Staniel Cay Yacht Club

After two wonderful relaxing days and a very noisy night watching the Super Bowl at the Xuma we are ready to move on with our adventure. Now preparing NH for her next cruise is always a rush. The cushions all need to be taken in or they will blow away during the cruise, any loose items have to be secured and put underneath pillows or they will simply smash to the floor, all hatches need to be closed tightly or otherwise the sea water will sink the boat, all the drawers and cabinets need to be closed tightly or else their contents will be splayed all over the boat, the water hose and the electric cord needs to be disconnected. Breakfast is always about checking the weather pattern using windy and verifying that we are looking at the correct day and area! Nana also likes to review the Captain’s route plan with the paper charts - just in case. After all that we are ready to leave.

Our cruise takes us past the ECLSP - Exuma Cay Land And Sea Park - which stretches from Wax Cay Cut in the north to Conch Cut in the South. Nana is now a Support Fleet Member so we can have two complimentary mooring nights within the park. We would like to visit Warderick Wells and maybe Shroud, Hawksbill and Cambridge Cays on our way back to Nassau. NH is cruising on the Great Bahama Bank side. The area on the chart called Tongue of the Ocean is the third largest barrier reef right off the Andros. Coming into Staniel Cay was very challenging and once again Captain Aedan did a great job while Nana kept Watch on the bow for shallow water. It is very busy at the yacht club and on our way in we cruise right by the mega yacht Man of Steel which you can charter for a mere million a week with a crew of 28! 

NH is very nicely tucked into her slip right in front of the classic 1954 Trumpy Cruiser ‘68 Liberty. The classic intricate signature bow scroll of all Trumpy’s right on our stern. 

Our new neighbor today is the very large sea ray cruising around the harbor.

Staniel is the cruising headquarters for the central Exumas. In August the National Bahamas Sunfish Regatta is held here and the local sailors are famous for racing the local  A-Class sloops LADY M and TIDA WAVE. The Thunderbolt Grotto is a spectacular skylit underwater cave featured in several Hollywood films. If it is slack tide before we leave in the morning Nana might persuade herself to snorkel the cave! Staniel Cay Yacht Club rents a variety of villas with an all inclusive package that includes a Boston whaler for daily fun water activity and breakfast, lunch and dinner at the Sea Level restaurant that has two sittings 6.30 and 8 pm. They ring the bell when the kitchen is ready to serve. There is also the Captains Lounge bar which is a funky, fun spot with a pool table , music and great food. The beaches are really beautiful but you will need a golf cart or bicycle to get around. There are mooring balls available and a great dingy area right beside the bar and restaurant.

After washing down the boat and taking a short walk Nana was treated to a beautiful sunset right across from the mooring field. We had a great dinner at the Captain bar, watched the stars and the moon for a while before retiring to our cabin. It feels really good to be back at Staniel Cay on NH.