SAMPSONS CAY

The next morning we set off early on the long six hour passage to Sampsons Cay. As luck would have it, another cold front was expected to hit the Exumas in two days time and this island would offer excellent protection for the boat should we need it. Sailing conditions were ideal and we were able to hoist both jib and main, scooting along much of the way without the use of the motor. Vince took this opportunity to activate the windvane for the first time and everything worked we.. The sails were perfectly balanced and, once we had the windvane operational, found we could at last put the boat on “auto-pilot” and get relief from constant steering.

I wish I could adequately describe the pleasure of sailing along this stretch of the
Exumas. The water was a constant twenty foot depth and the most vibrant shade of deep turquoise I have ever seen. To the west of us, a line of the palest blue topped the turquoise marking the horizon and stretching as far as the eye could see. From this line, looking gradually upwards every shade of blue, deepening through periwinkle to cobalt filled the sky. Huge banks of fluffy white clouds in ever-changing shapes put on their own spectacular show throughout the day featuring occasional patches of grey squalls raining down curtains of water onto the surface of the sea at a safe distance from the boat. Looking eastward, an endless string of emerald islands stretched ever southward two or three miles away. We could easily pick out gleaming white beaches along the shoreline of these cays and the occasional tiny dwelling. But most of these islands were completely deserted and inaccessible to us because of the shallow depths that surround them. The water between our boat and the island chain was not a constant colour but striped in a variety of shades of turquoise to palest green as water depths diminished. It was all simply gorgeous!

At 2:30 we pulled into a sheltered cove on the western side of Sampsons Cay and dropped the hook in 8 feet of clear water. Three other boats were already here—but they were all French-speakers from Quebec who kept to themselves. We dinghied in to the upscale marina which is actually part of a very small and exclusive resort complete with attractive restaurant and a handful of tasteful villas set into a lush flowering landscape. All of the buildings here have been constructed of beige coral “rock” and the effect is stunning. Despite the exquisite surroundings and immaculate grounds, only a handful of guests seemed to be in residence. Like Highbourne, several mega-yachts were tied up at marina slips but there was no sign of their owners. Perhaps they fly in on private planes to enjoy seclusion on occasional weekends. Speaking of seclusion, apart from this tiny upscale resort at the tip of Sampsons Cay, we found the rest of the island to be desereted and we were able to spend an entire day here walking along isolated beaches and swimming in crystal water. We spent the morning dinghying from one beautiful island to another swimming along sandy shorelines and snorkeling off rocky promontories. We swam through several schools of small fish and around a large coral head with colourful reef fish. I dove for a conch but when I brought it up to check it out discovered it was still inhabited so returned it to the deep. At noon we returned exhausted to the boat and after showering down in the cockpit enjoyed a delicious lunch at the resort restaurant.

The afternoon was spent reading, snoozing, writing and talking to a variety of old “boat buddies” on channel 16. Highlander is only a few anchorages away spearing lobsters. He’s promised to show Vince how this is done and to give us a few for dinner when we see him again. Salty Goose is just finishing up a stint of volunteer work with the “Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park”and we’re eager to talk to them about what that involved. Second Chance has headed back to Nassau to get a new generator but promised to find us in Georgetown when we all get there. And, miracle of miracles we’ve heard that “Steve” has been sighted at the Berry Islands just north of Nassau. So it looks like he, along with the rest of us, made it here after all!