Fun in the Bahamas

Since leaving the Dominican Republic we made our way overnight to South Caicos. We checked in at Cockburn Harbour and spent the next day exploring the beaches and snorkeling. The clarity of the water was amazing and the variety of fish was incredible. After Cockburn Harbor we crossed Caicos Banks to Providenciales, where we stayed through Easter.

With the encouragement of Calypso, another family boat that we met in Luperon, we then headed out for Little Inagua, one of the southern most island of the Bahamas. We then crossed with them to Hogsty Reef, the closest thing to an atoll that you can find in the Atlantic. It is a 3 mile x 5 mile horseshoe reef that rises up out of almost nowhere. (Try Google images for a good picture.) There are two wreck on the reef, with one being a big liberty ship. Quite amazing.

From there we sailed to Datum Bay which is found on the south west tip of Acklins Island. We took the dinghy around to the ocean side and explored the trash and treasures washed up along the beach. Upon hearing about Grappy's death, we made our way up to Clarence Town, on the south eastern part of Long Island. The people at Flying Fish Marina we quite helpful in getting the boat secure and our family to the closest airport.

The kids and I returned to the boat on the 19th. We explored Dean's Blue Hole (see Josie's entry below) and were amazed by some dockside entertainment (see Jeremiah's entry). On the 21st we made our way to Conception Island, where we swam, hiked, snorkeled, built sand castles, and did a little fishing (see Xavier's entry). On Friday with light winds and calm seas we motored to Elizabeth Harbor (Georgetown), on Great Exuma. The Bermuda Family Island Regatta was going on and we were able to watch the last race of the day. Chassuer was in the harbor as well and we had a great dinner with them, catching up on their adventures since we last saw them in Vieques. Saturday was a blast with the kids crewing on some of the local race boats (see Catherine's entry).

From here we plan to slowly make our way up the Exumas and then on to the Abacos. Sometime towards the end of May we will do a multi-day passage to either Beaufort, NC or Norfolk, VA, depending on the weather window we get. Hope you enjoy the entries and pictures below.

--Peter

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Dean's Blue Hole

While we were in Provo we were told of Dean’s Blue Hole, the deepest blue hole the world, which is on Long Island, Bahamas. When we returned to Clarence Town from Pittsburgh, we decided to go check it out.

It would have been a three mile dinghy ride to the hole from the marina, but our inflatable dinghy was leaking air and needed some attention. Instead we decided to walk the four miles to the blue hole. After walking about a mile and a half along the road we were able to hitch a ride up to the turn-off. From there we walked the last half mile or so along a sand road to the beautiful beach.

When we reached the beach I was surprised by how small the hole was in diameter. I was also amazed by how dramatic the color changes were. The water started out at about one foot deep and had a clear color with a slight hint of turquoise, then quickly dropped to about fifteen feet. This water was a light shade of aquamarine and formed a thirty foot wide ring around the blue hole. The blue hole itself had a depth of 638 feet and was a beautiful sapphire color. The blue hole was 60 feet in diameter and a very popular free diving spot.

During our visit there were two divers practicing for a free diving competition that was coming up, but I felt no need to dive into the deep creepy depths. I did, however, swim across the blue hole with Catherine, Jeremiah and Dad. I was encouraged by the fact that it was not very likely that there were sharks swimming around below me because they would have had to swim through very shallow water to reach the deep water. On the far side of the blue hole cliffs rise up about forty feet overhead. We thought about climbing the rope ladder that hung from the cliff, but it looked too tricky. We had heard of a path that led to the top of the cliffs, so we swam back to Xavier and went in search of it.

We found the path and walked along the cliff edge till we reach a point that was about 25 feet from the water (Yup, I did jump off another 25 foot cliff.). Catherine and Dad jumped from there as well. Jeremiah jumped from a place that was about 10 feet lower and Xavier walked along till the drop off was not far from the water and jumped from there. After jumping we swam back to the beach and started the walk back. We walked for about 10 minutes before a car came by and Dad stuck out his thumb. The nice man driving the jeep drove us all the way back to Flying Fish Marina where we were keeping our boat.

Blue holes are amazing geological features and they though they probably all look similar, there is something to be said for going the deepest one in the world. It is like going to Mt. Everest or to the Dead Sea, it is simply really cool to be somewhere where that is one of a kind. There is no blue hole deeper than Deans Blue hole, it is the best you can get.

(To see more pictures of this blue hole you can Google it or look for it on Google Earth. Try “Deans Blue Hole, Long Island, Bahamas” or find Clarence Town and track northwest along the coast a bit)

– Josephine.

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Dockside Aquarium

While we were at Clarence Town, we saw lots of sea life. Snappers, rays, and sharks swam around the dock of the marina. The crystal clear water made it easier to identify the sea life because we could see the details and shapes a whole lot better. Out of all we saw, the coolest were the sharks.

At the marina there was a place where all the fishermen cleaned their fish and then dropped the leftovers into the water. One evening we watched a person throw in a carcass of a wahoo which was tied to a rope. If it was not attached to the rope the sharks would down it in one bite.

There were two big lemon sharks, one small black tipped reef shark, one big black tipped reef shark and one small nurse shark. When the sharks attacked the carcass they rolled back their eyes to protect them from getting scratched. When they do this they have to find the fish by movement. This was hard for them because the fish was not alive. (Near the end of the video, you can see the shark snap at the air.) This feeding fest went for a long time until the big reef shark ripped the fish off of the rope.

One very interesting thing was that all the fish, rays, and sharks had a rank in when to eat. There was a lemon shark the size of Dad and a black tipped reef shark the size of Xavier. Even though the reef shark was smaller it got first dibs and the lemon shark could only watch a perfect meal go down the reef shark’s throat.

This was a great experience for Xavier (the shark expert), for me, and for everyone else there. Since I have seen this it is a little harder to jump off the boat.

-- Jeremiah





Shark video.

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Fishing at Conception Island

When we were at Conception Island, we went fishing. The first day we used lures and spaghetti for bait to try to catch horse-eye jacks. They were about two and a half feet long. The next day we went fishing again in the morning. We used lures to try to catch trunkfish. They were about a foot in length. We were fishing for about forty-five minutes when we hooked a fish. Jeremiah was casting and caught a trunkfish. When he realed it in, we noticed that the hook was caught in the gill. We had to release our catch because we were in a national park. That night we were trying to catch jacks again. We used hooks and cheese for bait. It seemed that the jacks like it. The first bite we got the fish took the hook so we had to replace it. The second time it took just the cheese. This happened about ten more times. I kept moving from the side of the boat to the companionway telling everyone what was happening. It was a lot of fun.

-- Xavier

On the beach at Conception Island

One of the trunkfish swimming by our boat.

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Georgetown Junior Races

Off we set at 7:20 bound for the race boat anchorage. All the cruiser kids had been invited to join in the Junior Race, one of the many races held during the Family Island Regatta. Josie, Jeremiah, and I were all taking part. Amid all the confusion in the anchorage the three of us wound up on the boats: Sweet Island Gal, Smashie, and Lady Ruthnell. The start was pending so up came the anchor, up went the sail, and out to the start line we tacked.

Lady Ruthnell at the start.

Besides from the fact that they were junior races there was also one other major difference, the boats anchored at the start line. At the start of most races the boats just tack back and forth trying not to cross the line early and using the right of way to their advantage or other boats disadvantage. In our case the advantage was with whomever could haul the anchor in fastest and in the meanwhile raise their sail and set a straight course for the first mark. When everybody was ready the siren blared and we set off. The first race consisted of only two legs instead of the traditional three. Lady Ruthnell coasted along in a rhythmic pattern of heeling over and flattening out. A pattern matched by the shifting of weight on the pry, the board extended out from the side of the boat that the crew sits on to balance the boat. Haley and Alana, the two other girls on the boat, and I pretty much spent the first race figuring out what to do and when. Soon we had it down pat.

Jeremiah out on the pry.

The second race proceeded just like the first but the third was a full three legs. On the final race Smashie (Jeremiah’s boat which Evan from Chasseur skippered) came in first. Lady Ruthnell claimed 4^th on that one.

Sweet Island Girl - Josie has on yellow hat.

Win or no win, it was tons of fun. Stories were swapped for the rest of the day and overall everyone had a blast, each of us glad we were in Georgetown for the regatta and especially the junior races.

-- Catherine

Rounding the second mark.