Hawksnest Cay (2/12)

The days are running together and posting to Sailblogs has been a learning curve for me. For the first time since leaving Stuart I have some time to update. We have been pushing pretty hard until now, where we sit at a marina in Nassau awaiting a weather window to make the jump to the Exumas. You will get the condensed version of the past week.

2/12 We sailed around Great and Little Stirrup Cays to Hawsnest Cay where we anchored for the night. Caught my first fish rounding Little Stirrup Cay using Dad's little pole with his fuzzy yellow lure, a good sized barracuda that Don tossed back. They sure have big teeth! Took the dingy to shore at Hawksnest and walked around it. Found an octopus in the sand flats at low tide. The pile of small conch shells covered with spiny starfish gave him away, looking through the small slit of his layer we could see his eye and the suction cups on his arm. Don got a little too close and got squirted! Circumnavigated the rest of the island finding caves and small blow holes, along with sea glass and a variety of shells.

2/13 Found out grandchild # 6 is going to be a boy, Joe is going to have a baby brother to mentor! Motor sailed to Soldier Cay where we shared the anchorage with two other sailboats. Spent time talking to Kathy and Mark on the beach, love hearing stories and picking up useful sailing information. Did our first snorkeling, lots of live sea biscuits criss crossing the sand below.

2/14 Sailed to White Cay with Dolphin, catching a yellowtail snapper with the same fuzzy yellow lure. Don filleted it and we had a couple fish snacks, lol. We shared the protected anchorage with Hug, and Dolphin. Don dove on the anchor to confirm it was dug in before our group climbed into two dingys for the ride to the blue hole located just inland on Hoffman's Cay. It was a hike but well worth the effort. The guys jumped in from the upper ledge while the women elected to feel our way in from the rocky ledges. The salt water was very buoyant and a snorkel around the perimeter uncovered shell fish on the edges and sun rays filtering through the blue middle. A call from Paul on Per's handheld ended the fun. Nemo had dragged anchor so Adrien, Don and I lit off for the dingy for a frenzied ride back to the anchorage, Don loosing his hat along the way. Paul had saved the day by powering up Nemo and keeping her off the sandy beach. After repositioning to a deeper location Don put down 2 anchors, digging in the second one. Happy hour on Dolphin that night was very welcome. Our group consisted of folks from Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont and Norway and conversation was lively.

2/15 With weather closing in we elected to make the crossing to Nassau with Hug and Dolphin as opposed to continuing down the Berry's into unknown waters. Seas were already getting unsettled as I tossed my line in leaving White Cay with the same fuzzy yellow lure. This time I almost immediately caught a mackerel, not sure if it was good eating and seas building we tossed it back and I put the poles away. The first two thirds of the trip was pretty rough and then the crossing of Nassau harbor was prime sight seeing as we passed 7 or 8 cruise ships tied up, it was hard to tell. The activity level in the harbor was pretty high with many sight seeing cruises passing through. Nina arranged dockage at Paradise Harbour Club for all three sailboats where we spent one night before moving across the harbor to Nassau Yacht Haven. We did two loads of laundry the night before the move.

2/16 Took showers on the boat as all Paradise had to offer were cold ones. We had to be out of Paradise by noon and spent half hour waiting for dockage at Nassau Yacht Haven. The skies opened up and it poured just as Nina, Adrien and Don helped Hug dock on the other side of the marina. Good thing I stayed back and buttoned up both boats, hatches and enclosures were wide open. The busy move had left little time for eating so I made a quick salad and went off to Hug for a quick beer before exploring the supermarket up the hill for provisioning. Cheese and crackers on Dolphin before dinner at the Poop Deck wound up a very busy day. Almost forgot the pre-dinner entertainment. With plans to leave in the morning it was decided it would be better to turn Hug as they were in a tight corner. We met a couple more friends who jumped right in to help with the maneuver, tricky with the wind coming up. Very windy night, not much sleep.

2/17 We decided to explore the supermarket several blocks away as the first one was a bit pricey, stopping off at the fresh air markets of Potters Cay along the way. Provisioning done and stowed Nina and I returned to Potter's Cay for fresh crab and conch. Nina made a delicious conch ceviche and crab paella for dinner on Nemo. Potatoes and kielbasa and fresh olives rounded out the meal. Another wonderful evening spent with new friends from Hug and Dolphin. Slept better.

2/18 Still in waiting pattern for winds and seas to abate before making the crossing to the Exumas. Made English Muffins on the grill in an attempt to find a good solution for pricey bread. They came out great and were a breeze to make. Best of all, they only took 10 minutes to cook. Walked across the bridge to check out Atlantis - walked the docks of the marina and craned our necks checking out the mega yachts, one even had a helicopter on deck. We were allowed to roam the casino and the decks above the water park, but were barred from the aquarium unless we paid the entrance fee. Instead we walked to Anthony's Pizza for lunch before exploring the Versailles Gardens and The Cloister on the hill. A birthday feast of champagne served with rum cake with fresh blueberries and whipped cream for Per on Hug rounded out another great day. We climbed into bed weary from all the walking expecting a sound sleep. The wind and current had other ideas as the constant howl and slap kept us awake most of the night.

2/19 Our departure time of 9:00 am came and went as the update on weather showed large waves, high winds, and possible thunder storms at our destination. Seeing one of the large cats returning after only 1 1/2 hours out confirmed our decision to wait one more day. With down time Don was able to fix the dingy leak which will enable me to see more of the scenery when we use it as opposed to the constant bailing. I was able to update the blog. Adrien and Nina also appreciated time to complete their own list. Hug had already decided they needed one more day to catch up on their boat chores.