An old sailor’s poem goes ‘Water, water, everywhere but not a drop to drink’. As sailors were becalmed in the vast expanses of the ocean they were driven mad by the lack of pure fresh water and all they could see was the flat unrelenting ocean. On Ruffian we are being driven mad by the sight of fresh fishies everywhere but there are no fresh stores to be had in the uninhabited and beautiful islands of the Exumas.

First on the list of fresh fishy viewing locations was the cave that became famous in the 007 movie ‘Thunderball’. In the movie James Bond dispatches baddies around the cave and now all those baddies have been replaced with fish by the thousand. As we swam through the cave the light was not blocked out by the stone ceiling, but instead, by walls of fish that effortlessly swum out of our way as we passed through them and all this while stingrays cruised below us by without a care in the world.

The grotto was a real aquatic playground. There were tunnels to explore, low ceilings to swim under and with the tide slackening the brave or stupid (read Iain) could even try to circumnavigate the coral strewn island.

The aquatic life at Staniel Cay wasn’t limited to the Thunderball Grotto. There were also the ‘wild’ pigs to deal with who had apparently been left by sailors in times gone by. The pigs are very much less wild than they were as they have grown used to feasting on the treats that cruisers give them. In true Ruffian style all they got from us were tommies so mouldy they could almost walk to the beach and lettuce so limp it made Graham Norton’s wrist look like a rod of steel.

After pushing on from Staniel and taking in the delights of Pipe Cay with it’s fascinating abandoned Decca station and sand flats that went on for as far as the eye could see, it was time for some heart stopping navigation and yet another fresh fishy stop.

On the chart, the entrance to Cambridge Cay all looks pretty scary, but it’s amazing that as you zoom further and further in, the narrow spots start to look less narrow and from the comfort of your armchair the shallow spots don’t look that shallow. Unfortunately in the real world there is no zoom feature, the armchair is absent and as you sail along you realise that you’re taking your home through yet more treacherous waters.

We approached Cambridge Cay and the zoom feature was very much not present, we edged our way past sand bars and sharp rocks, through narrow gaps that looked like they were only just wide enough for our keel to slide through and of course all this with 3 knots of ripping tide. We did take some solace that if it all went wrong, help would be quickly on its way, as we were under the watchful eye of the Agha Khan whose island we were skirting around.

After nearly suffering cardiac arrests we safely tucked up in Cambridge Cay and were now free to explore the start of the Exuma Land and Sea Park. There were flooded caves, elk horn reefs and blue pools everywhere we looked, all of course teeming with fresh fresh fish. The highlight was the aptly named Sea Aquarium. Aquariums are usually full of fish and the sea is really rather large. When the two are mixed you end up with a view of fishies stretching off into the distance all framed with coral formations that are usually only seen in David Attenborough documentaries. Quite spectacular.

The madness of the old sailor was really starting to take over now as we were seeing fresh fishies everywhere and our poor stores were starting to look really rather stale. We’d heard it was Craig’s birthday and birthdays mean cake. One of the key ingredients of cake is eggs and without bothering with the ‘float test’ eggs were duly broken and Iain was left gagging as their putrid insides poisoned the atmosphere.

With new eggs found, cake all ready and more places to explore, Cambridge Cay is proving to be a gem in the Bahamas. We just need to find some fresh produce to stave off the madness that is starting to overcome the crew of Ruffian and we hope that’ll be taken care of as we celebrate Craig’s birthday in the opulent surroundings of an Oyster 56 tomorrow.

Fishies, fishies, everywhere. But not a single one to eat.


Shouldn’t you be in an aquarium somewhere?


The aquatic life is not limited to just below the surface.


Phew. Pleased that is behind us.


Ruffian, once again, all alone.


Great sightseeing.


Ohh shallow water.


Is that Ruffian or rough Iain?


This is not what we wanted as we passed through the reefs and sandbars.


‘Il Sogno’ bravely sailing through the shallows with their monster 8 foot 6 draft.


Even pristine beaches are not immune from the scourge of plastic.


All very Honey Ryder and James Bond.


3 meters of water on the right 3000 meters on the left.


Cairns mark all the trails just in case they get covered in snow!


We’ve found the Elk Horn coral. Now we just need to find the elk.


Dinghy safari tastic.


You’ve got to love underwater trees.