Maneuvering the boat in and out of marinas can be quite difficult, especially if there is a strong current or strong wind. The current thru Compass Cay marina was ripping due to the unusually high spring tides, which increases the volume of water flowing in and out of the narrow cut to Compass Cay. We were ready to untie the lines and cast off when one of Tucker’s staff told us that a 120 foot mega yacht was coming thru the cut, and it would probably be better to wait. And good thing we did. We watched as this 120 foot, [View Full Entry]

---

---

On our way back up the Exuma chain we stopped at some of our favorite spots along the way, including Emerald Bay, Black Point, and Staniel Cay. We didn’t have much time to explore these islands as we wanted to take advantage of the calmer weather to travel. Often we would sail all day, drop the anchor, dinghy Kona to the beach and come back to the boat right after sunset and a good meal out. We would be exhausted from our travels, go to bed early, and then take off at first light for our next destination. We didn’t realize [View Full Entry]

---

---

Our next stop was Georgetown, the mecca of sailors and often the southernmost point of travel in the Bahamas (and as it happens to be, the southernmost point for the Rum Runner this year as well). It is at the southern tip of the Exuma Chain and is the jumping off point for the Turks and Caicos as well as the Jumentos and Ragged Islands. Georgetown is actually in Elizabeth Harbor, which is an 8 mile long natural harbor between the islands of Great Exuma and Stocking Island. This area, often just referred to as Georgetown, is home of 400-500 [View Full Entry]

---

---

The winds finally let up and the seas laid down, so we were able to go out of Cave Cay Cut and into the deep waters of the Exuma Sound to sail down towards Emerald Bay, our next stop. During the last month while we were traveling thru the Exumas other cruisers would tell us about the marina at Emerald Bay, the best kept secret of the Exumas. And we can see why. First off, it isn’t written up in any of the cruising guides nor even on the charts yet because it is so new. You have to hear about [View Full Entry]

---

---

After our night of rocking and rolling at Big Galliot Cay we decided to move our boat to a more peaceful anchorage. The next island down, only a couple miles away, was Cave Cay. Our friends on the s/v Enee Marie were anchored out there as well, so we decided to join them. Cave Cay gets its name because it is riddled with caves. We spent the afternoon in our dinghy, exploring all the island caves. One of them was so big that we were able to dinghy all the way into it- what fun! The many stalactites were hanging down [View Full Entry]

---

---

It was still blowing 20 knots, but we were able to sail on the banks down to our next anchorage. This is a neat little spot tucked between many little islands including Big and Little Galliot as well as Big Farmers Cay. After a long day sail, with some trials and tribulation, we arrived and had a beautiful sunset followed by an even more amazing moonrise. I don’t know what it is this year, but we have had some of the most beautiful full moons down here in the Bahamas- spectacular! Unfortunately the anchorage was a bit rocky and rolly, [View Full Entry]

---

---

After leaving Staniel we sailed all of 5 miles to Black Point, a wonderful little settlement on Great Guana Cay. Before we got a chance to drop our anchor in this protected bay we heard on the vhf radio, “Rum Runner, Rum Runner, this is Enee Marie. Is that you guys coming into the anchorage?” It was our good friends Scott and Sue who were anchored out at Black Point. So we made plans to meet up with them for lunch at Lorraine’s Café later in the day. Lorraine’s Café is in the heart of town and is quite the cruisers [View Full Entry]

---

---

Every so often in our travels thru the Bahamas we find an island that is just lovely; a place where there is a tight-knit community that welcomes you like long-lost friends, where days are filled with fun and adventure, and the cay itself is just so beautiful and the houses so colorful. And that is how we feel about it here at Staniel Cay. We love it here and are even considering building a house here one day. We actually love all the islands in the Bahamas, they are so unique and diverse, but it is rare to find a place [View Full Entry]

---

---

Our next stop in the Exumas was Big Majors, a small island just a couple of miles away from Sampson. It is a great anchorage but very crowded. Actually we have found that all the islands in the Exumas are quite popular, and thus crowded. That night we counted 44 boats anchored out- crazy! It feels more like a floating city than a deserted island. One of the main reasons why we decided to anchor out at Big Majors for the night was to see the wild pigs on the island. Actually, they aren’t really wild pigs. The residents of nearby [View Full Entry]

---

---

After 3 weeks at anchor we were definitely ready for a marina and a bit of civilization. So we set sail for Sampson Cay, a private island with a small resort and marina, and it was wonderful. After taking a day or so to clean the boat, do 5 loads of laundry, and get the Rum Runner back to ship-shape, we had fun exploring the island. One of the first days there we walked down to the southernmost point of the island. There were many cute beaches along the way which we could access via a small path off thru [View Full Entry]

---

---