Staniel Cay

Staniel Cay Harbor is great....

While anchored off Big Majors Spot Exuma Island, we ran the Yamaha 15 hp on our 10 foot AB dinghy back and forth to Staniel Cay Yacht Club for diesel fuel and Water. We jugged this fuel in 5 gallon containers and even when carrying 40 gallons of water, the dinghy would still plane and run at about 20 mph! Cruisers have always told us, you need a 15 hp Yamaha and a fast dinghy to cruise the lower islands and this was one day when it really did the job. If you anchor off Big Majors Spot with the swimming pigs, then it is 1 mile+ around the corner and across the bay to the yacht club and town. With a 25 mph tender, this run is quick and easy and dry! We ran into the Grotto to snorkel, we ran to town for a walk, we ran to the fuel dock for diesel and we ran back to the fuel dock for water. About 4 or 5 trip to town from the anchorage and it was no big deal because of the fast dinghy and high speeds we can run at. I agree, if you are going remote, you need a 10 foot+ dinghy and you need a 15 hp Yamaha 2 stroke outboard. It works very well. At about 2 pm, we picked up our anchors and set sail for a nice casual 10 mile broad reach south to Black Point.

Here are more photos of the Staniel Cay / Big Majors Spot area

A beautiful and well stocked store in Staniel Cay

Radeen at the PINK store, can you tell where the name came from?

The PINK store

Nina and Radeen at the BLUE store

Down by the harbor and boatyard

Check out our shadow on the sand under Island Spirit

I love taking these clear water shadow photos

We jugged 40 gallons of water and paid $0.40/gallon + a $4.00 tip ($20)

We jugged 9.2 gallons of diesel fuel

This is where we added fuel and water, while on anchor

Sailing with one of our new buddy boats, MORNING GRACE, heading for Black Point

Blue water under our keel

Shadows under the bow

The swimming pigs on the beach right off our boat

Reaching for Black Point in the late afternoon

The Pride of Staniel Cay, the TIDA WAVE

Joel painting the TIDA WAVE

Notice his brush, he is making the line PERFECT

Touching up the blue and the while line

TIDA WAVE on the beach at Staniel Cay Yacht Club, launching at low tide
They roll her back at low tide then let the high tide lift her

Radeen and Nina pose for a "PhotoBoy" shot at Staniel Cay Yacht Club

Joel is very proud of the community effort and the TIDA WAVE program

Staniel Cay is another must stop visit, it is a beautiful piece of paradise in the middle of the Exuma Islands.

Big Majors Spot

Proof of swimming pigs....

Yes, pigs CAN swim, and they do swim right out to greet you as you dinghy into the beach at Big Majors Spot. The locals placed these pigs here and now, today, we counted over 20 little piglets and about 4 large adults. Did I tell you I LOVE HAM?....so if you seen one hanging from our mast as we sail out, you will know why!

Inside the grotto and looking up

Besides the entertaining pigs on the sandy beach, there is the must-snorkel THUNDERBALL GROTTO which is accessible at low tide. With the tide down 2-3 feet, the undercut of the rocks open up and you can swim into the cave. The ceiling is open with several holes to the sky so the lighting is spectacular. It was even more special than last year. Very cool place to swim. The coral is also very colorful and the fish are well trained and approach you looking for free food. Some even nip at your hands. On the ocean side of the grotto, there is a low ledge that you can swim under into the bright blue light from sunlight over the cave. Over all, this grotto is a must do swim when at Big Majors and Staniel Cay. Here are the photos of the day. Enjoy.

Radeen is a PISCES....she loves to swim!

Exiting the grotto to sea

The coral is beautiful around the grotto

More fans and coral at the grotto

Brain coral and Radeen

Diving down and looking up at the surface shows the water clarity

Boat Buddy NINA strikes a pose 

A really cool trumpet fish with a BLUE nose

Motor Yacht "LAZY Z" has a three story, inflatable water slide!

Gateway 2000 Computer CEO/Owner, Ted Waitt's yacht "PLAN B"

Check out the scale of "PLAN B"... amazing

Photographer on the beach, taking piglet pictures

Resting time for the adult pigs on the beach

Yacht crew feeding left overs to the hungry pigs

Cute baby pigs on the sand, we counted 20+

NOT MINE, but a local fisherman cleaning a Mahi Mahi

Nurse Sharks at the fish cleaning station with kids petting them

The beach nearStaniel Cay Yacht Club

The SCHOOL

The "CAR" doing about 20 en-route to the Grotto

Radeen ready to hit the snorkel site

The view from our boat at dinner time

Boat Buddies BOB and NINA take in the sunset from their Island Packet 38 MOONDANCE

Another wonderful day in the Exumas. Tomorrow we need to jug a little fuel, 10 gallons, and jug a little water, 50 gallons. Then we will sail 9 miles to Black Point Settlement for much needed laundry and dinner ashore!

Warderick Wells Last Day

The USA Flag off Warderick Wells....

Tomorrow we will depart Warderick Wells and move on south to Big Major and Staniel Cay Yacht Club where we may find some BTC Bahamas Cell towers and some connectivity. This has all been uploaded via satellite communications and at a very slow speeds and expensive fees...

Here are a few photos from today, we really love it here...We hope you enjoy the photos.

Our sandbar that dries at low tide, once again

Mooring Ball #15, right off the beach and the park office

It is fun to walk along the sand bar edge where it drops off to 30+ feet

Nearly a shear drop off, fun to swim off

We take the dinghy over and anchor it on the bar

Look how cool this is....our yacht in deep water and the tender on the sandbar

Another beautiful sunset

Thank you for enjoying the photos of the most beautiful place in the Bahamas, now on to find more beautiful places....