Beez Neez now Chy Whella

Highborne Cay

Big Bear and Pepe Millard

Sun 10 Apr 2011 21:10

Highborne Cay

We got off the buoy at midday from Warderick Wells Cay, round the headland and into open water at midday for the twenty two mile hop to Highborne Cay. Another one of those spellings that depends on which map you look at. Flat calm with little wind, so motor sailing, no troll line out as we still have our mahi-mahi curry to finish and don’t want to risk growing scales and tails. Not to be repetitive I haven't put in GPS screens to show shallows and reefs, this entry through to the anchorage was a little novel in that we had to go so close to rocks to keep in the deepest (four whole metres beneath us) channel. We anchored in this enormous bay just along from the marina again in deep water, three whole metres below us. Today there was a little hassle as the hot water tank has somehow got a leak so we spent the day with Bear investigating and hoying everything out of the office. All the bedding strewn all over the deck to get dry and plenty of muttering from the captain. A few blue words were spoken. Beez Neez looks like a minor implosion has occurred, stuff everywhere. Anchor down at four thirty, and as Bear wanted to take the ignition panel off, covering the cockpit with screws, wires etc to get in behind the panel to attack said water tank, I was politely requested to go for a snorkel and explore until it gets dark. I wasn't offended - much. Quietly I got my kit, cossy on, and as I had just got my feet on the stern platform I saw a little speck of brown in the water that I thought I saw moving.

My first speck, my small collection

Baby Beez on closer inspection had a whole conference going on beneath and around her, hundreds of the little critters. How pleased was I not to have been bombing around amongst them. The thought of one going down my cossy and the itchy results was not for me. Not welcome on Beez Neez, I climbed into Baby Beez, asked very quietly if the senior engineer would pass me my glass and spent the next hour catching and studying the tiny things. No I didn't check to see how hard they could bite. I know they do. Bad enough to get caught in a cloud of bloom that makes me look like I have patches of measles. Last lot swimming off Landrail beach, itched for days, luckily just on my arms and backs of my knees. A mix of Lamisil and Anthisan did the trick and of course a couple of medicinal doses of vodka - still don't rub it in - still feel the benefit of swallowing it. Allowed back on board, the first job was to stow Baby Beez, normally we do that with her inflated but as she isn't going to get wet until the ICW, she was let down. We heard her breath a sigh of relief, she has had quite a few days on the trot of what she has seen as rudeness - what with nurse sharks, pigs, a bird getting way to cosy and pooping on her, then baby jellyfish - this is clearly not what she signed up for (cannot wait till she sees her first manatee............) Next a very, very quick COLD shower as Bear has had to isolate the hot tank for the time being. Curry, a few games, dvd and after a mixed day, ready to move in the morning to Nassau, New Providence Island, Bahamas. Yes, sadly that means we are leaving the Exumas.