and vegetables for the Exumas. The prices were very reasonable and it was fun to shop from local vendors as opposed to the supermarkets. We also each had a cold Kalik at one of the fish stands.

After taking in some non-touristy Bahamian culture, we went to the other extreme and dinghied over to the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island. It’s hard to describe the extravagance of the resort, so hopefully the pictures can help convey the overall impression. It was like a few hotels at Las Vegas put together and instead of the luxury cars cruising the strip, the docks at the marina were filled with multi-million dollar mega-yachts complete with 5+ person crew, underwater lighting and the requisite 60” flat screen TVs. The resort has enough attractions to keep someone busy and entertained for weeks: waterslides, multiple restaurants, a movie theater. The highlight of the resort was the expansive, walk-through aquarium which contained many different types of fish, almost all of which can be found in the waters of the Bahamas. We recognized many of them and our stomachs growled as we looked at the massive groupers swimming around. However, instead of grouper for dinner we treated ourselves to a pizza at the Atlantis Marina Pizzeria.


Atlantis


an aquarium full of jellyfish. yikes!


Whisper at anchor with Atlantis in the background.

Lynyard Cay, the Abacos to Nassau, New Providence

April 2, 2007

After rubbing the sleep out of our eyes, we weighed anchor from Lynyard Cay and proceeded out the cut into the Northeast Providence Channel. Most boats sail via Eleuthera to the Exumas, which was our initial plan, however the southeast winds, paired with Snowday’s story of hitting a coral head between the Exumas and Eleuthera, encouraged us to change our minds and sail for Nassau. The trip was approximately 80 miles and took us 16.5 hours. We were able to sail for the first 2/3 of the trip, however the wind slowly died towards the end and we turned on our trusty engine, Boris, to power us the last 20 miles to Nassau. It was a beautiful day for a sail on the open water and we passed the time by reading, fishing (no luck) and tinkering with the sails and the windvane steering system. Kristen did not get sick so it has renewed her spirit for long passages. Kit kat was a real ship’s cat and spent time sitting in our laps in the cockpit and sleeping down below. All in all, Whisper had a happy crew.

The entrance into Nassau harbor was a little tricky since it was dark out and difficult to distinguish the navigational beacons from lights on land. We both focused our eyes on the channel and the GPS and made it in without a hitch. We anchored near the BASRA (Bahamas Air and Sea Rescue Assoc.) like Snowday recommended and both fell asleep within minutes.


Hans eating dinner: vegetable curry.


onward to Nassau!


the sun goes down...


and the moon comes up.