Perseverance2

We moved north through the Exumas and, of course, had to find a spot to protect us from some coming strong west winds. We did a tour through an area called Pipe Creek, about which everyone raves. We agree it was beautiful, but yikes, the pressure to stay in the deep areas, don’t anchor in the channel, good holding vs. poor holding....we went further north and fortunately snagged a mooring at Cambridge Cay, part of the Exuma Land and Sea Park. We knew one other boat there and were faintly acquainted with a couple of others. After we rode out a few days of strong winds, we were all better acquainted, at least by radio. Nothing like sitting on your boat, watching a 60-foot power cruiser drag its anchor through the sand in 20-30k winds, on its way toward rocks, while all occupants are off the boat, on a dinghy trip to a nearby marina and restaurant. They got back in the nick of time, saved it from the rocks, and finally reanchored much further away from the main group.
One thing we did learn was that the cell phone coverage was more spotty as we moved north of Georgetown. As we hiked over Cambridge Cay one day, Tom paused at the top of a small hill, and held the phone up in the air to receive email. By the time we left, we felt that we could hold the phone up in the cockpit, pointed slightly south toward a more developed cay and get some internet! Advances in technology can only go so far forward in semi-wilderness.
A quick trip north to pause at Normans Cay (where we could hold the phone up in the air in the cockpit and get internet and email) and then onward to Nassau. We planned to anchor east of Nassau, behind one of the small islands, but when we saw it and noted that our chart plotter didn’t plot there, we opted to go into the harbor. While friends on another boat chose to anchor near a bridge in Nassau, we took the slightly-easier way - we took a slip at a marina. No worry about current, wind, or anchor holding.
On Monday, our friends on Sequence took us by their dinghy into Atlantis - the Bahamian equivalent of a Las Vegas resort/casino - with a marina that is primarily used by ocean-going mega-yachts. Now picture a 8-9 foot dinghy sliding in between two 100-foot power yachts, to a dinghy dock. Realize that the dinghies of these power yachts are many times 20-40 foot power boats! As we walked down the dock, we were able to see one of their personal helicopters, parked on the top deck of their boat. Yep, we have plans for that addition too.
Today, we did our own walking tour - down to the Straw Market near the cruise docks (if you come here by cruise or your own boat - skip it or allow 5 minutes), then on to a few landmarks. Thought you would enjoy a photo of a Bahamaian traffic director. We lucked out and stopped at a restaurant where we had one of the best meals we have had in 2 months; a cab ride back (who can do that distance twice?!? and here we are on our own boat, planning for Wednesday.
IF NOTHING CHANGES, we will leave here Wednesday, about 10AM, and head on a course that will bring us back to the USA on Thursday afternoon.
Thought you would enjoy former-British island traffic director that we saw today.