Exumas

We left Rock Sound Wednesday morning, along with more than 10 other boats. The winds that we all took cover from finally broke and everyone was on the move. Sue and I were heading west for the northern tip of the Exuma’s chain.

The waters to the west of Rock Sound are shallow with moving sand bars and coral heads. There are several channels cutting through the bank, the primary being the Davis Channel. As we were heading through the Davis Channel, the lead sailboat announced on the radio he hit a coral head and was aground. He was able to free himself before we made it to him. Since he was on AIS, I had his breadcrumb trail on my chart plotter and knew where not to go. We later found out he had over a 7 foot draft, so I’m sure this wasn’t the first bump he’s had down here.

Once we got out of the Davis Channel we entered the Exuma Sound and deep water. Over 5,000 feet deep.

The wind was directly behind us and I was able to run wing on wing for a while. The waves were still large, left over from the week of heavy blows. Eventually, I had to bring the jib in. Without a wisker pole, it was too difficult to keep it filled. On the main only, we were doing 5 knots and we’d make it to the anchorage in plenty of time.

During our crossing, we had a real treat. A pod of dolphins came by to play in our bow wake. There was more than a dozen and they stayed for about 20 minutes before moving on. We didn’t get any pictures because we were enjoying the moment. But, we’ll get the camera out if it happens again.

Once we crossed the sound, we went through the Highbourne Cay Cut and anchored on the west side of Highbourne Cay.

Just north of us is Allens Cay, which is home to a variety of iguanas only found in the Bahamas. Just like the pigs, these guys expect to get fed when you visit. The guide book warns they can get aggressive if you come empty handed. So, I brought plenty of broccoli, lettuce, and oranges.

As soon as we pulled the dingy up to the beach, they came out looking for food. We had a good time with the iguanas and we’ll see how they compare to the swimming pigs.

Another cold front is scheduled to come through Friday. We’re at a nice protected anchorage so we’re planning to ride it out here. This one is only going to last a day instead of a week like the last one. Then we’re on to Normans Cay and the start of the national park.