Since our last post we’ve moved around quite a bit. From Black Point on Great Guana Cay we sailed over to Big Majors Spot, where we spent a couple of fun days anchored up near Fowl Cay. If anyone reading this has a subscription to Coastal Living magazine, take a look at the most recent issue and you’ll see some pictures of where we were hanging out. After making a run up to Sampson Cay for gas (which we all need to run our dinghies, and which Chere needs to run an auxiliary generator), the kids and some of us adults spent the afternoon drifting through the cut between Fowl Cay and Big Majors. Picture drifting through a miniature version of Wood’s, Robinson’s or Quick’s Hole in crystal clear 25 ft water full of fish (we spotted a 150-200lb Goliath Grouper on one drift, along with Eagle Rays and lots of other critters) and you’ll get a sense of what it was like. A larger group repeated the fun the next day. The highlight of our Big Major stay was the birthday party for Johnny from Osprey on Pirate Beach. A big pot luck affair with a proper beach fire. Great time. And we were all glad to be able to give Johnny a little something; he (and the rest of the crew on Osprey) have given all of us so much help since we’ve met, from diagnosing electrical/mechanical problems, to fixing those problems, to providing water/supplies to other boats, etc., etc. This list goes on and on.
All that week we had been watching the weather, waiting for a good chance to head over to Cat Island and meet up with the Nugents. The Nugents are some of our oldest and dearest friends; our families spend at least one vacation – and sometimes two –together each year, sharing a house in the Bahamas or driving/camping throughthe desert SW or celebrating New Years at Amanda’s family farm in VA or justhanging out in Duxbury. But a cold front was coming through the Bahamas on Monday, which meant S and W winds that wouldn’t allow us to anchor up in front of the house that the Nugents had rented on Cat Island (Pigeon Cay) until late Monday at the earliest. So, we decided to head over to Hawk’s Nest at the southern end of Cat Island on Sunday and wait out the winds there, and then head north to Pigeon Cay on Monday afternoon.
The run over to Cat from Big Majors was bumpy but very fast, and after adicey entrance to Hawk’s Nest Creek (tight entrance guarded by rocks, low tideand following sea) we tied up in the marina without any trouble. This was the first marina we’d stayed at since Florida and it felt more than a little strange to be tied up at a dock next to other boats, as opposed to swinging around at anchor. Soon the Nugents arrived and good times ensued. The kids had a great time catching up and watching the sharks cruising around the marina. (Hawk’s Nest marina is a well-known, but remote, destination for sportfishing boats. Their crew typically cleans their catch in the marina and throws the scraps to a resident population of HUGE nurse, lemon, reef and bull sharks. Years ago, when my brother was researching a story on Cat Island, he photographed a 15ft or so tiger shark inthe marina basin. Yikes!) Tim and Amanda also presented us with a treasure trove of things they’d brought down for us. Shipping things to the Bahamas is cumbersomeand expensive, so we took full advantage of the Nugent’s visit by shipping lotsof parts and other things we need to their house before they left. In the weeks before their trip, Tim had also served as a far-away concierge of sorts, setting up conference calls between me and various marine parts dealers. If that weren’t enough, Tim and Amanda also brought down loads of good food, including an enormous bag of incredibly tasty jerky and smoked meats from a specialty butcher near their home in Wilmette, IL. (We have since instituted a strict rationingprogram for these meats, otherwise they wouldn’t have lasted a week). That night we all had a nice dinner at the Hawk’s Nest resort – our first dinner out since Florida – where we met the resort owners. In the small world category, he went to the Colorado School of Mines – my Dad’s alma mater – and she grew up in Golden, CO – my hometown.After a fun, crowded night on the boat with the Nugents, the group split up, with Tim, Thomas, Abbey, Win and I sailing north to Pigeon Cay and the rest of the crew driving back. The “sail” north was bumpy; the wind and seas were on our nose, so it was mostly a motoring affair. At least it was until the engine overheat alarm went off and we lost use of our motor. (As I discovered the next morning, the raw water impeller on the engine had broken apart; we carry spares and it was an easy fix.) With no motor and a headwind, we made slow progress north, tacking here and there and dodging coral heads until we finally dropped anchor in front of the Nugent’s house on Pigeon Cay, the “Roost”. My typical post-journey Kalik tasted especially good that evening! On the up-side, Thomas reeled in a nice Mahi on the ride north, so we all ate well for the next two nights.
As is usually the case with a Bahamian Nugeport vacation, the rest of the week in Cat was a blur of activity and chock full of fishing, snorkeling, spearing, exploring, great food and late-night games of Hearts. We spent a lot of time exploring the coral heads just off of Pigeon Cay, finding a few good-sized grouper, lobster and various other eating fish. We also explored Pigeon Creek behind the house, where Tim and I found a few bonefish that were just dumb enough to eat our flies. The scenery back there was spectacular. And on the beach in front of the house the kids swam, “surfed” – Thomas did a great job coaching Win on how to ride the small waves – and did some modified wakeboarding behind the zodiac with our surfboard. Betsy and Amanda also mounted a few expeditions to far-away Atlantic side beaches, where they found a numberof cool shells and flotsam, including a few large Cowries and lots of Sea Beans. These trips provided a great opportunity to explore the island and its settlements. Cat is a big island, but very few people live there. And much like the people from the other Out Islands we’ve stayed on, the people on Cat are exceedingly friendly and helpful. One main paved road runs the length of the island, so hitchhiking is a common way to get around. On one short trip, Tim and I gave rides to three different people; a fourth turned us down because we weren’t going far enough. Many ways, Cat reminded Betsy and me the sparsely populated areas of southern Eluethera, but it has a very, very different feel to it. Part of this has to do with the hundreds of ruins throughout the island, but most of it, I think, has to do with one of the reason why many of those ruins are there. I won’t pretend to know much about the local culture on Cat, but from what I’ve read and been told, voodoo and bush medicine are alive and well there, and one related belief is that if a person dies in a home, that house should remain standing – even if not occupied– for the spirit to live in. This helps explain the hundreds of ruins, some dating back to the 18th century, that line the roads and paths on the island.
After a sad goodbye to the Nugents, we spent another day at anchor on Pigeon Cay, tackling a few small projects and recovering from our vacation. The next morning (Monday, I think), we awoke to a rare sight down here – flat, and I mean FLAT, calm seas as far as we could see. With no wind, we pulled anchor and motored over to Little San Salvador Island, which lies about halfway between Cat and southern Eluethera. We spent the day gliding through flat calm, gin clear 40-60 foot deep water. So clear and calm that we could see just about every detail on the bottom. Surreal. Once we passed over “the wall” – the almost vertical drop from the shallow shelf that makes up the west side of Cat to the 3-4,000 ft ocean floor – we put out our trolling lines and quickly picked up three Barracuda. Later, we managed a nice Mahi and a small False Albacore. That evening we anchored in Half Moon Bay on Little San Salvador and explored some of the island. Until recently, the island was uninhabited. But not too long ago Holland America Cruise Lines bought up most (or maybe all) of the island and built a small “Bahamian” village at one corner of Half Moon Bay and a horse paddocks on the other side. Cruise ships come to the island almost daily; their guests come ashore to horseback ride, jet ski, sail, hang out, etc. When the cruise ship leaves, as was the case when we pulled in, the island feels deserted again. After a nice grilled Mahi dinner, we all slept well and awoke, again, to flat calm seas.
We pulled anchor early the next morning and headed toEluethera. On the way we hooked another Mahi and, as Ben fought the fish, we could see many more trailing behind the hooked fish. Nat grabbed a spinning rod and spend a few thrilling minutes casting a slug-go to 20lb Mahi in clear 5,000 foot deep water. Several fish wacked the slug-go (proving that it is without question the most versatile fishing lure ever devised), but all spit the hook. Later in the trip, as we passed the southern shore of Cape Eluethera, we saw a couple of noteworthy fish. The first was a HUGE (400+ lb?) marlin leaping out of the water in front of our boat. The second was an even HUGER shark that surfaced briefly near the boat. I need to do some research as to whether Great White sharks make it down this was, because Nat and I are convinced that is exactly what it was. If it wasn’t a Great White, it was an enormous Tiger. Betsy grabbed a quick glimpse of the shark too, and we all estimate its length was very close to 20 ft. I’ve seen many, many Basking Sharks up north, and this behemoth ranked right up there with those sharks in length and girth. We ended the day at the Cape Eleuthera Marina, where we had a peaceful night at the dock.
The next day we headed off for a tour of the Island School and Cape Eluethera Institute, which are a short dinghy ride down the coast. Both were very cool and very inspiring. The Institute has many fantastic marine based research projects underway, including the effect of global warming on mangrove ecosystems, shark, bonefish and cuda tagging programs, and several different aquaculture programs. I’ve heard quite a bit about the place from our friend Andy Danylchuck, who worked at the Institute with his wife Sascha for many years. So we were all thrilled to see the operation in person. The School was impressive, too. Apart from helping the Institute out with its various projects, the School’s students have an adventure packed agenda complete with scuba diving, kayak camping, distance swimming, etc.,etc. I have a few boys here who are eager to apply.
After our tour, we had a short smooth sail over to Rock Sound where we caught up with Zusammen, Celilo and Osprey. We’re going to hang out here for the town’s Homecoming celebration and Easter, although it appears we’ll to need to dodge a cold front and a few thunderstorms in the process. Should be fun.
Our best to everyone back home, especially to Aunt Wiley andthe rest of the Swansea crew. And Happy Easter to all!
