LONG ISLAND

We sailed east of Exuma Island and went to Long Island. This is a real long island with friendly people living on it. The best thing to do is rent a car to see some delightful places. And that is exactly what we did. With our friends, Sanday and Alan, from Discvery II, we rented a car and came upon the Dunsmore caves. Of course we had to venture inside to see the formations and some bats.

There was a "blue hole" on the island just inside a lagoon. The water is dark blue in the middle because it is extremely deep. You could see the fish swimming along the perimeter of the hole along the shoreline. Serene, picturesque, and wonderful are only a couple of words I could think of to describe this small lagoon. It's spectacular!

If you're on this island, the really important spot to see is the Columbus Monument on Cape Santa Maria. It is on the north part of the island. There is a plaque that dedicates this monument to the Aboriginese and Lucayan people of the island. Notice the steep incline to reach the top. But, the view is worth it.

GEORGE TOWN on Great Exuma Island

We made it to Georgetown. We had planned to end here and begin our trek north. But, there are a couple of cays we would like to take the opportunity to see. On our way to George Town (which is on the Great Exuma Island), we saw a few of these very large beacon markers made out of stone. They were enormous and in the first picture you can see by the waves against the rocks just how large these things are. They actually are navigational aids to mariners to let them know where a particular cay is located and to be able to cut in between cays for protection during a storm.

We have been anchored near a beach called Sand Dollar Beach. But,we did dinghy over to another beach called Volley Ball Beach to enjoy a great little beach bar and to see all of the people. This place is called "Cruisers Day Camp". There is always something to do. You can go to a Yoga class, Bible study, basket making. All kinds of things. This picture shows only a small part of this fun place. They have volleyball courts here and the cruisers play all of the time to keep in shape.

We took this picture of the miles signs. England, Quebec, Australia, Halifax. Boats come here from many places.

And another beautiful sunrise in paradise.

Considering a new summer home? Check out these digs. It's truly amazing how some folks live!

EXUMA ISLANDS

We made it to the Exumas. After leaving Eleuthera, we sailed down to Warderick Wells Cay. This Cay is part of the Land and Sea Park of the Exumas. There are several small cays that are protected under the Land and Sea Park. What you bring to these cays, you must also take out with you. And no fishing.
The first of these three pictures shows the small finches that can be fed sugar from your hand. They also like toast crumbs. Second, is a sign we saw during our hiking tour up to see BooBoo Hill. There are a couple of blowholes in the limestone at the top. It’s really neat to feel the air push up through the hole by the water rushing into the cave below. And the third shot is one of many beautiful views we continue to see during our trip. Notice the tender in the middle taking guests back to a cruise ship.

After snorkeling and enjoying the Exuma Park, we sailed down to Staniel Cay. Staniel Cay Yacht Club is a great spot for a week getaway for vacationers. They have cottages you can rent that are wildly painted. Staniel Cay is also home of Thunderball. Remember the James Bond movie? We snorkeled inside the cave that was used during the film. If your memory is good, (only in Hollywood), the Coast Guard dropped a life raft to Bond through the opening in the cave to help him get out. There were some young people in there with us and they were climbing up outside and jumping into this hole, down into the water. It was so awesome; we went in the next morning for a second look. Unfortunately, the only pics we have are in an underwater camera and they need to be developed the "normal" way. We were boarded (along with all of the other Americans anchored in the cove) by the Bahamian Defense. They were just checking passports, papers, and a few safety items on board. They were actually very nice young guys doing their job. Had to get their picture. Bill says, "Now we have really had the full Bahaman experience".

Out next stop is Great Guana Cay, the Black Point Settlement. This is a quiet little community on a good size cay. This community makes it’s own RO (reverse osmosis) water from seawater. And they are gracious enough to offer it to boaters free of charge. Most places down here sell water for approximately 50cent to a dollar a gallon because of the RO situation. But, they do accept donations to the churches or school. The pictures here are of beautiful spots we found as we walked along a road to locate where everything was when we first arrived. We will stay here for a day or two to do some clothes washing and take it easy before we head further south. Washing clothes is another issue to be dealt with. $7.00 per load to wash your belongings makes you appreciate having a washer and dryer at home at your disposal at all times. We have one or two more stops before reaching our final destination during this trip, George Town, on Great Exuma Island. From there we will turn north and make our way back up to the Abacos, and then back to the US.