Compass Cay Marina

Ambler Isle
V and S
Fri 14 Jan 2011 18:34
24.15.5N
76.31.W
1/7/11
We decided to take a side trip and stay at Compass Cay Marina, owned by Tucker Rolle. We'd been there many times to enjoy a burger and beer and to swim with their pet nurse sharks.  We'd never brought Amber Isle.  The tiny marina is popular with large yachts, and several were tied up when we arrived.  They tied us up to a long wall normally reserved entirely for Mustang Sally who was away at sea.  The marina owns numerous rental houses also.  No hamburgers on the dock today, they'd run out of supplies.  Tucker's clean marina has practiced enviromentally friendly principles for many years.  Conserving resources, providing a haven for sea life and birds.  Miles of sand covered trails invite walking the island, with colorful hand painted signs leading the way to the beach, and the rental houses.  We walked the crescent beach, admiring more ruins as well as the newly constructed rental homes Tucker was building.  Back at the dock, we met up with Dennis, from Gadabout (wife Gail).  He agreed to help us straighten an anchor next morning.  We had a nice dinner of "Do Do Burgers," a new recipe for chopped mahi patties. Very tasty.  Then we watched the Godfather Part 2.  Sunday morning we awoke and took our coffee out to the marina dock table enjoying conversation with Tucker, his brother Preston, and Dennis.  While we were washing the boat, Tucker came down to say he'd have to move us, a 130' yacht, Nameste would arrive in one hour.  Instead, we loaded up the wash supplies, settled up our bill, loosed the lines, and motored out through the cut at high tide. The wind was light, the Exuma Bank was calm.  We'd enjoyed our visit there, but would prefer to be on the hook.  Marina dockage was $132 per night, plus $60 per night for electric, plus 5% credit card surcharge.  Wi-fi was $10 for 100 Mbs or 24 hours, whichever came first.  I learned that 100Mbs is not much, and lasted nowhere near 24 hours, even with my compressed email program!!!  So while enjoyable, marina stays would be infrequent during this trip.