big major whirlwind

Posted on January 27, 2013 by Jenny

December 18 – 23, 2012

Our week at Big Majors Spot was a whirlwind of activity.

Daily, Colin would finish school early, so he could play with the boys from What If and Good Trade. Justine and Colin worked extremely hard to complete all schoolwork that needed finishing before the Christmas holiday.

Each afternoon, we either snorkeled or explored the surrounding areas. Periodically, Wil would try his hand at spearfishing, but with no luck. We snorkeled in the Thunderball Grotto, a cave famous for its part in the filming of the James Bond movie, Thunderball.

west entrance to Thunderball Grotto

getting ready to snorkel Thunderball Grotto

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Colin and Justine experienced their first large barracuda while snorkeling. Justine and I (along with Kris from What If and Kyler from Good Trade) were ahead of Colin and Derek from What If. We came across a large barracuda and watched as it lingered near us. Soon, it started heading in the direction of Colin and Derek. I alerted the boys, letting them know that the barracuda was headed towards them. Suddenly, we heard what sounded like two girls shrieking. The boys were screaming like frightened girls as they scrambled into the closest dinghy. We couldn’t help but laugh!

One day there was some swell breaking at a small inlet nearby, so I drove Wil and the paddleboard over for a quick surf session. It had been such a long time since Wil had surfed, so he was a bit wobbly in the beginning. However, he quickly found his footing and proceeded to catch about a dozen waves. He was a new man afterwards!

Due to a wind shift, we all eventually moved from the north tip of Big Majors Spot around to the southwestern side near Pig Beach. Daily we could watch tourists and boaters visit the pigs with treats in hand. Each morning, a local boat would dump a trash can full of scraps on the beach for them. The pigs would start squealing and immediately swim out to greet arriving boats.

pigs swimming out to greet a tour boat

 

 

 

 

 

Simon from Cat arrived to spend Christmas with us. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner onboard his boat one evening. His offer to cook dinner for us came at a perfect moment because it was almost dinnertime, I had no idea what to cook, and I was wishing we could go out to eat just once. Somehow he must have known!

We spent much of our socializing time with What If, Good Trade, Tangerine Dream, and Cat. The anchorage gradually filled up with many more boats arriving for Christmas festivities.

Wildlife seen during our stay at Big Majors Spot: nurse sharks, a green sea turtle, barracuda, large sting rays, starfish, gars, snapper, grouper, and many other varieties of fish.

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broken hook & swimming pigs

Posted on January 25, 2013 by Jenny

December 17, 2012

We sailed offshore from O’Brien’s Cay to Big Majors Spot in hopes of catching some fish, but we had no such luck. Although, something quite large ended up on the line, only to break the hook in half before getting away. We would have loved to have seen what it was! By the end of the day, we only caught one barracuda which we released.

Upon entering the cut between Little Majors Spot and Staniel Cay, the outflowing current was strong against the east wind, and the bright afternoon sun was directly in front of us. This made for some tense moments as we navigated our way in from the offshore waters, the boat sliding sideways in the current. There was plenty of water depth, as long as we stayed to the middle of the narrow cut, but there were large coral rocks along the sides. I was at the helm with Wil on the bow keeping a watchful eye for any rocks that may not be on the charts. Once we were in calmer waters, it took some time for nerves and adrenaline to settle. I, especially, didn’t want to speak to anyone until I was breathing normally again.

Based on forecasted wind conditions, we chose to anchor on north side of the tip of Big Majors Spot, an area surrounded by several other small cays. By the end of the afternoon, What If and Good Trade had joined us in our own private little anchorage. The kids were so excited to see their buddy, Derek, again, and they were looking forward to meeting Kyler on Good Trade. Island Cat, who we kept seeing along the way since Spanish Wells, was anchored in the neighboring anchorage. Now that we were going to be settled in one spot for awhile, we enjoyed getting to know them, as well.

Just after anchoring, we dinghied over to what’s known as Pig Beach on Big Majors Spot. Several very large pigs live on the island and are eager to receive a handout from anyone willing to visit them. It’s quite intimidating when a couple of 300-pound pigs swim up to the dinghy in search of food. We are amazed at the pigs’ swimming ability! We kept our inflatable dinghy at a safe distance, so as not to end up like one deflated dinghy one on the beach.

eager for a handout from the dinghy!

waiting for a handout

this gar fish feeds on scraps along with the pigs

notice the deflated dinghy on the beach!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now it was time to stay put, focus on school exams, and get ready for Christmas.

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sitting high

Posted on January 24, 2013 by Jenny

December 16, 2012

coral bottom at the Seaquarium, O'Brien's Cay

Our last day in the Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park was spent anchored at O’Brien’s Cay. As soon as we dropped the anchor, we headed off for another afternoon of snorkeling.

We were returning to the boat when we noticed Full Monty sitting slightly high on her port side. We commented on the empty port water tank and we were amazed at how much higher she floated without the extra weight.

As we stepped onboard, we immediately noticed a certain sense of stillness. The boat wasn’t floating. She was sitting on the bottom!

While we had been snorkeling, the wind had shifted slightly, and the boat had swung into shallower water. At the same time the tide was dropping.

The tide continued to drop, and the starboard side eventually came to full rest on the bottom, creating a steeper slant with the port side higher than the starboard side. During the time it took for the boat to be completely on the ground, every time a local power boat zoomed past, the starboard side would bounce on the bottom with every wake. This made things a tad uncomfortable until the boat could be completely aground. We joked about having to walk uphill from one side of the boat to the other. It was a really strange feeling!

Eventually the tide changed. s/v Tangerine Dream swung with the tide, and we stayed sitting in our same direction. It was another strange sensation to see the two boats facing different directions, knowing we weren’t floating.

We made plans to re-anchor once we were floating again, and the tide was high enough. However, that would be at about 8:30 p.m., it would be pitch dark, and we were surrounded by shallow water and coral reefs.

When the time came for re-anchoring, we did it with the deck light on and the iPad Navionics at my side. With the iPad, I could see where our previous track had been, and I could stick to that path, getting us back to deeper water. It’s a bit nerve-wracking when you are totally blind by the surrounding darkness, and must have complete trust in the electronics chart, but in this case all worked out.

We had success! Once the anchor was down again, we settled in for the night, knowing we would have a full night’s sleep. It was a relief to know we wouldn’t be woken around 3 a.m. by the boat going bump with the dropping tide.

The next day we would say a temporary good-by to s/v Tangerine Dream, and be off to Big Majors Spot for a rendezvous with s/v What If. The kids were looking forward to kid time again!

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super snorkeling

Posted on January 20, 2013 by Jenny

December 14 – 16, 2012

~ Leave only footprints, take only photos ~ is the motto for exploring within the Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park. However, in our case it was mostly leave only bubbles.

Snorkeling the reefs within the Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park is an incredible experience. Since people are only allowed to “look, but not take”, the sea life on the reefs is the biggest you’ll see in all of the Bahamas. Along with s/v Tangerine Dream, we spent two beautiful days snorkeling reef after reef.

Our snorkeling video speaks for itself. Watch our Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park 2012 video to see some beautiful reefs with many varieties of fish, some really big lobster, and even a plane wreck. It’s about 10 minutes long, so sit back, relax, and enjoy.

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more photos

Posted on January 11, 2013 by Jenny

December 14 – 16, 2012

While I spend some more time editing video, here are are some additional photos of our time in the Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park.

looks like a lion

down in Murphy's Hideaway

I almost stepped on the snake & it hissed at Colin

Warderick Wells

listening to our dive instructor

continuing with our dive instruction

 

 

 

 

 

a morning of squalls

near Shroud Cay

motoring along

on the move without wind

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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warderick wells cay

Posted on January 2, 2013 by Jenny

December 14 – 1 5, 2012

Here are some photos of our time in Warderick Wells Cay.

breathtaking water colors

 

love the blues

sperm whale that died from eating plastic

east side of Warderick Wells Cay looking south

east side of Warderick Wells looking north

 

waiting for a blow hole to blow

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

lots of air blowing through

 

air and water blowing through from the wave action below

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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mended by a nurse

Posted on January 2, 2013 by Jenny

December 12 – 15, 2012

The next day after our traumatic experience in the current, we hoisted anchor and worked our way into the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park. We spent one night at Shroud Cay, before getting to Warderick Wells Cay, home of the park headquarters.

We barely had the anchor down when I spotted a nurse shark in the water just off our stern. As soon as our boat was still, it made its way under our boat to have a rest.

Colin was so excited to see the shark he couldn’t wait to get in the water for a closer look. We didn’t want to miss a video opportunity, so we had to hold Colin back while we got the camera ready.

Justine was just finishing school, and she wasn’t sure if she should go for swim right away. She still can’t over my words to her, “You can go swim with the shark, if you want to.” How many kids ever hear those words out of their mother’s mouth?

Eventually, we were all in the water with the shark, and it was the most incredible experience. Over the next few days, this nurse shark and its shark sucker would return to visit us. One really large remora swam on its own and would help itself to cleaning our bottom.

We thank the nurse shark for taking our minds off our Allan’s Cay experience. For the first time since being caught in the current, we were focused on a new experience of a lifetime, and it was a lot more fun. We could go to bed dreaming of swimming with sharks instead!

Check out the video of our friendly nurse shark!

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almost swept away

Posted on December 30, 2012 by Jenny

December 9 – 11, 2012

[Note: This post was an emotionally difficult one for me to write. My heart still races and I get nauseous when I think back through the ordeal.]

My entire family was in danger and there was nothing I could do to help save them. Thanks to a French dive instructor, and Wil’s strength and determination, we were all able to return to the boat with only minor injuries and bruised egos.

After departing Nassau, and spending another day at Rose Island, we sailed across the Yellow Bank to Allan’s Cay at the northern end of the Exuma chain. Allan’s Cay is famous for the many iguanas that live on its beaches, and we were eager to show the kids a beautiful reef we had snorkeled on 14 years ago. Our first afternoon in Allan’s Cay was spent on the beach with the iguanas and snorkeling the nearby coral walls.

great snorkeling along the coral wall

anchored in beautiful water

beach where the iguanas like to hang out

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was after school the next day when we took the dinghy around behind the east side of Leaf Cay where we remember having snorkeled so long ago. We also took Cathy from Tangerine Dream with us because her husband, Philippe, doesn’t like to swim, and it would be fun for her to have company.

When we arrived to the snorkel spot, the current was flowing out around either side of the tiny coral rock island, so we decided to anchor the dinghy just to the westside of the rock, away from the current. There was no current tugging at the dinghy, so we all jumped into the water and headed for the nearby coral reef.

Once we had looked at everything on one side of the coral rock island, we wanted to get around to the other side of the rock where we remembered the spectacular reef with so many beautiful fish. As we neared the southern edge of the rock, Cathy indicated that the current was too strong at that edge, and we should turn back. We returned to the back side and swam towards the northern edge of the rock. We really wanted to get around to the other side, but it wasn’t looking possible.

As we neared the northern edge, I saw Cathy suddenly make a fast swim in the direction of the dinghy. A red flag went up in my head, and I turned to swim towards Wil and the kids. I was going to tell them we needed to turn back. Before I knew it, all four of us were struggling against a very powerful current, and everything that happened over the next moments was a whirlwind of chaos.

Wil had been able to make slow progress against the current, so he realized that he needed to get to shallower water where he could plant himself and become a focus for the kids to swim towards.

I was nearest to Colin when he suddenly started crying out that he couldn’t swim anymore because his legs were tired. I started yelling at him to keep swimming and to not dare give up.

It was at that point that I realized I was in a losing battle with the current. I couldn’t get my feet planted on the bottom because the current would sweep them off. I was breathing so hard that I couldn’t get enough air through the snorkel. I’d take the snorkel off, but then I’d get a mouth full of water. My limbs were becoming exhausted. My body was giving out and had no more to give.

I glanced around and saw that both kids had made it to Wil. He had made them focus on small swimming steps, until they were able to grab onto him. They weren’t out of the current, but Wil had them. They were a step closer to being safe.

In my mind, I could relax now and let the current take me where it will. I was giving up when Wil started yelling at me to swim towards him. I wanted to say that I couldn’t, but his look told me I’d better try.

I gave it my all and made it to my family. However, my additional pull on Wil was too much. There was no way he could hold all of us. I desperately wanted him to be able to hold me just long enough, so I could catch a breath. Then I would let go with renewed energy. However, we only had seconds.

So I wouldn’t pull everyone backwards, I was deciding to let go when Wil pointed to the coral rock. That’s when I finally came to my senses and was able to think more clearly. Swim ACROSS the current. In the chaos and panic, everything I had ever known to do had escaped me.

We all swam across the current towards the coral rock. Justine and I ended up clinging to the side facing Exuma Sound, while Colin landed around the opposite side. Wil was somewhere in between. Waves were pushing us against the coral rock, but we weren’t being pulled out to sea. Wil was able to give Cathy a signal to go for the dinghy.

I couldn’t see Colin, but I was able to talk to him and know that he was still hanging on. I heard him crying when one wave broke on him, lifting him up and onto the coral. Not only did the coral cut his hand, but it also went through his wetsuit, nicking his tummy in several places. He was crying and saying that his hand was burning. I just kept telling him to not let go.

As we waited for Cathy (which took some moments because she wasn’t familiar with our engine), the full scope of the situation flashed across my mind. It was surreal. It was what one reads about or sees on TV. This couldn’t really be happening to us! Here we were clinging to a coral rock trying not to be swept out to sea.

After getting all of us together on one side of the rock, we made our plan for getting to the dinghy. Once Wil could see that Cathy had the engine running, we all hung onto each other and let ourselves drift out away from the rock. We had the kids keep their masks on and focus on the bottom, looking at all the beautiful coral and fish, as we quickly drifted into deeper water with the current.

Cathy motored out around the coral reef to come get us. However, once she rounded the reef to the deeper water, she aimed for the coral rock where we had been. She didn’t see us, but we could see her. We yelled to her, but she couldn’t hear us. It took several big arm waves from all of us before we caught her eye. It was in that moment that I realized just how easily people can be lost at sea once they’ve fallen overboard.

I can’t describe how good it felt to know we had all of us back in the dinghy again. The sense of relief was so overwhelming, I wanted to cry. Once we returned to the boat, and were in the privacy of our own family, we all hugged, and I did my best not to cry as I clung to everyone. It wasn’t until later, after the kids were in bed, when I sobbed quietly with Wil.

We all talked about what had happened, what we did wrong, what our options were for our own self-rescue, and how to avoid something like this in the future.

Colin and I were emotionally the most effected. Colin tends to think of the “what if” for worst possible scenarios, and his imagination went wild after such a traumatic experience. It took a lot of extra comforting before he could finally recover.

As for myself, I kept replaying the sequence of events in my mind, causing my heart to race and my stomach to feel nauseous. I felt sick for two days following the incident. My children had been in danger, and I had been completely unable to help them. I couldn’t help but feel so inadequate.

Wil felt guilty for having to leave us in order to save us, but he realizes that it was the right decision. Justine remained calm, cool, and collected through the entire thing. She is our rock.

We are proud of both kids for doing exactly what they needed to do when we told them, and we are both amazed at what strong swimmers they have become.

Now when we go snorkeling, we pay closer attention to the tides and current. We try to swim mostly at slack tide. If that’s not possible, or if we’re in an area of strong current, then one of us stays in the dinghy, keeping near those who are snorkeling.

This was a lesson of a lifetime.

small coral rock island (middle of photo) that we clung to

Allans Cay relative to Exuma Sound

snorkeled on the rock just east of Leaf Cay

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learning from the locals

Posted on December 26, 2012 by Jenny

December 8, 2012

On this Saturday, we had decided to split up for our day ashore in Nassau. Wil took the kids to the cruise ship area and over the bridge to Paradise Island, while I went inland for some various shopping.

This was the first time in a very long time that I had ventured any major distance in foreign lands on my own without Wil at my side. I knew I would need to be aware of my surroundings, as I would pass through some not so favorable areas. Little did I know, by the end of the day I would end up with some very helpful tips from local islanders.

Prior to my departure, I dressed in capris pants with a nice t-shirt. I knew I had not seen any local women wearing anything above the knee, and I wanted to be considerate in my dress. After saying good-bye to Wil and the kids, I put on my sunglasses and walked up Mackey Street, away from the cruising community. In my mind, if I kept my sunglasses on and walked with an assured pace, I would appear to know where I was going and what I was doing.

As I walked, I smiled and said hello to people I passed along the way. The local men would immediately smile and return the greetings. However, every woman would look the other way or be in conversation with others. I wondered why this was the case.

After an hour of walking, I knew I was close to my destination, but I wasn’t finding it. I decided to stop in a local pharmacy to ask for directions. As people usually do, I removed my sunglasses when entering the store, letting them hang by the croakies around my neck.

The girl I spoke to was surprised to find out that I had just walked an hour by myself through that part of town. She was quick to tell me that I needed to be very careful. Then, she drew out a map that would take me on a shorter and safer walk through a neighborhood, even avoiding homes with dogs. After going over the map, she walked me to the door and wanted to review the directions again. However, she made it clear that we couldn’t look like she was giving me directions. She didn’t want anyone to know I wasn’t from the area. Then, in case I would need extra help later, or run into trouble, she wrote down her home and cell phone numbers for me. I am so grateful to her for being so kind and helpful.

I continued on my walk and finally found the shopping mall I was looking for. There were many of the same stores one would find in a mall in the states, and the entire layout was also very similar. There were even local school kids performing holiday Junkanoo dances for the shoppers. It was very much like being in the states. However, I only ever saw two other light skinned people the entire time I was there, and they were both obviously local. One appeared to be a teacher with students, and one was an employee. I secretly hoped I didn’t look like a visitor.

As I was making some purchases in one store, the clerk asked, “Are you on a boat?” Curious about why he thought I had that appearance, I replied, “What gives it away?” He pointed to the sunglasses hanging from my neck. I asked him why the sunglasses, and he said they mean money. I had wondered why I hadn’t seen anyone wearing sunglasses in such a sunny place. He explained that sunglasses are expensive, so most people don’t wear them.

After making a couple more purchases from one more store, I made my way to the restrooms. I had decided to properly prepare myself for my trip back to the boat, and I would do so in the privacy of a bathroom stall. So no one could tell where I’d been shopping, I placed all of my purchases in my own reusable bags, and then I tucked my sunglasses safely away in my pack. Feeling better about my appearance, and after placing local currency bus fare in my pocket, I headed for the nearest bus stop.

When the bus (which was a large van) pulled up, I verified with the driver that it would take me back to the waterfront. I paid the $1.25 in Bahamian, boarded the bus, and positioned myself in the very back seat. Someone had left a cell phone on the seat. I quickly gave it the driver, and he immediately ran after the phone’s owner.

Once the bus was underway, I sat back and took in the passing scenery. Various passengers (mostly women) chit-chatted with me like I was just any other person on the bus. Except for the color of my skin, I finally felt like I was blending.

As the bus arrived at the waterfront, and drove down the street where many cruise ship passengers shop, I became stunned at the vast difference compared to where I had just been shopping. Tourists with fancy clothes, were either casually walking along with their duty free bags, or goofing off under the influence of alcohol. At that moment, I was glad to be sitting behind the bus window, seeing the world from a different perspective.

The bus dropped me off near the Paradise Island bridge, and I walked the rest of the way towards the east end of the harbor. Before calling Wil on the VHF, I made a few more stops in nearby local stores. I had been gone for 4 hours, and by the time I walked to the dock with all my bags, it was after dark. I knew Wil and the kids would be starting to worry.

Even though we had a joyous family reunion, I had thoroughly enjoyed the time on my own, experiencing local culture. Over dinner, we all shared our stories of the day. Wil and the kids had also experienced the vast difference in wealth and lifestyle when they crossed over the bridge to Paradise Island. We all agreed that there’s a place for that level of wealthy tourism, but that it was too much for the Bahamas.

cruise ships docked by the bridge to Paradise Island

I think I speak for both Wil and myself when I say how proud we are of our kids. During our discussions about the day, Colin commented that after having been on other islands, and seeing local islanders in Nassau, Paradise Island was “not a true view of the Bahamas”. I really love his words!

Justine said that after being in Nassau on the main island, she realized that Paradise Island didn’t have the real Bahamian culture. She says that Paradise Island is built in a way that the tourists want to see the Bahamas. For example, there were decorated walkways and stores that sold diamonds and other jewels of wealth. She said that she felt out of place on Paradise Island.

Again, this was another day we are so happy to be exploring and learning about the various ways of the world.

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special times

Posted on December 21, 2012 by Jenny

December 7, 2012

Our morning started with a unique ham radio contact. After speaking with my dad and a family friend over the air, a station in Oklahoma contacted me. He was getting ready to do a Special Events session with a group of middle school students in remembrance of Pearl Harbor. After he started his session, and received several other contacts, he put out a call to the sailing vessel Full Monty. Justine and Colin went on the air with some of his students, answering a few questions about where we were and what it was like to live and do school onboard a sailboat. We were very excited to have taken part in such a special experience.

Later in the day, after school, and after a full afternoon of errands and chores, I thought about everything my kids had experienced that day. It was the first time they had stepped foot into a larger Bahamian town. They walked a mile to the grocery store, and then back again, helping with the shopping and carrying the groceries. They got to see how local fisherman process conch, as well as see their dad refuse to eat the reproductive organ that he was offered. When we returned to the boat, the kids helped hand-grind grain into flour. Then, we completed the day with a fish dinner, using some of the king mackerel that Colin had pulled in a few days before.

It’s on days like these that I’m so thrilled we chose to make the lifestyle change and travel the world onboard a sailboat. This is only the beginning of all the many learning experiences, as well as the memories that will last a lifetime.

the manly man way to grind flour

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