A Piece of Cake?

Big Majors to Cambridge Cay |  2.4 Hours  |  14.5 Miles  

When we dropped our anchor yesterday at Big Majors, we purposely chose a spot furthest away from Pig Beach. Not only did we not have to endure the wakes of numerous tour boats yesterday, this morning we only had to raise the anchor and we were free. No traffic to weave through is always a plus. As we turned north we got a closer glimpse at the mega yachts I noted in yesterday's post. The 280-foot Vibrant Curiosity has multiple cake-like layers and is owned by German businessman Reinhold Wurth. Yes, tucked on the upper deck is a helicopter. Not to be outdone, the 227-foot Intrepid is a SUPPORT ship for the 383-foot Infinity (not pictured). It also carried a helicopter on her deck which can be lowered below the deck into a garage. This pair is owned by Harbor Freight CEO Eric Smidt. We wondered how many of his company's infamous blue-handled multi-drivers were onboard his vessels. We probably have six on Crossroads, with one stashed in most every room. Following all of that excitement of boat watching, it was a short distance until we entered the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park. To arrive at our destination of Cambridge Cay, we needed to pass through the tiny gap between the light colored shoal and the jagged exposed rock. 

We have made this passage several times before so we knew what to expect. Crossroads favored the softer, sandy, and more forgiving side of the cut and gave the menacing rocks plenty of room. We wound our way through the rocks and shoals and picked up the last available mooring ball. The current and wind were raging, but we finally got everything centered, secured, and protected from line chafe. The whole procedure wasn't the piece of cake I had hoped for, but we still secured ourselves on the first try. I don't believe the engine had yet been cut off before the park ranger was stopping by to make sure we had checked in and paid. With the business taken care of we had lunch and then relaxed for the afternoon. I sat on Fiberglass Beach and admired the scenery. The color gradient from pale blue to white sand reminded me of something pleasant that I could not place. The sun was strong and we recorded our highest daily output yet on our solar panels. Only one very long cloud that stretched to the horizon cast a noticeable shadow. The wind, however, blew steadily in the mid-20s. There was a chop rolling through the mooring field and Crossroads constantly wandered from port to starboard and back on her bridle.

I finished another book, my fifth in the Brad Thor series. As dinner time neared, it occurred to me of what the beach colors reminded me -- Shelly's (my cousin-in-law's-cousin) incredible cakes. Dinner soon followed and we settled in to watch the sun set behind Bells Cay. The wind was still stronger than I'd prefer as evidenced by the quick moving cloud that passed in front of the sun. Tomorrow we will drop the dinghy and go visit a few of our favorite spots.