By Kevin
Allens Cay Hermit Crab
Author Archives: Kevin Taylor
Queen Conch
By Kevin
The queen conch must be the national dish of The Bahamas. (The name rhymes with honk.) The locals eat conch a multitude of different ways but the most popular seem to be conch salad (similar to ceviche), scorch conch, cracked conch, conch chowder, and conch fritters.
Conch are simple animals who produce, and live in, beautiful shells. They are peaceful little critters who live on the ocean bottom, eating vegetation. But, many people think they taste awefully good, proven by the mighty piles of conch shells laying around any Bahamian settlement–some piles are more than 5 feet high.
Allens Cay, the Land that Time Forgot
By Kevin
Bound for the Exumas
By Kevin
On January 2nd, 2013 at 8 am in the morning we raised our anchor at Rose Island and set a southeast course for the Exumas island chain 30 miles away.
Our pattern for doing sea legs has become: listen to the Chris Parker weather from 6:30-7:00 am; make a final go/no-go decision for the day; tidy up both down-below and on-deck; raise the dinghy onto the stern davits; pack food and water bottles appropriate for the leg; raise anchor (with me working the windlass and Jennifer on the helm; and, head out.
Typically the kids are both asleep when we leave. We lay out their life jackets and harnesses on the salon seatee and when they wake up they peak their heads up into the cockpit to see where we are. Occassionally, though, the motion is so smooth that they don’t realize we are sailing. This trip was one of those days.
We had a 30 mile sail ahead of us on the Bahama Banks, which averages only 20 feet of water. It was so glassy calm that we could see individual fish, coral, and marine life at the bottom even while traveling along at 5 knots.
About halfway in-between Nassau and the Exumas is the Yellow and White Banks. These are areas strewn with coral heads. Some are massive and lay just under the surface of the water awaiting the keels of unaware boats. Since our course took us over the southern end of the Yellow Bank, we stationed Madeline and Zach, one on each side of the bow, as lookouts for the 90 minute sail through this dangerous area.
They were on the lookout for what appears to be an oil slick. Black, splotchy water. This is the tell-tale sign of a coral reef sitting under the surface. Usually they are harmless, sitting 10 or more feet deep. But, there are a few that will get you, such as this one that we passed over just a little too closely.
We avoided the coral heads and made good time with the diesel engine and mainsail. We spotted Allens Cay–Land Ho–at 2 pm and were anchored in the nicely protected cove by 3 pm with 8-10 other boats nearby.
Sundown at Rose Island
By Kevin
Atlantis
By Kevin
Before leaving Nassau on December 31st, we were able to arrange a few nights at the immense and sprawling Atlantis resort that takes up about a third of Paradise Island. We tried to get our boat into the Atltantis marina where we would have had full access to the resort while sleeping aboard our boat–for only $160 a night–which is less than half the cost of one of their most budget-friendly rooms. As it were, the marina was full so we had to book ourselves into a room.
To give you some perspective, the room below that we stayed in has more square footage than our entire boat. So, it was quite a luxury.
What can I say about Atlantis that you haven’t already heard. It has an aquarium that is as sprawling as the rest of the complex. You can swim with the sharks, swim with the dolphins, or as a last resort, swim with other humans. There is a Leap of Faith ride that drops you a hundred feet nearly straight down (and Zach lived to tell the tale). There are restaurants and luxury goods shopping plazas.
Sounds wonderful. And it was in many ways. But, there was always this feeling of being in La La Land. Each day right on schedule was a staged Junkanoo parade with 10-12 locals marching around the grounds, singing, dancing, and playing their instruments. But if you looked closely the instruments were so shiny and new–unlike the rusty instruments that we saw in the real Junkanoo parade. And the dancers were not sweating from the effort of their dancing like the dancers in the real Junkanoo parade.
But it is so easy to lay in a lounge chair and enjoy the spectacle. And be none the wiser.
Madeline and Zach spent a few nights attending the Club Rush tween club. They played video games, met potential pen pals, and danced until their legs ached. And then complained about aching legs the next day.
Meanwhile, Jennifer and I were able to take in the Jokers Wild comedy club and even throw some dice in the casino. Yes, La La Land is fun, especially with complementary rum punch.
Your Anchor is Dragging!
By Kevin
We arrived at Rose Island around 4:30 PM. There were two catamarans and a sailboat already sitting in the small, protected cove, so we wove our way around until we found a good, sandy spot for our anchor.
We backed down on the anchor to get it buried deep into the sand and then we established a range on shore to check our position periodically. After monitoring the range for 15 minutes, we headed down below to prepare dinner and relax.
About 8:30, with our bellies full of grilled hamburgers, we heard someone in the cove blowing their emergency air horn! We rushed into the cockpit to see who was in trouble. Would we need to render assistance?
Then we noticed that we were very close to the large rocks at the edge of the cove. The rocks with the waves crashing against them. We were much closer than when we had dropped the anchor a few hours before.
Looking at our range, it clearly showed that we had dragged our anchor. We dragged it for at least a hundred feet across the sandy bottom. The boat next to us had noticed that we were drifting ever closer to the dangerous lee shore and its rocks and had blown their air horn to alert us. (Thanks, Steve!)
This was our first anchor dragging experience and now we know that even a 60 pound Manson Supreme will drag when not properly set. And, we realized just how difficult it is to feel an anchor dragging across a sandy bottom. So, monitoring those ranges is important. Better, once we anchor, we’ll be putting on a snorkel and mask and diving overboard to check the anchor (well, sometimes).
Arrival at Rose Island
By Kevin
After spending several weeks tied to a dock in Nassau, with its noises, chaos and strong currents, we were eager to head back out to more remote and tranquil islands.
On New Year’s Eve we set sail for Rose Island. This is a smail cay just a few hours sail east of Nassau.
Sitting at our anchorage at Rose Island later that night, we were still so close to Nassau that we were able to enjoy all the fireworks from Atlantis, downtown Nassau, and the other surrounding communities on New Providence Island. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the New Year!
During our couple of days stay at Rose Island, within a well-protected cove, we found a secluded little beach. It was what you would expect from a Bahamian beach. Clear water, white sands, and many hews of aqua.
Local Dining in Nassau
By Kevin
From what we were able to observe in Nassau, the area seems to be split into two districts: Paradise Island and, well, everything else. Paradise Island houses the famous Atlantis Resort, Club Med, and other resorts and vacation properties that cater exclusively to foreign tourists. Paradise Island itself is physically on a separate island from Nassau (which is on New Providence island). But, both islands are connected by several causeways, so in effect, they are all part of the greater Nassau metropolis.
The tourists dine in the restaurants of Paradise Island and in a small collection of restaurants in downtown Nassau located near the cruise ship terminals. (Approx. $40 per person.)
The locals eat at Potter’s Cay, a ragtag collection of small shack restaurants and markets. It has lots of loud music and loud local Bahamians, many off their shift from the fishing boats docked nearby. There will be plenty of fresh conch dishes and some other assorted catches of the day, such as snapper or mahi-mahi. (Approx. $8 per person.)
The locals also eat at Arawak Cay, along with adventurous tourists from the cruise ships. (Appro. $14 per person.)
One of the hot spots for well-to-do Nassau locals and sailboat cruisers alike is The Poop Deck, which is located in the marina where we stayed while in Nassau. The Grouper sandwich is delicious. (Approx. $30 per person.)
Fort Charlotte
By Kevin
From Wikipedia:
Fort Charlotte is a British-colonial era fort built on a hill over-looking the harbor of Nassau, The Bahamas. The fort sits a short walk west of downtown Nassau and the cruise ship terminal. The fort was constructed in the late 18th century by British colonial governor Lord Dunmore after the end of the American Revolutionary war. The fort has never been used in battle.
S/V Real Life 