GOOD-BYE EXUMAS!

We are in Florida getting boat ready for hurricane season, out of water and strapped down. Then home to Spring time weather with family and friends.

CRAB SHELL

We are staying at Bimini Sands, in south Bimini. This is a gated community with marina. We are leaving to cross Gulf tomorrow. Found this small crab shell, all intact, amazing. I took a great picture of a jellyfish floating by our swim platform. The infinity pool is great here but the seagulls love drinking from it. I don't mind but they are noisy about it, chit chatting with all their friends.

We are anxious to be back. Soon the boat will be put on the hard and driving home.

BIMINI EXCURSIONS

While waiting to cross Gulf we are walking and taking our dinghy around. The pictures are not self explanatory. One is a mountain of conch shells. Once the conch is removed the shell gets thrown into the pile. I went close to take pics but should not have.....the stink was unbearable. Note that this pile is next to the local basketball slab. Poor people playing there, the shell smell would be overwhelming.

There is an infinity pool at Bimini Bay Resort World. We took a long walk to there.

There is a great place called the Dolphin House. Combination hotel, museum and gift shop. For $3 donation one gets a tour of the house. This house is built by Ashley Saunders. He collects junk, garbage and old things to create the house. Absolutely amazing. He is very artistic.

DEAD END

While walking yesterday we came upon a dead end, loved the sign so took a picture. There is a great picture of Paul below, see if you can spot the words carved next to his shoulder. Windy and wavy here in Bimini but happy to be at a marina.

CALM? NOT

We did leave Norman's Cay for Nassau then next day travelled the Tongue of Ocean to Chub Cay and left again next day (yesterday) for Bimini. The weather was going to turn windy and the water not nice. We rather be "stranded or stuck" in Bimini than Chub or Nassau. So now we are tourists this week waiting for the Gulf to calm down. The 8 to 9 ft waves means the marinas here are pretty busy. We are excited to be plugged into shore power. The air conditioners are on, I can use oven whenever, do laundry as I please. No generator noise.

The pics below are the Gulf which looks so calm, but it is NOT. I also took a pic of a very "top heavy" cruise ship in Nassau. It has a square back so from directly behind it doesn't look like a ship.

CALM? NOT

We did leave Norman's Cay for Nassau then next day travelled the Tongue of Ocean to Chub Cay and left again next day (yesterday) for Bimini. The weather was going to turn windy and the water not nice. We rather be "stranded or stuck" in Bimini than Chub or Nassau. So now we are tourists this week waiting for the Gulf to calm down. The 8 to 9 ft waves means the marinas here are pretty busy. We are excited to be plugged into shore power. The air conditioners are on, I can use oven whenever, do laundry as I please. No generator noise.

The pics below are the Gulf which looks so calm, but it is NOT. I also took a pic of a very "top heavy" cruise ship in Nassau. It has a square back so from directly behind it doesn't look like a ship.

OOPS!

Oops! Hahahaha

EXUMA LAND AND SEA PARK

We left Staniel and headed north, one night at Hog Cay on a mooring ball there and three nights at north mooring field; all part of Exuma Park. Beautiful there. We did hiking and socializing. Many boats not travelling because of high winds. If sailing south then good. We hiked up to Boo Boo Hill and left a sign like most boaters do. See all the pics below.

We are now anchored at Skipjack, Norman's Cay. We will explore, snorkel and enjoy our last few days in Exuma. We will hit civilization soon!

FISHING FOR 10 MINUTES!

We have success! We put a line out on our dinghy on our way to Sampson Cay. Not far from Big Major's where we are anchored. WHAM! A big bite! Didn't go to Sampson because we caught a fish near some coral. We put this beautiful fish in our "look see" bucket and motored back to motoryacht to get the "book"........the book that has all kinds of fish, drawings, names, good eating or not. We think that we caught a Mutton Snapper. We want to throw fish back in if not edible. So we dinghy over to another boat from Florida. They said YES, keep it...good eating, it is indeed a mutton snapper. The spaghetti planned is no more! Snapper for dinner. Delicious.

We did go to Sampson after cleaning fish, semi low tide. See pictures below. This app on phone is much different than the program on computer. All pictures are added at end of blog. (And pics from my phone only, not from my camera!)

PERFECT PICNIC DAYS

Pack our cooler with drinks, bean salad and pork. Pack a bag with towel, camera and hat......we are ready to take our dinghy up to Pipe Creek. We are picking up Sam, Suzie and Fred! One is a great dog. We are going on a sight seeing tour and a picnic. Perfect Day!

Shell collecting, blue waters, great friends. We are in Staniel Cay are waiting for the Captain C boat to arrive with provisions, then off we head northward.

COPPERFIELD PIANO