Since saying goodbye to our guests on the 26/4/15, we have been in a no go area for reception, with the iPad having to be held up at arm’s length to get any sort of reception and no WiFi.  Have now bought 24 hours of WiFi from the office at Warderwick Cay, so hope to get this and some emails off today.

 

We had another uncomfortable night in Staniel Cay on Sunday, with the anchor, not at all well dug in, grumbling over the rocks, plus a rough chop with wind against tide.  This together with a somewhat unsettled forecast with strong south westerly winds and some squalls with maybe up to 50 knot winds from any direction, we decided we must move and on Monday morning we were lucky enough to be able to get a buoy in Waderwick Cay, having put ourselves on the waiting list on Sunday afternoon.  With not much wind and a very calm sea, we motor sailed north to Warderwick Cay and arrived for late lunch after the skipper’s wife had a little raised heart rate driving up the narrow U shaped channel to our allocated mooring right on the far inside channel.  Once there, what a truly lovely place to spend a few days of dodgy weather.

 

 

The entrance channel to Warderwick Cay, with the eastern section of the anchorage on the left of the picture, Exuma Sound on the right.

 

 

The perfect mooring in a perfect place for spending a few days in iffy weather......

 

 

....in crystal clear water with a nearby coral garden full of beautiful reef fish, including stunning Queen Angel fish, French Angel fish, Rock Beauties, Quenn Trigger fish, spiny lobster, big spotted eagle rays and even a turtle.

 

 

Looking South from our mooring to the office and staff building and.....

 

 

...the beach just by the office building.......

 

 

...where there are the bones of a whale killed by plastic and wooden shelter, by which we gather for 6 o’clockses and to exchange stories and views on the weather.

 

Tuesday 27 was a lovely calm day with snorkelling in the morning and walking up Boo Boo Hill in the afternoon.

 

 

Crossing Banshee Creek, a mangrove nursery on the way up to Boo Boo Hill.

 

 

On the top of Boo Boo hill, time to sit and enjoy the view.

 

By Tuesday evening, the promised unsettled weather was arriving, with thunder clouds gathering.

 

 

Looking North at the evening sky, promising thunder and rain and possibly squalls.

 

We did see a lot of lightening in the evening to the north, but were very lucky and missed most of it, but by Wednesday morning it was blowing over 20 knots from initially the south west, then the north and then back to the south west.  Too choppy for snorkelling, but good for a walk in the morning to Hutia Hill with some good bird watching.

 

 

Resident lizard by the office building.

 

 

The causeway bridge on the way to Hutia Hill

 

 

The view from Hutia Hill looking south west over the mangroves to Emerald Island

 

 

New bird, the Clapper Rail, in the mangroves on our way back and..

 

 

... a really stunning view of a green heron on a dead mangrove.

 

We are now getting to know some of the crews on the boats in the anchorage while sitting in the waters of the small beach to keep out of the way of the no-see-ums which are enjoying the high humidity.  Everyone is very friendly and we are all sharing views on the weather which is now less squally, with a possible window for moving Friday to Monday, but there is a new low and possible tropical storm developing early next week which may or may not affect the Bahamas.  To quote one of the Americans here, “I would rather be in here wishing I was out there, than be out there wishing I was in here”.

 

Alcedo