Monday, February 17, 2014 Change of Plans....Fisher's Bay, Great Guana Cay

Our plans have been changed.  Instead of a morning snorkel, we are going to Fisher's Bay on Great Guana Cay...our 3rd time!  We aren't in any hurry to get there because Nippers had a pig roast on Sunday and we heard on the VHF that the anchorage was crowded with boats.  In fact, we are close enough to the bay that we can see boats leaving.  Soon the bay will have more area to snoop around for a good anchorage.  This is another place that has a grassy bottom.  The grass doesn't allow most anchors to dig in for good holding.  This bay does have 4 deep water mooring balls, which as a reminder, are owned by Troy of Dive Guana.    The last two times we came, we were able to grab the same mooring ball but we're anchoring today.

Keith on Rising Sun starts to raise his anchor. He's soon off and flying his jib.  We do the same. Circe is still at anchorage and will come a bit later.  It should only take us 1 hour to get to Fisher's Bay from the end of Guana Cay.  The winds are blowing 10-15 mph out of the east.  Perfect!  We debated raising our main but the distance is so short that we decided against it.  Chuck didn't want to fool around with the mainsail.  We left at 10 am and set anchor at 11 am.  There were still 15 boats at anchor but still plenty of surface room to find a good sandy spot.  We had to play around awhile to get the entire anchor buried securely.  Keith ended up taking a mooring ball.  It looked like he tried to set the anchor once and it must not have held.  We found out he isn't feeling well and didn't feel like pulling the anchor up, dropping it, pulling it up, dropping it. etc.  The last time he was here with Trevor, they tired multiple times to set his hook!  

Billy hopped in his dinghy and went over to Keith to borrow his look bucket.  He checked his anchor and then came to scope ours out.  Our Delta looked good but his anchor was only half in the sand.  Therefore he is going to dive on it and try to push the rest of the blade under the sand. The winds are suppose to be light and variable tonight so I don't think anyone has to worry about dragging.

Troy on left

I called Troy from Dive Guana to check on prices to rent a golf chart...$30 for 4 hours and $60 for the day. Since we all have been here multiple times, we thought we should explore the outer reaches of the island by riding around in a cart.  Keith opted out since he's still not feeling well.  So, Billy, Ilene, Chuck, and I split the cost of the golf cart for 4 hours.  Once we paid and Troy fill us in on operating the cart, we asked him for the time and when we needed to have it back.  He gave us until 5:00....yeah, almost 5 hours. 

The two guys took turns driving.  Billy started out  by going up the little hill and turning left

onto the main and only road!  We have to keep reminding each other to drive on the LEFT!  In the beginning, we basically stayed on the nice black top road.  This cay has the nicest road of all the islands we've been on.  Almost everywhere we look, the scenery is dense, green, with tropical plants of all sizes!  Sandy lanes are cut through the jungle-like land that leads to island houses on the ocean or on Fisher's Bay.  Awesome!  Continuing along, we meet other golf carts or small construction trucks.  We finally drive all the way to the gate at the start of Baker's Bay. We didn't even attempt to ask about entering but turned left toward a cement dock.  There is a little restaurant near this working dock but if loos like only Bahamian workers are going in and coming out.  So, we turn

around and head back looking for sandy roads to explore....we're getting a little brave.  The first

road took us to the remains of a once beautiful beach house.  It
definitely looked like one of the hurricanes totaled it.  When we got our of the cart to walk around, we saw that the owners had a breath-taking view of the ocean!  It saddens me to see what's left!

Now it's Chuck's turn to drive....front seats! Yahoo!  What a day. What fun.  We drove back into the settlement and stopped at a small store for an ice cold drink....yes, it's hot here!!  We're off again until we come to a gate blocking the southern end of Guana Cay.  This is Orchard Bay.  We aske the guard, Delicious, about entering.  He directed us back to the office.  We couldn't convince the woman to admit us!  Why do they have the right to gate both ends of this island??  Turning around, Chuck found another sandy road.   I thought it was
someone's driveway because of the garbage cans sitting at the end
of the drive.  Who cares!  We'll plead innocent!  We thought we were in the jungle but the road brought us to a house call 'Elephant Beach'...small but charming, private, and has a view of the ocean that you can't even imagine!!  We were lucky that no one was home.....so Billy and Ilene jumped out of the cart and started walking around.  Hopefully we don't run into the owners on our way out!!

Next stop....Nippers Beach Bar and Grill!  This is such a colorful place with everything painted in shades of pastels.  At the open-air bar, we watched the weather on tv....not good back home!  It's almost March so the temperatures should start to get better.  

Once again we are back in the golf cart.  Billy's been dying to be at the
wheel again.  We're heading back up the island and our motto is to 'go in and out of every road or sandy-jungle lane we haven't been on and isn't blocked'!   After a frozen nippers, we're really brave!  What fun!  What fun!  It's getting near 4:00 so our plans are to head back to the Grabber Beach Bar  and get grabbed.  This beach has such a lovely view of Fisher's Bay and all the anchored boats.  At 4:45, Chuck takes the wheel and we're off to the Guana Grocery store.  We need milk!  Billy and Ilene need ice!

 

       Grabbers Beach Bar







This morning I invited everyone over to the boat.  Ilene thought we should wait and see how we feel at the end of the day....wise decision girl!!   Our climb down into our dinghies wasn't too easy.  We decided to relax in our own boats....Showers on the transom, hot dogs on the grill and a spectacular sunset!  I almost couldn't blow my conch at sunset....new toy.  I think I'll blame the frozen Grabber. Billy is blowing and his sounds like a moose.  I was in bed by 7:00......