Enjoying Staniel Cay
Ambler Isle
V and S
Sun 8 Mar 2009 14:49
We are anchored in our same spot, between the Majors, off Staniel Cay. We
have been cozy here, out of the surge. Even during the "Big Blow" on Monday
morning, we saw 23k winds, but no roll. (Some folks went back north 20
miles fearing the wind would be terrible. We checked our anchor, double
checked it, and went to bed.) The Staniel Cay Yacht Club made their
customers leave the docks anticipating strong west to northwest winds.
Staniel Cay is a good spot. The Isles General Store has the best selection
of veggies and fruit so we stocked up. There is also a bread lady. We
bought a whole wheat and a coconut bread from her. (Valt now figures the
days according to how many times he has had his favorite coconut French
toast since Sunday when we got the bread.) The island has a marina, some
rental cottages, a couple of restaurants, and a large settlement. It is
famous as the site the Bond movie "Thunderball" was filmed. Thunderball
Grotto, used in some of the underwater scenes is here, and cruisers wait for
low slack tide to go in to see the structure and the fish. .
Saturday and Sunday were fishing days.. We caught a grouper, a red hind,
and a grunt, all in the grouper family. Photos? No, we are them before we
thought of the camera.
Monday was a very scary day for us. Valt needed a haircut, and there was
no one here to do it until Georgetown. So we took out the clippers, placed
a sheet on the floor to catch the hair, and began. (Eric and David can tell
you that I NEVER even cut their hair.) The hair flew and the clippers
buzzed. I was terrified. But when Valt inspected the job, he declared that
it was still too long!!!!! Another 1" off and we were done. It had not
been this short in a long time. But it would be good in the wind, for
swimming and for diving. It was perfect. I could not stop staring at him
all day.
The winds continue to blow out of a northerly direction. I think there was
only one other Gulf Stream Crossing day since we came.
Tuesday we went to look at a Florida registered sailboat washed onshore. It
was not here in 2008. It hit something and sank, leaving lots of debris
around it. It was fun to explore. Afterwards, we cleaned and waxed the
back of the boat and Valt finished up a caulking job. This evening's
entertainment was reading. Valt finished his "Inca Gold" and began reading
"The Death Bond Conspiracy." I began the "Inca Gold." A shout at the door
shook us from our fantasy lands, and we went to investigate. It was very
dark, with little moonlight. It was Hank and Diane, a couple we'd met
before from catamaran "Adanac." (Which is Canada spelled backwards.) After
a trip to the local pub for pizza night, they ran out of gas. Amazingly,
he'd managed to row the dinghy over to "Amber Isle" against wind and
current. We were one of only two boats in this anchorage. (And the owners
were not onboard the other boat.) He was exhausted. We brought them in,
let them warm up while we had a nice visit, refueled their boat, and they
were off. Had we not been here, or did not answer, their plan was to
anchor the dinghy, wrap up warmly, and sleep in the dinghy til daybreak.