Greetings from Warderick Wells mooring ball #13. This
is HQ for the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park and we arrived shortly after lunch
today.
is HQ for the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park and we arrived shortly after lunch
today.
Yesterday was another relaxing day at Shroud, where
Noah went off and played with kids from Contented Turtle and See U Manana. They
all crowded into a dinghy and went exploring the mangrove creeks together. Beth
and I worked on tracing down the wiring for the light on the arch, cleaned
water intake screens, fixed the sump pump and played with the SSB radio. Noah
finished his 1/2 year test and has completed 80 school lessons.
Noah went off and played with kids from Contented Turtle and See U Manana. They
all crowded into a dinghy and went exploring the mangrove creeks together. Beth
and I worked on tracing down the wiring for the light on the arch, cleaned
water intake screens, fixed the sump pump and played with the SSB radio. Noah
finished his 1/2 year test and has completed 80 school lessons.
Today, after talking with the Exuma Park to insure
they had a mooring for us, we pulled up the anchor and headed out. The wind was
blowing 17-23 knots and we were able to SAIL at 6.5 with just the genoa
deployed. We are starting to get the hang of reading the water as we sailed
over depths of 18 down to 8 feet without freaking out. The Explorer Charts
we’re using (thanks Mom & Dad) have excellent routes and waypoints so we
know the safe areas. The clear water and sun combination is great. As we turned
into the wind to make our approach, the sails had to be furled and the engine
started again, but we were rewarded with small rainbows every time we crashed
through a wave that sent spray up beside the cockpit. This is lots more fun at
82 degrees than it was at 45 in Georgia.
they had a mooring for us, we pulled up the anchor and headed out. The wind was
blowing 17-23 knots and we were able to SAIL at 6.5 with just the genoa
deployed. We are starting to get the hang of reading the water as we sailed
over depths of 18 down to 8 feet without freaking out. The Explorer Charts
we’re using (thanks Mom & Dad) have excellent routes and waypoints so we
know the safe areas. The clear water and sun combination is great. As we turned
into the wind to make our approach, the sails had to be furled and the engine
started again, but we were rewarded with small rainbows every time we crashed
through a wave that sent spray up beside the cockpit. This is lots more fun at
82 degrees than it was at 45 in Georgia.
Wardrick Wells is close to Exuma Sound and you almost
go out a cut to get into the mooring field. The current was running 2.5 kts
against us moving towards the sound, and then almost as fast with us as we
entered the mooring field. The channel is about 100 feet wide and the moorings
are in the middle. Had a bit of trouble turning around our full keel boat in
the current, and almost caught the next mooring as we came around. As a matter
of fact it isn’t there anymore — hmmm. We are now firmly attached to ball #13,
Beth’s lucky number. It is almost in front of the park headquarters building.
go out a cut to get into the mooring field. The current was running 2.5 kts
against us moving towards the sound, and then almost as fast with us as we
entered the mooring field. The channel is about 100 feet wide and the moorings
are in the middle. Had a bit of trouble turning around our full keel boat in
the current, and almost caught the next mooring as we came around. As a matter
of fact it isn’t there anymore — hmmm. We are now firmly attached to ball #13,
Beth’s lucky number. It is almost in front of the park headquarters building.
By the time we went ashore, the park office was closed
for the day since they leave at noon on Sundays. There were maps in the mailbox
so we went off exploring after spending a few hours building a sand castle on
“Powerful Beach” which is just off our stern. A 52′ sperm whale
skeleton sits prominently on this beach. It washed up in 1995 and died from
ingesting too much plastic. While Noah and I were checking out the whale, some
yellow finches landed on the skeleton and approached us looking for handouts.
Also spotted an interesting spotted lizard that we need to identify. The beach
is probably named after the generator station that is in a building behind the
beach. Following “Shaggy Dog” path took us over coral rock, through a
mangrove swamp and up a sand and scrub covered hill where there are great views
of Exuma Sound. The east wind was whipping up waves that crashed into cliffs on
the eastern side of the island that reminded us of Schoodic Point in Maine. The
coral rock had a few holes in it that extended down to the ocean
below. When waves crashed into the undercut cliffs they sent big puffs of air
up through the “blow holes.” From their we climbed “Boo
Boo” hill where people leave pieces of driftwood with their boat name on
it. (Earl – there was a Luna Sea). We took a group picture of a family from
Portugal for them. The view from the hill was fantastic and the kind of thing
we had been hoping to find. On the way back down we noticed some tiny trees
that looked just like the Hikado Elms we have growing in the garden railroad
back in Durham. The wind generator has the batteries all charged up so we can
stay up late with all the lights on, but we will probably go to bed shortly
after sunset.
for the day since they leave at noon on Sundays. There were maps in the mailbox
so we went off exploring after spending a few hours building a sand castle on
“Powerful Beach” which is just off our stern. A 52′ sperm whale
skeleton sits prominently on this beach. It washed up in 1995 and died from
ingesting too much plastic. While Noah and I were checking out the whale, some
yellow finches landed on the skeleton and approached us looking for handouts.
Also spotted an interesting spotted lizard that we need to identify. The beach
is probably named after the generator station that is in a building behind the
beach. Following “Shaggy Dog” path took us over coral rock, through a
mangrove swamp and up a sand and scrub covered hill where there are great views
of Exuma Sound. The east wind was whipping up waves that crashed into cliffs on
the eastern side of the island that reminded us of Schoodic Point in Maine. The
coral rock had a few holes in it that extended down to the ocean
below. When waves crashed into the undercut cliffs they sent big puffs of air
up through the “blow holes.” From their we climbed “Boo
Boo” hill where people leave pieces of driftwood with their boat name on
it. (Earl – there was a Luna Sea). We took a group picture of a family from
Portugal for them. The view from the hill was fantastic and the kind of thing
we had been hoping to find. On the way back down we noticed some tiny trees
that looked just like the Hikado Elms we have growing in the garden railroad
back in Durham. The wind generator has the batteries all charged up so we can
stay up late with all the lights on, but we will probably go to bed shortly
after sunset.
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| Sound Side at Warderick Wells |
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| Ocean Side at Warderick Wells |
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| The “Blowholes” in Warderick Wells |