Little Farmers Cay & Staniel Cay
05 October 2009 | Staniel Cay, Exuma, Bahamas
Glenn.
Around 1130 this morning we dropped the mooring pendant we'd been moored to and left Little Farmers Cay to the north entrance to the harbour, out onto the very shallow, but clear banks leading north past Black Point.
It was good to drop back into Little Farmers Cay and see folks that we'd gotten to know during our previous stay. Jacquie and Ben quickly disappeared into the island, finding the friends they'd made on their last visit. We found them under a palm tree plaiting (braiding) palm fronds; showing each other different patterned weaves each had learned in different places. We love this little island and it's inhabitants.
As it was high-tide as we left, it wasn't too difficult to find our way through the shoals out onto the banks. A little north of 24 degrees 01 minutes north, I stood on the bow to watch for charted coral heads. We saw several and altered course to avoid two sets. I'm not sure how shallow these actually are. Maybe we could simply sail right over them, but hate to grind/bang into them.
For a while we were able to sail without help of the engine (ol' thumper), but after a bit had to fire her up again as the winds died. We might have sailed more, but were pushing to get to Staniel Cay as Lori's sunburned legs were very swollen and blistered.
We tied to the fuel-dock on Staniel Cay around 1430 (2:30pm). While the kids and I fuelled and tended to Seawing, Sue and Lori scooted off to the medical clinic to see about Lori's leg. I took on diesel and gasoline and quite enjoyed peeing in a shore-side toilet and washing my hands in warm endless water (life's simple pleasures).
Around 1600 (4pm) the girls returned from the medical clinic and we left the dock heading towards the small anchorage near Thunderball Cave (names after a James Bond movie of the same name). Almost immediately after leaving the dock, I noticed that as I increased RPM the boat would shutter. I checked the engine room but already knew what must be wrong. We limped up-stream in the strong current of the incoming tide and anchored. After anchoring, Sue and I dove on the bottom of the boat and found the predictable mass of line (rope) tangled in our propeller. With a sharp fishing knife, I was able to dive down and cut it all off. Funny enough I saved the ball of several different types of line and have been using it to secure a number of things on deck. The current is really strong here when the tide is in flood or ebb. It took some doing not to be carried away with the current.