Camp Driftwood
18 February 2013 | Shroud Cay, Exumas, Bahamas
Donna
The wind was still blowing pretty hard this morning but it was definitely time to move on. We didn't have very far to go but luckily we were able to sail the whole way there. We only used our jib sail and we were still able to go about 6 knots. Our destination was Shroud Cay, the beginning of the Exuma Land and Sea Park. Most people take one of the moorings, but not us. Our dinghy is relatively small and it's fully inflatable, no rigid bottom. The mooring field is too far away from the entrance to the park's mangrove creek for a comfortable dinghy ride so we anchored much closer to the creek. Our headsets have really been helpful as we pick through the shallow water and avoid the coral heads. Bill stands on the bow and I watch the chart plotter. Together we get there! Once we were securely anchored we put the dinghy in the water and headed to the park. Bill had read about the area in our cruising guide and knew we wanted to end up at Camp Driftwood, a scenic spot above a beach where cruisers used to build a lot of driftwood sculptures. Unfortunately some cruisers left trash there too, so the park no longer allows any driftwood sculptures. Bill had a general idea of where it was so we headed through the mangrove creek at relatively low tide, picking our way around the shallow water. Finally when we got to a beach Bill laughed, he looked out and saw our boat and knew that we had gone in a big circle, and totally missed our destination. No problem, it was a great ride which we both really enjoyed. We headed back, with less shallow water this time, and found the right beach for Camp Driftwood. We pulled the dinghy up on the beach and went to explore. I do believe that this is the most beautiful spot we have seen yet in the Bahamas. Unfortunately we don't have the Internet here to post a picture yet, but we will go back and post one when we do. From this spot you are up high enough to see out to the Exuma Sound in one direction, and the mangrove creek in the other. The Exuma Sound is totally beautiful from up there. You can see at least four different colors of the water, each depicting the different depth of the water at that point. Tomorrow we will move further south in the park. Our destination is Hawksbill Cay.