We left Farmer's Cay and choose an inside route past Musha Cay, an island housing a resort owned by the magician David Cooperfield. The whole island is private, and was the prettiest we have seen so far. Each home we saw was spectacular, and the beaches and palm trees are straight out of a postcard. We were only puzzled as to why there were so many elephants roaming the island.
I provide no pictures because we are at an end of our data transfer limit for this month. These blogs are gonna cost us big time in overcharges.
The inside route was a skinny one, and we were on a falling tide. The pucker factor sets in when we hit five feet or less, and we got down to 4.8 a couple of times. But the bottom was sand which reduced the anxiety level and soon we were at our next stop, a nice anchorage off of a private island called Rudder Cay.
The beach was nearly as beautiful as the ones on Musha Cay, but there were signs posted for everyone to KEEP OUT. There were dogs roaming the beaches and cameras were mounted at strategic locations too. We were anchored in six feet of crystal clear water just out from a cave of sorts. We spent two nights there and both did some snorkeling.
Outside of the snorkeling at The Grotto in Staniel Cay, the snorkeling at Rudder Cay was the best so far. I saw a lobster hiding under a big rock just inside the cave, and I swear it was the largest I had ever seen. The tentacles had to be nearly two feet long. I went back to see it about four times. I wanted it bad.
But it's not lobster season. Any of you reading this already know that my scruples don't extend into whether it is lobster season or not, usually, but I have already noted the presence of several cameras. The locals may risk fines for lobster fishing out of season, but I'm not going to, at least if there may be witnesses.
Rosie made a call to AT&T to find out why our MiFi device said we had only used 50 megabytes of data transfer when they told us we had used 750 megabytes as of a few days ago. Rosie was informed that the device reporting our usage "was not timely", and by the way, we were now at 799 megabytes. We have a limit of 800 megabytes on our AT&T International data plan. We'll automatically get another 150 megabytes for an additional $30 when we go over. We are over.
I tried to use the iPad to post a blog yesterday, but I cannot see more than the first page of the post if I go over a page. I typed by rear end off yesterday only to lose more than half my blog when I hit some button or another when I was editing.
You are not missing much by not seeing pictures. Imagine sky blue water, pristine beaches and a fat guy with long hair posing in a twenty year old shirt. Oh, and Rosie in a bikini. OK, now stop.
To move any further towards the southern Exumas now required us to travel "outside", or on the Sound side of the Exumas. Rudder Cay Cut is rough when the wind is from the east and the tide is going the opposite way going out, so we waited until a rising tide before hauling anchor and heading out.
The cut was ripping with current, but smooth, a piece of cake. I wish I could say the same for the eight mile run outside to Adderly Cut. It was a bell ringer.
I pointed the bow of Swing Set into the cut to enter it on the incoming tide. The cut is narrow and lined with reef. I powered up and surfed in at 25 miles per hour so we could steer. In no time at all, we were in the harbor and heading around the tip of Lee Stocking Island.
We passed the abandoned research center on the island, which is also the home of the highest elevation in the Exuma chain, Perry's Peak. I found the anchorage I was looking for and the whole rough ride from Rudder's Cay was worth it. We are in six feet of clear water over a pure white sand bottom. Two beaches line the small cove we are in, and a small bluff splits the two. This part of the island is not private, so we can hike and explore by land if we want, but the first thing we did was go snorkeling again. Twice in one day, a record.
Rosie and I saw rays, lion fish, snapper, and a small barracuda too. The snapper are big enough to eat, but we didn't see that many. I'd almost rather leave them to look at, at least until I get hungry.
We might stay here a few days. The wind will be up for the next week, but we might take a chance on an outside run to Georgetown on Tuesday. It's a three hour run outside, not getting around it, not even with our shallow draft.
We have good Internet service here from a tower in Rolleville, so we can get our weather reports and email. The next blog will be short so I can post it from the iPad. If you don't hear from us via this blog, we'll still issue "OK reports" from our SPOT device.
For now, we are just "living in the Bahamas". Nothing spectacular. Life in Georgetown will get more interesting, but we'll most likely have to do without privacy and solitude, but we get plenty of that.
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