Watch Out For the Coral Heads!!

We are back in Eluthera...Harbour Island. It is a gorgeous island about 60 miles from the Exumas(southern Bahamas). We stayed 3 nites in a great, sheltered anchorage in Royal Island. After 2 cold fronts passed we went into a marina in Spanish Wells...a settlment that has been around since the 1700's. Most of the residents are decendants from the early settlers. We shopped in a huge grocery store that was about 20 times the size of any that we had been around since early Feb. It was like a kid in a candy store. Who knew one could get so excited about yogurt....Anyway, today we hired a pilot by the name of Ole Pot...a 6th generation Spanish wellian that has been piloting boats between Spanish Wells and Harbour Island since 1956...He arrived in his small skiff and came along side our boat and then hopped on and we towed his boat behind us. He steered the entire way betweeh Spanish Wells and Harbour Island thru an area know as THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE...The entire 11 miles is strewn (?) with coral heads. I think he could do it blindfolded... only a slight exaggertion. By the way his given name is Vivian...that is why he known as OLe Pot....I have also inclded a gorgeous pic of Shroud Cay...a favorite island in the Exumas...

Seaplanes and the Other freedom

You would not know there was a recession going on in the Bahamas...The signs of wealth are apparent in the Exumas...Seaplanes landing where else but on the water and dropping off wealthy patrons to awaiting megayachts in the middle of the coral reefs...Certainly it is not across the board this booming economy but where it shows itself it is pretty amazing. There is a island inhabited only by pigs, placed there years ago. A seaplane came in for a landing by the shoreline, threw out an anchor and proceeded to drop off visitors to see the wild pigs...who are huge, aggressive and always hungry...yet picky food eaters. We had the same plane take off right next to our boat as the pilot waved to us from his cockpit...pretty cool. We are presently anchored off a private island that has a marina...Sampson Cay. We are here with 4 other buddy boats. In the past we had heard of another boat by the name of Freedom...upon seeing this 1926 motoryacht...there is no confusing our boat with this Freedom. It is gorrrrrgeous! Varnished wood like nothing we have ever seen...See pics...WoW!

JUnkanoo In Black Point

We were in Black Point on Great Guana Cay for Easter...For tradition the Bahamaians have Junkanoo...a parde with music and costumes...The band on Black Point was from Nassau..they started playing music as they strolled down the main street...The crowd came from all over the island and joined in the dancing..We all followed the band down the street...What a fun time!The headresses were pretty cool...See pic..

Shark Attack

Now that i have your attention....We were in Staniel cay...where they filmed the movie Thunderball in the 70's...starring Sean Connery as James Bond. They have a grotto...a cave of sorts that upon entering at low tide you can snorkel the inside. The "ceiling" is about 25 feet high and the the sun shines through....As far as sharks...they cut up all the fish that is caught daily at the cleaning station at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club...the nurse sharks appear and congregate to eat a morsel...sometimes the stingrays also gather...SEE PIC...