Month: July 2023

Black Point and mega yachts.

One of the things we were very much looking forward to during this season’s trip to the Bahamas was a visit from my best friend Lyn and her husband Ken. Pegu Club is too small for overnight visitors, but Lyn and Ken had decided to rent a cottage at Black Point for ten days. The plan was for us to anchor at Black Point and take them on day trips, but sadly Mother Nature had other plans. We had to move the boat to our hidey-hole a few times and the day trips didn’t work out because of too much wind, but we still had a wonderful time hanging out, sharing meals, and relaxing together.

We took walks around the cay:

This was a 5 minute walk from their rental.
I don’t know if this floating BBQ is still in business, but I love the idea!

We watched a relay race for field day at the local school (in true Bahamian style, it took around 20 minutes to get organized for a 45-second race):

And we played many games of Rummikub in their rental, which had an amazing view of the shallows on Black Point:

While Lyn and Ken were there, the Seven Seas Cruising Association was having their GAM at Black Point, sponsored by Lorraine’s Cafe, so they were even able to get a flavor of the cruising community.

I felt bad that the weather didn’t cooperate, but Lyn said it was exactly the kind of laid-back vacation she needed. And there was the added bonus of getting to spend so much time together!

After they departed, our trip north officially began with one last stop in Staniel Cay for the season. By now it was late March and spring break was in full-swing with mega yachts galore anchored outside of Staniel. It’s always fun to see them, and to know that we get the same views from Pegu Club (if not the same amenities).

Why take a dinghy to get to Staniel when you can use a helicopter instead?
Or you can use a dinghy and a helicopter – your choice.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones’ yacht, Bravo Eugenia, made an appearance. I didn’t get a picture so this one from Google will have to do. Research revealed that Bravo Eugenia travels far and wide – lucky captain!
The top reminded us of the Wicked Witch of the West. At 282 feet, it used to be owned by Steven Spielberg. Maybe he also thought it looked like the Wicked Witch of the West!

Staniel is a small cay, but if seems like there is always something new to see, like Herbie the Golf Cart:

We also saw the residents working on one of the sailboats that are used for the local regattas. The wooden mast was SO tall compared to the boat that it goes with. The racers carry a huge amount of sail area on the small boats.

A coin at the base of the mast is supposed to bring good luck.
I couldn’t even get the entire mast in the picture because I was thwarted by the placement of the boat. As you can see, it’s VERY tall!

Ultimately, the calendar was insisting that we leave, so after getting more groceries we reluctantly waved goodbye to Staniel for the season. Using Staniel as our base in the Exumas worked out splendidly, especially once we bought the bigger outboard. It’s centrally located along the cays, we can get (expensive) groceries when we need them, and our hidey hole for cold fronts is less than an hour away. There is no doubt that from now on, Staniel will be our home base when we are in the Exumas.

A bucket list spot for us – Warderick Wells.

We have been meaning to go to Warderick Wells in the Exumas Land and Sea Park since we started going to the Bahamas, but for some reason it had never happened. We had anchored near it, but we had never stayed in the mooring field which has some of the most iconic scenery in the Exumas.

I think part of the reason we hadn’t stopped there was because it’s the only mooring field in the Bahamas where you need to call ahead, but no sooner than the day before you want to arrive. If there isn’t availability, then your name goes on a list and you listen to the VHF at 9:00 a.m. the next day to see if you have a spot. So you need to be able to plan a bit, and you need to be within VHF range to see if there’s room. Both require a bit more structure than we prefer when we’re in the Bahamas. But we decided to go for it this time, and after our stay I can say that we won’t hesitate to jump through the minor hoops again.

Warderick Wells has great snorkeling and hiking, and we took full advantage during our five night stay.

The north mooring field is stunning, with a strip of deep water in a semi-circle, surrounded by shallows and sand.

One of the things we wanted to do was hike up to the top of Boo Boo Hill. Boo Boo Hill got its name because it is supposedly haunted from a ship that vanished on a nearby reef during a storm. It is a relatively easy hike – when you go the right way that is.

We thought the trailhead was near the park office so we ended up taking the VERY long scenic route around the Cay until we finally found the hill. Once we arrived at the top, we saw where we SHOULD have gone up, so it was a faster trip back. It was very hot and we were seriously rationing water by the time we got up the hill, but we’ll know better for next time!

Despite the longer route, the scenery was gorgeous along the way.

Normally you don’t need to cross this creek to get to Boo Boo Hill but when you take the long way…
Boo Boo Hill not being mentioned on this sign should have been a tip off.

And once we got to the top of the hill, we could see why it was such a popular hike. The views were stunning.

Exuma Sound on the right, the Banks side on the right.

One of the traditions of Boo Boo Hill is to leave a piece of wood with your boat name (or whatever else you want) on it. Some people plan well ahead and make elaborate decorations. We scrounged up a piece of driftwood along the way and brought a marker with us!

It was fun checking out the signs and seeing which boats we recognized.
Jeff carefully leaving our mark.

When we weren’t hiking or snorkeling, we got together for sundowners a few times with fellow cruiser friends and simply relaxed and enjoyed the view. We even saw a fever of spotted eagle rays – at least 8-10 of them – swim by each evening around the same time. Sadly no pictures this time, but hopefully next time. And there will definitely be a next time. Warderick Wells was absolutely worth it. We won’t miss it again.