Relaxing at Emerald Rock

         We actually had a few showers during the night (have not had many), but the day dawned brilliantly and has been beautiful all day!  Dan did finish the underwater work yesterday with the help of the hookah, our compressor and regulator system that lets us dive indefinitely to a depth of 25', but we are usually in 8 feet or less everywhere here!  We decided to do a little more snorkeling today.   We hadn't done any here because it was colder when we were here earlier.  I did spy a Nassau Grouper (about 30" long) but he didn't cooperate when I tried to get his picture, and I also saw a Bahamian lobster, but he  did not come out of his hole for a picture!
      We had cocktails aboard Brunelle last evening with a couple we met at the St. Patrick's Day party.  They are from Appleton, Wisconsin.  We immediately asked them if they knew anything about the paper industry, and found out that they both worked in the industry and had made calls to the PH Glatfelter Paper Mill in Spring Grove during their careers!  Small world. Tonight is movie night because we rented Master and Commander at the Park office this afternoon.  I have to get it started "NOW" says Dan, so he'll stay awake for it.  ~~~(\_~~~D&M

Martha raided the "ditch pile" at Little Farmer's Cay and has a conch for each grandchild, but they still need a bit of work to remove the SMELL!

These guys who were hanging out on the reef near Emerald Rock seem to think there is safety in numbers.

There are lots of Blue Chromis everywhere, they are only about 3-5" but they are really brilliant.

Dan did replace the zincs on our prop and shaft and even greased the prop with the help of our hookah compressor.

Little Farmer's and back to Emerald Rock

Liz and Ray arrived with Hershey Bars, all is right with the world! After a short visit ashore at Farmers, which included picking up six conch and six lobsters for future meals, we headed for White Point, about half the way up Great Guana Cay. We sailed north while, aboard Arete, Elizabeth and Carol chopped conch and created a delicous conch chowder - our picnic supper. The next morning we left before Arete to get to Black Point (a few miles north of White Point) early so we could do our laundry. Black Point is one of the few settlements in the Exumas and we enjoyed walking around the area. About a mile out a quiet road we visited a driftwood sculpture garden and found a produce stand behind the neighboring house!
Saturday morning we left Black Point and made two stops along the way to Big Majors Spot. We made a morning stop at Bitter Guana Cay to see the iguanas and also the striking white cliffs. The iguanas literally came running down the beach when they saw us coming! They are very used to being fed. Elizabeth had some celery that they didn't seem to take to all that well. We were very wary of them because on Rob and Carol's last visit, one bit Robby's toe when he didn't move! We also stopped for lunch at Harvey Cay where there was a little cove, room for one, and very good snorkeling - plus a wreck ashore. It was only 3 miles from Harvey across to Big Majors so we had time to take Liz and Ray to the Thunderball grotto. Ray used my underwater camera and caught a neat picture of the "back door" of the grotto.
We left early Sunday morning to head back toward the Park and took moorings at Cambridge Cay at the southern edge of the park. We spent two nights because there is so much to see and do. We hiked to the top of the hill on the windward side and took a dinghy ride to the Seaquarium on O'Brien's Cay. Lots and lots of fish and coral in a protected spot. We also put the kayaks in and adventured under pedal and sail around the anchorage.
Tuesday morning we went our separate ways. We hated to leave Elizabeth and Carol's cooking and the joys of family fun, but Dan had work to do (oil and zincs) and they were heading back toward Staniel Cay for Liz and Ray's Thursday flight back to Nassau. We picked up a mooring at Emerald Rock, our favorite spot, and found that there was a St. Patty's Day happy hour ashore at the main beach. We enjoyed meeting several new people and didn't get back to the boat until almost 8pm - - spoiled my plan to try to create a corned beef and cabbage dinner! It's now Wednesday noon and the oil is done, and so is this! ~~~(\_~~~D&M
Google Earth track file for 3/12
Google Earth track file for 3/13
Google Earth track file for 3/14
Google Earth track file for 3/15
Google Earth track file for 3/17

"De plane, de plane!" Elizabeth and Ray arrive at Little Farmers in a LITTLE plane - the pilot had to climb in through his window. We had lunch ashore at Ocean Cabin restaurant and walked around the island before heading north to White Point on Great Guana Cay.

Picnic ashore at White Point Thursday night, where cruisers have created a fire pit and benches. Elizabeth DID bring hershey bars, so we enjoyed s'mores over the embers.

The highlight of our stop at Blackpoint was the BEAUTIFUL laundromat which had its own dock!

The "Garden of Eden" sculpture garden at Black Point.

Bitter Guana Cay is home to some big iguanas and more dramatic cliffs.

Martha's underwater camera (Ray caught the image of me diving) captured several good pictures while anchored in a little cove on Harvey's Cay on our way to the Staniel Cay area. The fish is a trigger fish. He was very accomodating. Elizabeth and Ray explored the wreck on shore - - - they were sure it was the SS Minnow.

The "back door" of Thunderball Grotto.

We headed for a shallow spot just off the anchorage in Cambridge Cay to swap kayaks. Dan has new "turbo" pedals that I tried for a little while. They are harder to pedal so I was glad to switch back!

Windward shore of Cambridge Cay. We hiked to the top of the hill behind us.