Still at Warderick Wells

1/6 – After such a busy day on Wednesday, we spent most of today just relaxing and doing a few minor boat chores. A little after 2:00, we met up with Michael and Jana and climbed the trail to Boo Boo Hill. The story of Boo Boo Hill is as follows:

On a wild, stormy day many years ago a luckless schooner sank off Warderick Wells. All souls perished in the disaster. Not a single body was recovered for a Christian burial. Local people say that as you climb to the crest of the hill in the bloom of the full moon, you can hear the voices of the lost souls singing hymns. Either by the light of the sun or the glow of the moon, this trail shares with you some of the enchantment of The Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park. While the rule of the Park is – Take only pictures and memories, leave only footprints in the sand – the one exception is the top of Boo Boo Hill. Mementos left by passing cruisers, offerings to the spirits for good weather or to placate the ghosts that inhabit the island, remind us of fellow travelers who love this special place.

We were surprised at how many boat names we recognized on the mementos left behind by fellow cruisers, either from those we’d met on our Great Loop trip or from cruisers we’d seen during our current trip. Michael and Jana left a placard with Second Star’s name that they had made from a piece of driftwood (see picture below). Unfortunately, we were unprepared. Maybe we can come up with something before we leave.

Speaking of leaving, when we arrived on Sunday (and finally got internet) we checked weather immediately to get a more detailed forecast than what we’d been able to glean from the broadcasts over VHF. The forecast was for a storm to move through around Friday from the west. We decided this was a good place to be as it offered pretty good all around protection, so we made plans to stay for a week. True to the forecast, we got quite the show from Mother Nature last night – lighting, thunder and strong wind-driven rain – probably in the 40+ knot range. The boat really got a good washing. By morning the clouds had cleared and the rain was gone, though the wind remained but not as strong.

As we were boarding our dinghy to go to the beach,
a shark swam out from under the swim platform. The
picture is a little distorted -- but it is a shark!