BACK TO NASSAU

We left Cambridge Cay with calm skies and still waters—setting our course northwards toward Shroud. But halfway there we sailed into rough weather with showers and choppy waves. We saw the front advancing about 15 minutes before it hit. Ahead of us a grey veil of rain extended for miles along the horizon dropping from a ridge of low clouds to the sea beneath. In front of this, a line of dark ruffling water began to extend outwards towards us, increasing in size as the “weather” advanced. Incredibly, this was only the 2nd time since leaving Canada almost 8 months ago, that we had experienced showers while underway. We had lots of time to pull down the sails, zip up the bimini, and don foul weather gear and it wasn’t bad at all. Nevertheless we were happy, two hours later, to pull into Shroud, tie the boat securely to a mooring ball and find that two friends—“Shamal” and “Salty Goose”—had also decided to spend the night here.

We first met Dave and Hallie from “Shamal” almost a year ago. Like us, these two sailors from Ancaster were heading off for the Bahamas towards the end of the summer but we really didn’t expect to see each other again. Against all odds however we kept running into them at various anchorages along the Exumas and became friends at Georgetown when mutual acquaintances—the Dolyniks from Dundas—joined them on their boat there for a week. Since that time we kept in touch sporadically over SSB/VHF and at Shroud were able to team up once again for a wonderful day of snorkeling together.

After the front passed we awoke to find the waters in our anchorage smooth as glass—perfect snorkeling conditions. We set off early in the morning in two dinghys—skimming across the turquoise water under an incredibly blue sky. We managed to explore five sites, finding rays, lionfish, lobsters and an amazing variety of reef fish before wrinkling skin and the threat of sunburns forced us back to our boats for cold drinks and siesta. While at Shroud we also managed to finally make it “up the creek” to “CampDriftwood”—that place of “pilgrimage” that an ebb tide and approaching evening had made impossible for us to visit on our trip DOWN the Exumas over two months ago. We had been told so much about this legendary site and the hermit who had once lived here and were extremely disappointed when we finally reached it to discover that the last hurricane had blown it all away! The trail up to the top of the hill was still in use and the view was spectacular but, aside from a small shrine and a few trinkets, sadly nothing was left of CampDriftwood itself.

That evening we enjoyed a delicious chicken dinner, complete with mashed potatoes and gravy, aboard Shamal, and the next day we set sail together further north for Highbourne. A nasty front was on its way and we could either join Salty Goose in a dash for Nassau—Florida or linger a little longer in the Exumas with Shamal. Being in no hurry to head back to civilization, we chose the latter option and decided to stay. We spent a marvelous three days at Highbourne with Dave and Hallie. We walked the beaches, cleaned and classified treasures picked up in the surf, poked about the little shop, read novels under the shade of the Casuarina trees and played cards in the evenings. On the 4th day, calm seas and favourable winds enticed us out from the marina and we pushed off towards Nassau and a little closer to home.

A weather window to the states had briefly opened and Shamal was planning a “run” right through to Florida. But we’ll spend a little more time out here in paradise before heading back. We had managed to arrange for a slip at Hurricane Hole in Nassau and were looking forward to visiting “Atlantis”. Hopefully Salty Goose will still be there when we arrive. We’d really like to see them one more time before they head south to Key West and we depart northwards towards the Chesapeake.