Sea Glass at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club docks
Fred & Michael enjoy a coldie at Staniel Cay's funky
little bar after the run south from Highbourne Cay
We reluctantly left the beautiful Highbourne Cay Marina at our usual ungodly hour of 6:30am. Our plan for today basically consisted of running down the shallow, western "banks" side of the northern Exumas to Staniel Cay. I had heard so much about Staniel over the years that I really wanted to stop there. Besides, there was no way we would make the additional 60 miles into Georgetown during daylight. So it was an obvious place to stop, right?
We docked at Staniel Cay Yacht Club in early afternoon. I have to tell you, I absolutely love the Abacos, but I have never seen water so crystal clear as that of the Exumas. Everywhere you look - it looks like a screensaver! Can't wait to see how cool the purple underwater lights on Sea Glass look tonight in the clear seas.
Sea Glass' underwater lights reveal a resting nurse shark
As soon as we got tied up, we watched the fish cleaning guys tossing scraps to about a dozen hungry nurse sharks. Then we made a bee-line to the bar/restaurant for some ice cold Kalik Lights and lunch. In that order. Staniel Cay Yacht Club is exactly what you think of in your mind's eye when you think of a Caribbean Beach Bar. Cheeseburgers in paradise. Oh yeah.
On top of the beauty and total laid-back-ness of the place, there are also some pretty cool sights to see. So after lunch we launched the dink and went exploring - with apple chunks and spray cheese (I'll explain in a minute.)
Big Major's Spot is a medium-sized island about a quarter mile from Staniel. We circumnavigated the island, stopping once to let Michael and Fred go swimming in the unbelievably clear water. But what we were really looking for was about 3/4 of the way around the island on the west side. The famous swimming pigs.
I really haven't a clue how the chubby little oinkers ended up on this desolate island, but there are about 10 of them and they swim like Labrador Retrievers. In fact, if you don't come to them, they'll swim right out to your boat and complain loudly for you to toss them some goodies. Hence the apple chunks. We were suddenly very popular with the pigs. Then we ran out of apples and - like strippers when you run out of dollar bills - they headed off - to another dinghy full of gullible tourists like us!
The famous swimming pigs of Big Major's Spot...
...or were THESE the famous swimming pigs?
I'm confused.
Staniel's other major claim to fame is that it was the site of location shooting for the 1964 James Bond movie, "Thunderball". A REAL James Bond movie - with the REAL James Bond - Sean Connery. One of the locations they used is this very cool grotto inside of a small island about a half-mile from the marina. Now known as Thunderball Grotto, you can swim into the underwater entrance or enter through an above water "crack" between two boulders. I chose to enter through the underwater entrance, of course.
Fred wasn't too keen on the grotto because he can't see a damn thing through a non-prescription dive mask - and he hates to swim with fins. Well, fins were not just an option here, they were mandatory, with about a three knot current ripping past the cave. Then, neither pair of fins we had on the dink fit Michael's feet either - so it was just me going it alone with the grotto and the legendarily aggressive fish within.
Inside Thunderball Grotto - VERY James Bond
The seriously aggressive fish in the grotto
The grotto is unbelievable, with a soaring 50-foot ceiling covered with stalactites and pockmarked with holes that let sunlight stream inside. Around the perimeter are various small and large entrances at water level or below. But did I mention the aggressive fish? Hence the aerosol cheese whiz. Once again I was very popular with the locals. The cheese put all the resident Damselfish, Sergeant Majors, Queen Angels, Gray Angels, Spanish Hogfish and various Snappers and Groupers into a feeding frenzy. Right in my face! I mean, Damselfish are aggressive enough without spray cheese - but I am sure that this stuff must be the fish equivalent of "crack" - so they'll do anything to get it. They even seemed to be trying to knock the container out of my hand. Even if I did drop it, I am not sure how they would have gotten the cheese out - what, with having no opposable thumbs and all.
We got back to Sea Glass in time for some coldies on the flybridge, then took showers to get ready for dinner at the Yacht Club at 7. Now, I am supposed to mention Fred and Michael's wives that we are really roughing it on this trip. Heck, the power is out right now as I write this. So, to Elsie and Ginger: Michael and Fred want you to know that this is a lot of work and not at all fun. Ahem. Sure.
Our plan for tomorrow is to finally cruise down to Georgetown and drop the anchor for a day so we can regroup and decide on the best plan for the next several legs of our voyage. I'll write more then!
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