Day 55. May 16. On to Cambridge Cay. Miles 12.2. total Miles. 769.8
Day 55
We had to time our leaving Pipe Creek with the rising tide, so we completed a few chores before pulling the anchor to leave. It is another sunny day with calm winds and seas.
Will retrace our steps back around Rat Cay and over the sand bar, then out to Rocky Dundas waypoint.
We have to travel a bit farther off shore today to avoid the rocky bars off Pipe Creek. Along the way we pass Compass Cay which has a marina and lots of private homes and rental cottages. And then passed the smaller Fowl Cay which is privately owned.
Traveling with us today were two megayachts, one 125 feet and the other 185 feet in length. These big guys have to anchor way off the cays and use their runabout tender to get them to shore.
Now we turn east to wind our way past Rocky Dundas- two large rock formations with caves which we will explore.
And make our way through the sandbars to Cambridge Cay, the southern most cay in the Exuma Land and Sea Park. We really had to watch the water for rocks and depth as we entered the channel behind Cambridge Cay.
We took a mooring along with two other boats. Have another gorgeous anchorage. Bill's drone shots outclassed mine so here they are.
The rock in the above photo and the one below is a local landmark called Bell Rock, just off the coast of Cambridge Cay in Exuma Sound.
This last photo shows the Cambridge Cay coast looking south and Exuma Sound.
We relaxed waiting for low tide so we could visit the two Rocky Dundas caves. These caves are different from the grotto as you have to swim in water to get into the caves but once inside much of the cave is above the water level. The cathedral ceilings with its holes provided a grand spectacle once inside the cave. One cave even had stalactites and stalagmites!
These are shots from the second cave.
We swam outside the caves and enjoyed the fish - two new ones - Sturgeon and Parrot Fish. Of course we had the angelfish and wrasses and the ever present Sergeant Majors
After swimming back to the dinghy, we dried off and returned to the boat, but then decided that we should do the short hike on Cambridge to view Bell Rock, the most significant landmark in the area. The rock stands 85 feet tall towering above the islands.
We anchored the dinghy quite a ways from shore as it was low tide, so after anchoring the dinghy we waded into shore. Found the trail quite easily as it is lined with conch shells. The path took us across the island to the rocky beach on Exuma Sound and a grand view of Bell Rock.
Bill got artistic with this video!!!
We returned back down the trail and waded out into thigh high water to the dinghy - the tide had come in. Our trusty dinghy got us back to the boat so we could clean up and have a relaxing evening.
As we prepare for our Bahamian Adventure, we are making lists upon lists of things to do and provisions to buy for our upcoming trip to the Bahamas. Bill has spent much time readying the boat for the cruise, checking engines, batteries and all the systems on the boat - electrical, plumbing, navigation, refrigeration and air conditioning. Sure kept Bill busy!!! We took the boat out to check all the systems and to get fuel. We had to re-remember all the navigation and auto pilot workings and surprisingly we did remember!! We have spent the last two days loading the boat with provisions- water, food, tools, clothes, toiletries and cleaning supplies, and our pantry and cabinets are full. We are sitting a bit heavier in the water now that we are fully loaded. Also Bill has finally gotten his TO DO list down to the few remaining items so he sees the light at the end of the tunnel!! We have researched the charts and guide books and have a tentative pla...
Day 12 We left our anchorage at sunrise to head out of Great Sale Cay Harbor. Turning west and then north, we will cruise around Great Sale Cay toward Abaco's barrier islands, eventually reaching the eastern edge of the Little Bahama Bank today. As we turn Northeast, we get some spray. Crustacean is quite salty now! Winds are out of the east 10-15 knots with waves at one foot. We cruise past Little Sale Cay we see a steady stream of sailboats going both east and west. I counted 15 total. Nice wind for sailing. Halfway through our trip, you begin to see the outer barrier islands on the horizon to the north. Five miles later you can see Little Abaco Island to our south. Here is a chart of the area we traveled from Great Sale to Allan's-Pensacola Cay today. The further we travel east, the Little Bahama Bank narrows, The winds pick up and seas run 1-2 feet. Crustacean got even saltier! As we approached Allan's-Pensacola the wind and sea...
Day 24 We had a change of plans. Our friends who we met cruising the Loop, Trisha and Mike, are traveling north through the Bahamas and are close, so we will join then in Hope Town. We will then back track a bit to visit Man-o-War Cay and Marsh Harbor after visiting with them. It is a bright sunny day with light winds as we weigh anchor to leave Great Guana. There is lots of freight and commercial traffic today- tugs and barges, large freighters and flat bed delivery boats. It takes all these to handle the shipping needs and construction on the islands. We trip today took along the north east side of Great Guana and then past Scotland Cay, which is all privately owned. Next we passed Fowl Cay which is a nature preserve known for its diving. Following Fowl Cay is Man-o-War Channel with its deep water access to the Atlantic and Man-o-War Cay, known for its ship building and maintenance. Sorry, pictures of the passes and islands did not turn out too well...
