Third Time’s the Charm

2/22 - We’ve now been in the Exumas almost 2 months (we arrived at Allan’s Cay from Nassau on 12/28). We’ve loved our adventures here, but the clock is ticking and it’s time to move on. The weather forecast showed lightening winds on Tuesday and Wednesday. Either day would probably be great days for our passage from the Exumas to Eleuthera, but on Wednesday the waves are forecast to be 2 feet or less, so we decided to wait one more day to cross. With that decision made, we weighed anchor and headed back south a few miles to Shroud Cay again. We’d stopped there twice before, but had never had the right tide to take the dinghy up Sanctuary Creek to the Sound side. At low tide the creek bed is completely dry. High tide today was at 10:42 a.m. Perfect timing to motor to Shroud, drop anchor and take the dinghy up the creek.

We picked up Michael and Jana in our dinghy (as they had already hoisted theirs back up on their flybridge anticipating a crossing today), and headed to the entrance of the creek. It wound its way among the mangroves through the interior of Shroud and out to a small cut on the Sound side with a nice sandy beach. A short distance from the beginning of the beach is an area known as Camp Driftwood. We climbed to the top, marveled at the view and took lots of pictures. In days gone by, cruisers would take small mementos to the top and leave them (much like Boo Boo Hill), but that is no longer allowed – sadly another tradition gone.

The rest of the day was spent doing chores and preparing for tomorrow’s crossing to Eleuthera. The guys plan to do some fishing – maybe fresh fish tomorrow night??

Heading up the creek in the dinghy

Approaching the cut on the Sound side

Looking up at Camp Driftwood

A stroll along the beach



A view of the ocean from the top



.. and a look at the creek winding through the cay



Gerry at the top

Linda at the top

Another dinghy headed up the creek

A shot of a starfish by the side of the boat (looking
through about 8 feet of very clear water)

The sun -- going

--- going



Gone -- our last sunset in the Exumas