Buddy boating with Agility & Valianna

In early February, we enjoyed ocean beach walks, Mango Pina Colada's at the Snappy Turtle, volleyball at Chat 'n Chill, sailing on Agility with Jeff & Krista, a couples massage at The Beach Club on February Point, taking pictures of other peoples boats under rainbows and hiking to the Monument and Da Sand Bar (otherwise know as StarFish or FlipFlop Beach) with the crew on Agility and our new friends, Carl & Val, on s/v Valianna. Here are some of my favorite pics:

On Saturday, February 12th, Andrew and I set sail for Cat Island, 50 miles northeast of George Town. We had a nice sail (some of it with our chute up) in 12 to 15 knots out of the SE and caught a fish on the way. I posted a picture of the fish on an Exuma group website and started a debate that lasted for 95 comments! Some thought it was a Spanish Mackeral and not edible, others thought it was a wahoo (including Andrew, at first), but most identified it as a Cero Mackeral and good eating. We arrived at New Bight in time for cocktails and the sounds of throbbing reggae music coming from shore while Andrew set to the task of filleting and cooking the fish. 

The following day we hiked up Mt. Alvernia, the highest point in the Bahamas, to The Hermitage, a small monastery built in 1939 by the renowned architect and priest, Father Jerome. That afternoon, our friends on Agility and Valianna arrived in the harbor, along with almost two dozen other boats that had the same idea of riding out the blow expected over the next few days, in this relatively protected harbor.

On Valentine's Day, we picked up some yummy cinnamon bread at the local bakery, and met up with our friends to visit Debbie's Straw Works (some of the best I've seen in the islands) and sit on tires at the bright blue restaurant called Lil Gippy's to eat lobster and conch, as we watched the weather roll in.

On the most blustery day, we chose to go sailing on Valianna, a Chris White designed catamaran with foil sails. The guys couldn't wait to see what it was like to stress test the foils in 20-25 knots. Once they got it moving forward, instead of backwards, it was wet and invigorating! 

We had planned a road trip the next day, but instead gave showers to our boats in the pouring rain until it cleared up in the afternoon and we went ashore for a game of backgammon with the locals and an impromptu Rake & Scrape (beach party with music played on a drum, an accordion and what looks like wooden kitchen implements) organized on the VHF by the cruisers.

We finally had a day that we could rent a car to explore Cat Island with Carl & Val (from Valianna). We drove along the coast to Fernandez Bay Resort, a beautiful spot that is owned by a Canadian who bought it for a family compound and decided to keep it going as a business, and on through Arthurs Town, which is where the actor, Sidney Poitier was born. After turning around on a dirt and stone road with potholes as big as our car, we had lunch at a roadside shack where Kizzie cooked up the best curry chicken and sweet potato fries I've had yet.

Once the weather settled down, Andrew and I had a window of opportunity to motor to Conception Island, a National Park 36 miles south of Cat Island, which is quite beautiful but very exposed. The island offers idyllic pink sand beaches and the clearest blue turquoise water you can imagine but we never found the good snorkel sites that were promised in the guide book. We did however, enjoy a dinghy ride in the mangroves where we saw a dozen turtles too quick for me to photograph. 

In the harbor off Conception we were joined by an aqua blue, Italian designed power yacht, which Andrew decided he would like to have if we ever went to the dark side AND won the lottery. It gave us a 4 hour head start but ended up following us into Calabash Bay, Long Island, where we had hoped to dine at the Santa Maria Resort. Unfortunately, they were full but the overnight stop broke up the windless motor sail back to George Town, where we'll be spending the next few weeks.