March was a whirlwind - literally and figuratively!
We were fortunate to host many of our favorite people including my nieces and boyfriend, our daughters and significant others, and one of our good friends from our Siemens cadre. With Nassau as the arrival and departure point for each group, we typically traveled to the Exuma Islands the day after their arrival and returned the day before they left.
Each party stayed roughly a week and during that time we typically sailed, snorkeled, fished, hiked and spent some time at the beaches, with the activities varying a bit depending on the preferences and priorities of the group. As a bonus each group was "treated" to an unplanned "live-aboard special", one of those events that pop up so often to remind one that living on a boat is never boring.
First on deck were our nieces (pictured below), Alyssa and Andrea, and Alyssa's boyfriend, Daniel. Hailing from Tupelo, Mississippi, Andrea and Alyssa have vacationed with Steve and I several times over the years and love water life - especially fishing and snorkeling. This was Daniel's first time with us, and he fit right in with his amiable nature, curiosity and adventurous spirit.
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| Day 1: Sailing to the Highbourne Cay, Exumas |
We had a fabulous sail from Nassau to Highbourne Cay and made great time. We arrived early enough for late afternoon snorkeling and the kids jumped at the chance!
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| Geared up for Snorkeling at Highbourne |
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| Returning to Starry Night |
Fishing for Mahi was a priority for Alyssa, Andrea and Daniel and so the next morning we motored to the east side of the Exuma chain of islands and headed for Shroud Cay, trolling along the way.
While we have lines in the water, I am typically at the helm with Steve and the others watching the baits and keeping a sharp lookout for weed lines or birds. At some point, Steve saw Alyssa squinting at something in the sky, trying to decide it if was a bird or not. "Bird!", he yelled excitedly and told me to follow it. Each of the crew members kept the bird in their sights and provided direction when I was unable to see it myself. After some time, the reels started frantically whirring as three of the lines were being taken. Alyssa, Andrea and Daniel each grabbed a rod and began reeling.
Unfortunately for Daniele, he reeled and reeled, but the line kept going out further and further due to an issue with the star drag.
After at least a half an hour of fighting, Andrea's fish was within sight at the back of the boat and Steve was ready with the gaff. Unfortunately, the line broke before it was close enough to reach.
All focus then shifted to Alyssa's battle: drop the tip of the rod, reel up. Over and over. Finally, the fish was in sight - as large a Mahi as Steve had ever caught - and Alyssa continued to work. Steve was again ready with the gaff. But a little slack in the line and it was gone. We were all a bit disappointed that there would be no fresh fish for dinner, but still there had been the thrill of the hunt and the exhilaration that comes with the fight.
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| Andrea's Fish is Close! |
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Alyssa's Got a Rodbender
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After the fishing excitement, we continued our journey to Shroud Cay, pulling in our lines when we entered the boundaries of the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park.
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Going Ashore at Low Tide
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| Jake and His Entourage Leaving Shore at Lower Tide |
While many of our guests have enjoyed the night-time display from the Starry Night lounge, this group was the first to spend an entire night up top, stargazing and watching as the sun rose the next morning.
The next day's adventure included a trip through the mangrove cut at Shroud Cay in search of turtles, to be followed by snorkeling some of the coral heads on the way back to Starry Night. As we spotted the turtles on our way out of the mangrove passage and we slowed to take pictures, our brand-new outboard motor kept stalling...our next extracurricular event of the season. I rowed to keep us from going backwards in the current while Steve troubleshot the fuel system.
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| Hawksbill Turtle Sighting |
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| A Captain's Work Never Ends - Steve Checking on the Outboard Fuel System |
Steve managed to limp us back home using the motor and, while the rest of us ate lunch, he changed the fuel filter and fuel line. With the engine trouble resolved, we set out after lunch on our final snorkeling expedition. We were blessed with sunshine and calm water and made the most of our last day before our return to Nassau the next day.
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| Andrea and Alyssa Under da Sea |
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| Daniel Exploring the Bahamas Coral |
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| Coral Bouquet at Shroud Cay |
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| Queen Angelfish |
We had a beautiful downwind sail on our way back to Nassau and anchored in our preferred Nassau anchorage, Montague Bay.
I hope that Alyssa, Andrea and Daniel had as much fun as we did! It had been a wish of mine to share this experience with them since Steve and I first made the decision to embark on this adventure. Years in the making but over in the blink of an eye, we said our goodbyes the next morning and began our preparations for Jessie and Will's arrival later that day.
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