Identity crisis!

Snorkel the Exuma’s at Warderick Wells Cay and Shroud Cay! It’s a place where crystal-clear waters and colorful marine life are standard, but be warned – you may not be able to tell where the sea ends and Rajesh begins! That’s right, Rajesh has spent so much time underwater that he’s starting to doubt his own identity – is he a human or a fish? Join us for some laughs, great underwater sights, and to see if we can find Rajesh’s gills!

I woke up early that morning to the sound of Jeroen rummaging around the boat like a pirate looking for treasure. He was convinced he had an older Genoa hidden somewhere and to my surprise, he was right! He pulled out a big, heavy sack and I swear I saw his eyes light up like a child on Christmas morning. Together we rolled out the sail on the foredeck to inspect it for any damage. We were pleasantly surprised to see that it was in reasonable condition despite its age. We decided to trade it for the jib, as there wasn’t much wind now, and it was a good decision. The Genoa was huge compared to the jib, and that will make a big difference on the next sailing trip! When we rolled up the jib, we noticed a few rips and some loose stitching. We moved the sail to the cockpit so we could fix it later. We grabbed our Sailrite sewing machine and discussed tactics before embarking on our very first sail repair. We still had some pieces of an old sail on board that now came in handy for the repair. After a few hours, we had a nice, repaired jib and were ready to sail again.

We navigated our way through the coral reefs, with Jeroen and Rajesh on either side of the boat, and I guided us on the map. It was a nerve-wracking experience, especially when the depth sounder showed that we have only 0.1 meters under the keel in some stretches before we hit the ground! It’s only a short trip of 7 NM, and when we’ve sailed through the “cut,” we hoist the Genoa to test it out. That doesn’t really work for long because, after 15 minutes, we are already at the next passage, and we roll up the Genoa again. We finally reached our anchorage at O’Brien Cay in the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, a protected area where fishing is strictly prohibited. It is a beautiful area, and snorkeling here should be a real experience. This piece has been nicknamed “Aquarium.” The coming week, we will be in the water every day, and we will take you to various snorkeling spots. That same afternoon, we go to the first place to explore: the famous Douglas C-47 Skytrain plane wreck that crashed there on June 30, 1975. Let me tell you a little secret: this plane wreck didn’t have such a dark history as the one at Staniel Cay, which has been associated with drug smuggling. The C-47 Skytrain was a military transport aircraft used by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. The plane that crashed into the Exuma Cays belonged to a company called Air Cargo, which was based in Miami, Florida. The plane was en route from Miami to Nassau when it suffered engine trouble and crashed into the shallow waters off O’Brien Cay. Fortunately, all four crew members survived the crash and were rescued by a passing boat. But the plane was not so lucky and has been lying at the bottom of the ocean ever since. It remains a special experience to snorkel and discover a piece of history, especially when it is now home to a variety of marine life. While snorkeling, we also encountered a nurse shark that seemed completely unfazed by our presence as it glided gracefully past us.

The next morning, I was in the kitchen early, preparing delicious treats to celebrate Jeroen’s birthday. I made some cherry and vanilla ice cream, freshly baked bread, and a delicious lemon cake. We sang and feasted on the delicious food, and Jeroen was also showered with congratulations via Facetime calls, WhatsApp and Facebook (yes, Facebook-less Jeroen can now be reached via the boat’s Facebook page!). We were all excited to go snorkeling at The Aquarium. The water at The Aquarium is crystal clear and shallow, with a maximum depth of about 15 feet. We were amazed at the abundance of fish and coral we saw while snorkeling. We did find out that the area was a lot smaller than we had expected. Nevertheless, we still had a great time and even met some of the other cruisers who we arranged to meet for sundowners on O’Brien Cay beach during sunset. As the evening approached, we decided to head to the beach a bit earlier to do some drone shots and photos. The evening was very pleasant, and we all enjoyed delicious cocktails while watching the sun slowly sink behind the horizon. The nice thing was that these other cruisers also started their adventures about 6 to 8 months ago. Many hours later, with some enjoying the drinks a little too much and not remembering how they made it back to the boat, we all agreed it was a fantastic evening full of unforgettable memories. We hope the hangover won’t be too severe for some.

The next day, we sailed on to Warderick Wells Cay. The weather was good, with a moderate wind from behind, allowing us to hoist all sails and glide through the water at a comfortable speed of 6 knots. The distance was 23 nautical miles, and it would take us about 4.5 hours. As we sailed to our destination, we enjoyed the landscapes and nature around us. We felt free, detached from the everyday routine, and we could let our emotions flow freely. After a while, we reached the cut and ended up at the shallow water where we had to be careful and navigate through it calmly on the engine. Finally, we arrived at Warderick Wells Cay. We wanted to go snorkeling, but we would have to time it right here because of the strong currents that are present. Every day we could snorkel for about 1.5 hours at high and low tide, at those times the currents are minimal. And boy, was our patience rewarded with a treat of marine life, including three spotted eagle rays, several nurse sharks, and a reef shark. We also saw colorful Angelfish, Lobsters, Bar Jacks, Parrotfish, and Blue Tangs. Absolutely gorgeous! After snorkeling, we decided to walk around the island. There are several tracks that you can walk. A well-known one is the top of Boo Boo Hill, where the Blow Holes are, provided the wind is strong enough and the waves are high, which was not the case today. We did climb to the highest point, where we encountered a kind of scrap heap of nameplates from sailing cruisers and further enjoyed the beautiful view of the surrounding landscape. Rajesh made beautiful video and photo recordings with the drone.

After four days of snorkeling and hiking, we set sail for our next destination, Shroud Cay. We had heard about the mangroves and channels through the mangroves and were eager to explore them. The wind was calm the next morning, and that gave us the perfect opportunity to test our spinnaker for the first time. The colorful sail looked brilliant as the boat sailed calmly through the water at a nice 4 knots, while there was only 7-8 knots of wind. We couldn’t help but be proud of ourselves. Our pride was short-lived, however, when I heard something fall on the deck. We hurried forward to investigate but found nothing. We returned to the cockpit, hoping it was nothing serious. Less than fifteen minutes later, we saw our spinnaker fall into the water. We knew we had to act fast to bring it in before it did further damage. The three of us ran as fast as we could to the sail to lift it out of the water before it could reach our propeller and possibly rip. Fortunately, we were able to save the sail without damage. Jeroen inspected the sail and found that the pin of the D-shackle was broken. So, that’s what I heard. We had a spare on board, so it was easy to replace. We hoisted all other sails and calmly sailed on towards Shroud Cay. Once we arrived at the new anchorage, we let the spinnaker dry and Jeroen made a new D-shackle. The sail was ready for a new adventure. Shroud Cay did not disappoint us. The mangroves and channels were very beautiful, and we were amazed by the many turtles that call this place home. With our dinghy, we glided quietly through the mangroves, enjoying the landscape and nature, but we had to beware of the no-see-ums, small, barely noticeable biting insects! So, we slid into the water and enjoyed snorkeling in the crystal-clear water, letting ourselves be carried along by the current through the channel of the mangroves, while we let the dinghy slide quietly behind us. It was an incredible experience, and we were lucky enough to see a spotted eagle ray during our snorkeling adventure. When the time came to say goodbye to Shroud Cay, and with it the Exuma’s, we felt a mix of sadness and excitement. It was like saying goodbye to an ex you still love but know you need to move on from. We were all set to sail to Eleuthera Island, but the wind had other plans. So, we did what any sane person would do: we unpacked our snorkel gear and paddleboards again and headed to the mangroves, waiting for the wind to change direction.