The magical birthday tour- Eleuthera to Exumas

Ushering in a new decade while exploring Paradise.

Since we’ve spent many days without reliable cell or Wi-Fi service, I will be leapfrogging from Spanish Wells back to Eleuthera onto the Exumas and from Joe’s birthday(the self-anointed hired hand) to a milestone one for the Queen of Libations.

The last I wrote, we were taking care of business in Spanish Wells and saying good-bye to Joanne and Walter on their vessel, SV Southern Cross. We were delighted to stay long enough to welcome Ann Marie and Greg, friends on SV Nami, part of our Triple Threat trio. The party started poolside at happy hour with powerful margaritas from the marina restaurant. We gave them a welcome-to-Spanish-Wells golf cart tour and shared a laughter-filled dinner at Sunset Grill. Golf cart karaoke, now a Triple Threat Trio tradition, took us back home. All too soon, it was morning, and once again, cruiser tradition, we were hugging goodbye and heading different directions.

Top left to right: Brief sighting of Mick and Carmen from SpicyNugget- last time was in Beaufort, NC; yoga teacher Virginia’s welcoming door, crossroads at Spanish Wells, Greg and Ann Marie reunion, Golf cart karaoke lives on!

Joe and I retraced our path, heading down the coast of Eleuthera. We’d hoped to stop at Goulding Cay near the Glass Window, but as often happens, the wind was not right. We spent one of the last days of March anchored once again in the well- protected Hatchet Bay. The next morning we pushed on to Rock Sound, joining about twenty other boats, seeking some refuge from a blow that clocked around from southeast to northeast, steadily blowing excess of 20 knots.

The sail started with calm winds; we just flew the jib. By the time we neared Rock Sound, we were flying along at 7 knots, one reef in the main and one reef in the jib. No cooking was happening underway that day!

Rock Sound is a favorite with cruisers. The town features a sturdy dinghy dock, free garbage disposal, a water spigot with free potable water, several good restaurants, a Friday night fish fry, places to buy provisions, a hardware store, gas and diesel, some gift shops and a few spectacular natural sights. We walked to the little store, disappointed to find that the boat did not come that week.

To give a little snapshot of what this means to those who are used to bountiful grocery stores, it was as follows. I scored the second to last loaf of bread, leaving the other to the customer standing next to me. I found a dozen eggs! The only fruit in the case was a decaying watermelon and a moldy basket of strawberries. All the citrus, apples and bananas were long gone. This store did not carry frozen fruit. The vegetable section was complete empty, aside from onions and baking potatoes. Stores rely on delivery by boat, which generally happen once a week. It is such a notable event that announcements are sometimes made over the vhf radio on cruisers’ nets or online regarding the arrival(or delay)of the supply boat.

We heard there was a live band at the local restaurant, Wild Orchids, so we headed that way for dinner. Wild Orchids was perhaps a former house, most of the living space converted to a dining room. On this night, all the action took place on the wide outdoor porch, bar on one end, band at the other, and a view of diners in the backyard and the dinghy dock beyond.

Snake friend and Cathedral Cave

I feasted on lobster and roasted vegetables, tented in foil, accompanied by a glass of wine. Joe enjoyed baby back ribs and mashed potatoes. A truly scrumptious meal, excellent service and lively music keeping us company. Miss Sybil and her husband learned we were celebrating my birthday as she made the rounds, chatting with each table.

After our plates were cleared, I glanced at Miss Sybil in the doorway, the entire staff gathered round. The band had stopped playing the jazzy, rocking music of the evening, swinging into a lively rendition of Happy Birthday. I looked around to see who it was for; suddenly the singing and lighted cake was headed my way! It was all so unexpected, I was overwhelmed and delighted, standing up to help finish the song to myself and applaud their generosity.

What an evening! I joined another cruiser dancing to the music. Joe couldn’t resist (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it) and soon a small group of us danced a few songs with the band. The leader ended with another, jazzier birthday tribute to me. The magical birthday tour had begun: Bahamian style!

Left to right: artist’s work in Rock Sound, birthday morning and sky, bracelet, yup- another sunset, birthday dinner, exploring, hutia tracks, Warderick Wells.

The next day, we explored the area by foot. We walked to the boiling ocean hole, a dark body of water that is reputed to hold healing powers, and Cathedral Cave. The stairs were missing a few steps which made the journey feel a little adventurous. We looked up to admire the tenacity of the trees growing their roots deep into the recesses of the cave, discovering that there were thousands of bats around us.

As we watched them swoop along the walls chattering, Joe told another visitor about the snake he saw when he came with family, the man’s wife shifting uncomfortably in her flip flops. We saw some movement right next to us, realizing that a Bahamian boa, over six-feet long, had been hanging out within an arm’s reach. We watched it wind its way across the floor, climbing the tree roots.

Back in the fresh air and blue sky, we listened to white-eyed vireos, pigeons, tropical mockingbirds and catbirds as we walked to the Ocean Hole. Our route took us past an affordable housing project under construction for local Bahamians, much needed, apparently the first of its kind on Eleuthera.

The Ocean Hole is a salt-water lake with underground links to the ocean. It is subject to tides. There are good-sized tropical fish swimming near the ladder; waiting to be fed. We did not swim, but we did admire the collection of fish. We headed back to town, stopping to view the work of a local artist who spent some time chatting about his inspiration and pieces on display. Hungry and thirsty, as we neared six miles of walking, we ended our tour with Kaliks and tasty fare from the Frigate Bar and Grill.

Early on April 2, Joe greeted me with a warm embrace and a strong, hot cup of coffee. Up at dawn on my birthday, we set off on a more than 40 nm mile sail to the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, the oldest of its kind in the world, so we were told every morning at 9 am by the ever-patient park rangers, Cherry and Bradley.

Wind on our nose, but less than 10 knots, we motored to Warderick Wells, about 42 nm. We had not called ahead to get on the wait list for a mooring, but in the mild weather, there was space for us in the north mooring field. We came for a few days, but as a long breeze up(def: wind blowing with increasing freshening) settled across the Bahamas, we stayed, content, in this protected and pristine setting until April 13!

Dinghy in the water, we were immediately greeted by several turtles and a school of seven rays, one spotted! I jumped into the water to snorkel with the rays, but woosh they were gone. I was left to figure out how to climb into the dinghy, the hardest part of snorkeling! We settled for swimming through thousands of fish- fingerling size, made visible by their eyes and large numbers. Several turtles swam by, bringing smiles to our faces always.

Back on the boat, we popped a bottle of bubbly, opened some carefully stowed fig jam, cheese and crackers, toasting our welcome to the Exumas! Joe gifted me a bracelet that contained pink sand from the beaches of Eleuthera. We grilled our own delicious lobster boil off the stern, seasoned by fresh herbs gifted to me by yoga teacher, Virginia, in Spanish Wells.

In my journal, I wrote, “The warm glow of the little table lamp, the twinkle of the cockpit lights and each other’s company, this is the stuff of Adiona Adventures”.

Birthday surprise!

That birthday feeling continued the next morning as Joe gently greeted me with coffee and another gift. I could get used to this! A silver pair of sailboat earrings that I had admired in Spanish Wells nestled inside a box adorned with a tiny shell. He had secretly returned to a gift shop and tucked them away. This is not easy when you live together 24/7 in 42 feet.

The birthday bliss continued as we snorkeled, hiked, painted our sign to leave on the top of Boo-boo Hill and met other cruisers. We napped. We watched stars from the hammock strung between the mast and the clew of the jib sail. I practiced yoga; Joe played his guitar. We played cribbage, backgammon, dominoes and competitive hands of gin rummy. I baked chocolate brownies which sparked a spat of baking- perhaps the topic for the next blog.

We saw the biggest spiny lobster “ever.” Just its tail was over a foot long! The park is a protected area, a “no-take” zone. There is no fishing, shelling or harvesting of any kind. There is also no leaving of garbage and no services, except bagged ice and some guidebooks for sale.

I began to compile a list of Warderick Wells wildlife. My list stretches to encompass more than 50 species of land and sea life. The island holds many hutia, once thought to be extinct.

My journal at the end of my birthday week:

“Our stay at Warderick Wells has been both like being in a cocoon and taking flight. We are here where we are supposed to be.”

We hadn’t started the engine since we had arrived and had been able to run the water-maker for more than four hours, two days in a row, while still meeting our other power needs. This is a sailor’s life goal.

And back to the journal once more:

“Words can hardly describe the joy and contentment to breathe in this moment. These are the days and nights we always dreamed of. Simple truth.”