*PIG BEACH
*THUNDERBALL GROTTO from Staniel Cay Yacht Club
*STANIEL CAY YACHT CLUB
*STANIEL CAY, cut from Exuma Sound to the Banks
It has been eleven days in “Exuma Land & Sea Park” on Warderick Wells Cay watching back-to-back-to-back northers storming through the Bahamas like invading storm troopers. 20-35 knots of constant wind howling through the shrouds seems normal now, but no more pleasant. We’ve been sleeping with downbags and wool blankets far too often this winter. We want global warming back, and we want it NOW! What the heck are you guys doing over there on the mainland? It’s like everyone on the North American continent has left their refrigerator doors open, and we’re downwind.
Three days ago, in between northers, we decided to force a change by making a run farther south about 25 miles to a great uninhabited anchorage call “Big Majors” just off of Staniel Cay. If it’s possible, we were actually getting tired of the beautiful Exuma Park mooring field. We had hiked every trail and beach on the whole island two or three times. On February 6 we slipped our mooring ball, and along with three other sailboats we’d gotten to know well, left our protected home . . . seeing as how the wind had slowed to only a steady 25 knots with gusts to over 35 knots. We looked like we were going skiing. We were both wearing every long sleeve shirt we owned, fleece jackets, rain jackets, jeans, socks, ski caps, and gloves. It was freakin’ cold! All four of the vessels cleared the harbor cliffs, popped our jibs to the north wind, and flew south for the next four hours. It was an exhilarating, rail down, broad reach the whole way . . . almost overpowering. Our GPS trip log recorded a new record for us of a maximum speed of 8.0 knots; we were surfing occasionally. Fun ride! With big smiles on our faces, we* plopped down our anchors at Big Majors just off of a pretty 200 yard long white beach called “Pig Beach”, joining 35 other sailboats already there for days. “Pig Beach” is appropriately named so because, if you venture ashore there, a half dozen wild pigs will come running & actually swimming out into the surf to meet your dinghy. They like to be fed and many dinks have been forcibly boarded by these 400 lb Somali porker pirates. With the exception of a few wild goats, they’re the only inhabitants. Ahhh! New islands and trails to explore.
(*I must heretofore interject a correction. The Admiral just pointed out that in the paragraph above I “inferred” that all four sailboats arrived and anchored at Big Majors together. I apologize. In the interest of historical correctness, and for anyone who really cares, only three of us stopped at Big Majors; the third continued south another 10 miles to Blacks Point. Whew, I feel so vindicated now. Please carry on.)
Approximately a mile and a half by dink is the Staniel Cay settlement . . . civilization . . . there are maybe 50 people here but they sport two restaurants and three grocery stores. The two restaurants are the Staniel Cay Yacht Club (and they use the term yacht club loosely) and Club Thunderball. They are rustically functional, rather expensive, but both have great fresh fish and conch sandwiches . . . tons of character. If you’re squeamish about health and cleanliness standards when it comes to restaurants, however, you should really stay in the States. Club Thunderball had its 10 seconds of fame years ago when 007 Sean Connery dove into the Thunderball grotto which lies just off shore in front of the restaurant. Nancy & I snorkeled into the grotto a couple of years ago, but not this year . . . did I happen to mention? It’s freakin’ COLD! Anyway, the whole cay is about the size of half a football field and the whole inside of the island is a hollow grotto. To enter, you have to wait until low slack tide, then you can swim inside the island through one of two small cave-like underwater entrances. There’s a 4 foot hole in the roof which is thirty feet above you that admits enough light to see. It’s seriously cool . . . but does freak some people out however.
Sooooo, this blog is coming from the Staniel Cay Yacht Club restaurant . . . the only wifi for miles (costing $10 to log on) . . . but great fresh cracked conch and ice cold Kalik Bahamian beer. I’m happy.
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