We scooted out of Black Point this morning for a quick
return trip around the point to Staniel Cay. We have passed this way several
times now, but are still noticing new things. Today’s find was a lone strange-Dr. Seuss-looking tree standing tall on the shore. Oh, the stories it could tell. How has
it managed to survive the many storms of its lifetime? We ducked in behind Big
Majors and put the dinghy in the water so we could visit the gas pump and the
grocery store. After a bone-jarring ride to the dinghy beach, we got both spare
gas cans filled without a wait. While Barry paid the bill, I went over and
watched the nurse sharks swimming around. On this visit, I noticed the policy
sign. Judging by the activity of the folks in the water, the policies are merely suggestions. Gas cans back in the dinghy, we set off through the colorful bougainvillea-lined walkway of the Staniel Cay Yacht Club to the grocery stores.
It was a beautiful walk along the water. Although the Pink
Store was closed today, we visited the other two stores and managed to pick up
a few of the items we are out of. The ride back to Crossroads was a lot smoother and we arrived mostly dry, put away
our purchases, and then headed over to Pig Beach. The pigs met us and several
other tour boats in the surf.
The well-trained swine were literally eating out of the hands that fed them. It was a nice relaxing break to spend time thigh-deep in the calm water before heading back to Crossroads. Over a bite of lunch we decided to head back to Cambridge Cay
for the night. We pulled out of the anchorage and passed the megayacht Elixir which was anchored behind us in
deeper water. Along the way we also passed the support ship Intrepid which had a helicopter on its
pad. As we approached the Cambridge mooring field we heard on the radio that
there were mooring balls still available for the night at the Waderick Wells north field at the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park. With the wind
picking up and tomorrow’s weather not looking good for a return snorkeling trip
to The Aquarium we decided to continue north to our final must-see venue on this year’s trip to the Exumas.
Feeling fortunate that we secured a ball, our luck quickly
turned south with the assignment of Mooring No. 13. The wind picked up to 25
knots, the tide was rushing out leaving a very narrow channel for maneuvering, and –
worst of all – there was a dinghy and jetski tied to our pendant. We were
forced to do a drive by, giving the squatters a chance to pack up and leave. Approaching the ball from the other direction, all prior planning had become useless. To top it off the
pendants here are very short and I struggled to get our mooring lines
attached since I couldn’t reach the loop from over the freeboard. I was
“bitten” by our gate, then lost a boat hook overboard when it got caught in the chafe guard on the pendant eye (but I quickly fished it back in with our spare hook). Thankfully a kayaker
came over and helped us out. It was a long day, and we were glad to be securely
tied. I fixed a baked chicken casserole for dinner and used the mozzarella
cheese purchased in the morning. It was just a standard two-cup bag, but we
savored every bite at $7.50 a bag. Note to self: next year, stock up on more cheese. The sun dropped below the horizon and we
relaxed while watching a DVD. There is no cell or internet service here in the park. We'll make
the most of our day here tomorrow and relocate before Saturday night’s UVA-Auburn Final Four
contest.
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