Cambridge Cay, Compass Cay , Warderick Wells ( Exumas ) and Palm Cay ( Nassau)

Well Nana did not snorkel Thunderbolt Cave but opted instead to have a delicious breakfast at the Sea Level restaurant before heading off - another reason to come back. The Captain and first mate of Liberty , docked behind us, assisted our leaving which was very helpful to both them and us! 

A little history on the Yacht Club which is still the same building that has been renovated and modernized and the cottages have also been restored and some new ones added. 

Our plan for today is to try to get a mooring at Cambridge Cay which is part of the National Parks and if there is not one available we will anchor. The picture below is Staniel Cay as we leave the harbor.

When we arrive at Cambridge Cay all the mooring ball are full so we drop the anchor and have a lovely lunch over on Bell Island . The wind shifts and changes so we decided to get a slip at Compass Cay.

Compass Cay is privately owned  and is considered a nature reserve with many trails and walking paths. Here they have raised nurse shark that they feed from the dock and plenty of bonefish, jacks ( a cousin to the tuns fish) and families of sea ray. No fishing is permitted here and they ask that you separate your food scraps from your trash which they then feed to the fish. This means that there are no rats on the island. We have the pleasure of meeting the owner who is a dedicated Bahamian. If you pull up here in your tender you are asked to pay a fee to walk the trails, use the beach or swim with the sharks. There are four cottages that you can rent here but don't expect air conditioning . There are women's and men's bathrooms, no restaurant, a cool beer from the fridge and burgers and hot dogs when the grill is working!

This island is certainly a special spot that somehow sends you back in time. We did not make the hike to Rachael’s bubble bath but we did walk to the airstrip which is a very long strip of sand that when the tides is out makes you feel you could land an airplane. To plug into electricity was $150 so we decided to open the windows and turn on the fan. We had an excellent dinner onboard thanks to the generator.

Wednesday Happy Valentines Day Nana was able to secure a mooring at Warderick Wells which is again part of the parks and a very popular spot. You are not permitted to enter unless you have a mooring ball secured. It’s a short cruise however just as we left the dock the throttle would not engage so Nandad had to turn on the kicker engine - we were in very close quarters - and just as we were about to return to our slip the throttle engaged. A very nice cruise however as we entered the north mooring field we almost hit shallow ground and had lots of boaters pointing us to the deeper waters. Nana was unable to hear Nandad regarding the mooring ball so lots of confusion! Not our best day for communicating. Finally we secure the mooring which is very close to the whale beach and park headquarters so we went for a ride in the dinghy for the first time. 

You can get an idea of the pattern of the mooring field as that is the entrance in the background with the sailboats in a circle
around the shallow spot! The island is all coral with a few trails outlined by wooden signs , several marked snorkeling areas, beautiful beaches within dinghy ride, and just picture perfect. The headquarters has a small gift shop with lots of educational pamphlets, DVD’s, books and other paraphernalia. Boo-Boo Hill is the highest point of the Cay and there one will find a lopsided monument created by boaters who have left their boat name behind on gathered driftwood. Nana and Nandad did not venture to the hill due to the very spiky and loose coral - we needed some buddies to motivate us ! We had a wonderful evening onboard watching the turtle, sea ray and the activity of the other boaters. There is nothing like the feeling of being secure for the night, a gentle breeze, a gentle rock and the bright moon with Jupiter over head. 

That is the park’s headquarters which has the perfect view of boaters as they approach and they do their best to guide you in ! 

Thursday 15th February NH leaves for Palm Cay on the east side of New Providence . This is approximately 66 nm on the Grand Bank side so we did not expect it to be as rolling and rocky as it was. Lots of sail boats out today looking like they are catching the wind. We arrive into Palm Cay at around 2.30 pm and by the time we filled with diesel it was time to grab a bite to eat at their Pink Octpous which is right on the beach. This is a lovely resort attached to a gated community with pool access, bar, cafe, restaurant, spa and all amenities. The perfect spot to provision for our week on Paradise Island where we will meet the Arsenault’s and the Doneski’s - so excited.

Friday morning after a light breakfast onboard Nana heads to the laundry. It has been a week so three loads were necessary and surprisingly very reasonable here at Palm Cay. While waiting for the dryer Nana rode the stationary bike for 20 minutes which felt good. She did want to visit the Spa however it was closed for maintenance- bummer. Another beautiful day so we relaxed on the beach for a hour or two then borrowed the courtesy car to grocery at Solomons. Nandad has decided to become a member as this is our second visit. While we were busy Tray - one of the dock assistant and a captain in his own right is cleaning the boat so we are feeling quite privileged. He does a wonderful job and at $4 a foot well worth it. After lunch at the Pink Octopus we again retire to the beach for an hour and watch the charter boats return. This marina must have at least 50 catamarans and is the headquarters for both the Moorings and Dream Yacht Charters.

NH after her thorough cleaning. Tomorrow we will leave for Atlantis Marina on Paradise Island to join the family for some fun. We will stay at the marina from Saturday 17th to Saturday 24th.