Full Up!

Nassau to Great Harbour Cay
March 29 - April 12

Nassau is a can’t-miss stop for us. Because Keith lived there from ages 10-15 and we spent part of our honeymoon there, our associations are all positive. Unfortunately, many cruising friends don’t stop there at all because of the high crime rate. We’ve heard stories but never had problems ourselves. In fact, people we’ve encountered have been friendly and helpful.

The market at Potter's Cay in Nassau harbor

Land crabs at Potter's Cay

Skinny of Skinny's Place on Potter's Cay. Great conch salad, and a great guy!

It was a quick stop, but three of Keith’s school friends from forty-some years ago made time to see us. One was his best buddy who introduced him to sailing at the Nassau Sailing Club. It was fun to hear them trade stories of the shenanigans they pulled off.

Drew and Penny with their son, Ben

From Nassau, we crossed to the southern end of the Berry Islands. Our view at anchor was a private island, Little Whale Cay. One of the best landscaped and maintained private cays, it is surrounded by a handbuilt stone seawall, graced by a coral-stone church.

You can rent the island of Little Whale Cay for weddings or vacations

Keith achieved the trifecta of fishing in less than a week, catching the three most delectable kinds of fish he trolls for (counting the mahi shown in the previous post). We spend most of our time on the shallow banks where catch-and-release barracuda are about all you can expect. During this week we transited deeper water three times and on each trip Keith caught a winner. He also speared lobster and dived for conch. Our bellies and freezer are full!

Blackfin tuna

Yellowfin grouper - the best! 

Conchs

Now we are at Great Harbour Cay Marina at the north end the Berry Islands, waiting for benign conditions for a Gulf Stream crossing. Our trip is drawing to a close and we are full up with memories and gratitude.

Manatee with a dinghy at the marina

New moon spring tides are more extreme; the "low-low" tide allowed us
to walk to Haines Cay and Hawksnest Cay...

...and access this tunnel on the ocean side of Hawksnest Cay

The magnificent beauty we’ve seen has filled our hearts and senses. There’s no counting the number of times we’ve said, “Wow, that’s gorgeous!” or “This is just stunning!” Usually it has to do with the color of the water, shimmering shades of aquamarine and sapphire. Often when we’ve seen yet another spectacular view, the words come out spontaneously, “Thank You, God, for the privilege of being here and seeing this!”

The caves on Great Harbour Cay - awe-inspiring

Lovely water colors

Just another perfect beach

Look at that color!

It reminds me of the three essential prayers Anne Lamott writes about: Help, Thanks, Wow. “Thanks, God, for the wonderful season we’ve enjoyed! And Wow, what a wildly wonderful world!”