Towards George Town (again) via Rudder Cut Cay

AJAYA'S CRUISE
Phil & Nikki Hoskins
Tue 13 Apr 2010 16:57
We left Black Point to start the trip back to George Town, stopping with friends at a very attractive anchorage at Rudder Cut Cay in position 23:52.45N, 76:14.50W
 
Many of the Exumas Cays are privately owned with their own airstrips so that the millionaires can fly in to their exclusive residences without having to rub shoulders with the 'rif-raf' at the local airports. Rudder Cut Cay is such an example and the two beautiful beaches we were anchored off displayed signs in red paint (may have been blood) leaving the reader in no doubt as to the private status of the beachfront area. However, there is no restraint on the anchorages and in some ways its rather nice to look onto pristine beaches without the view being spoilt by visitors. In fact when we went snorkelling the following day Nikki saw a couple of large dogs ambling along the sand that looked as though they would mincemeat any intruders. So we were content to just enjoy the view  - it seemed safer somehow.
 
We were also blessed with the presence of some stingrays swimming around the anchorage which make such an interesting sight. In fact when we went snorkelling we saw one on the seabed beneath us with the familiar barb on the tail that saw the end of Steve Irwin's undersea adventures down under. So we were careful to just watch this fascinating creature and not get too close to that tail. We saw no Barracudas or Nurse sharks which are frequent visitors to these anchorages. Nurse sharks though are harmless. Barracudas not so!
 
From Rudder Cut Cay we exited from the shallow Exuma bank into the deep waters of Exuma Sound to begin the 30 odd mile passage back to George Town. It was a motor all the way without even the excitement of a fish taking any of our 3 trailing lures to break the monotony and we entered Elizabeth Harbour fish-less and lower on diesel than when we started, ready to re-provision and hopefully fix the watermaker that had developed a fault a few weeks ago.
 
 
                 
           The dark shape of a small Stingray just off our side                                                                            Rudder Cut Cay anchorage with its large cave which we swam into
 
                                                                                       
                                                                                          Large private yacht lying at its berth off Mucha Cay (next to Rudder Cut Cay)