.MacGregor Index Page.......... 2015 Bahama Trip Index Page

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............................................--- Fowl Cay ---................................ ..........................................................--- To --- .................................--- Warderick Wells ---

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....................................................................(May 9th) Anchorage --- N 24º 22.990´ ==== Trip Mileage = 831 miles .................W 76º 37.672´ ==== Day's Mileage = 13 miles

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In the morning we headed north with both boats to Warderick Wells. Leaving Fowl, I motored out about a ¼ mile and then started sailing west to clear a shallow bank to the north. Tony and Daren sailed off anchor and were behind me but being more adventuresome cut across the bank at an angle and caught up with me as we both then headed north...

... taking pictures of each others boats that we would exchange later.

I was using my Cannon and taking stills and video and ....

... he was using the GoPro taking video and then also took stills but later could only get me the video as he didn't have the right software to download the stills so the shot above is a 'print screen' shot from his video. Tony if you read this don't forget to email me those stills ;-). Tony was faster than I by a bit and had to go further to the mooring ball he had reserved. So after we ran along side each other for a while he pulled ahead and headed for the passage to the north of where I went in, which was the only place they allow you anchor. This was a 13 mile sail and a nice one and I actually sailed onto anchor there, being inspired by Tony. Not much to brag about as I had about a square mile anchorage to work with and no nearby boats.

The anchorage is just to the west of the southern mooring field and there is a line of 3 buoys that you stay to the west of if you are anchoring. I'll get this out of the way right now. The anchorage is very exposed and I spent the worst night ever on anchor there so would never anchor there again. I had wind one direction, waves another and a swell yet another. I put a second anchor down and then ran the line to the stern and clocked the boat around a little out of the wind trying to get it into the swell but it didn't help a lot. I went to bed at 9 pm. The severe rolling woke me at 11 pm. I then listened to the end of the NASCAR race on Serius Radio as they ran late. Then laid awake from 1 am to 3 am, finally getting to sleep but not a good one. I actually considered leaving in the dark in the middle of the night. Tony told me he had a similar experience anchored there with the cat. So you know if someone on a cat is having a bad time it is bad.

Let's back up though to earlier in the day. I got anchored and got the outboard on the dinghy. It isn't a big deal anymore to do that with the block and tackle I had rigged earlier in the trip. I headed the ¾ of a mile to where they were on a mooring ball near the park headquarters. By the headquarters you dinghy through a cut where the current can run like river rapids. You don't take a sailboat through the narrow shallow cut and it is the reason you approach either the way I did to anchor off of the south mooring field or the way Tony went to moor in the north mooring field.

Above we are looking at the north mooring field that lays in two deeper channels with a very shallow bar between them. The other one is out of the picture to the left. Lots of current here but you are on a ball.

When I got to them we exchange data on thumb drives and then Daren and I got in my dinghy and towed Tony in his over to the beach that is NE of the park headquarters. Leaving the dinghies on the beach we headed into the headquarters but I ran into Mike and Jenny, who I'd anchored by at Little Farmer and we talked on the porch for a while and then the boys came out and...

... we were off on a trail that Tony, right above, knew about that went to a high point...

.... on the island where you could look back over the mooring field, or at least the east half of it. Tony's boat was out of view to the left above in the other channel.

All of these boats will clock around with every tide change.

I loved the view there looking north up the Exumas with all the distant cays on the horizon.

Once up there you also had a spectacular view of ....

... the coast on ...

... Atlantic side. Tony took us to a couple blow holes up on the very top that were just a foot or two in diameter. The tide was down too much for them to blow water when we were there, but looking down into them when the water hit the chambers below the air came out the holes with a tremendous force. These are many feet above the ocean level and it is amazing they can blow the water that high vertically. I would of liked to of seen them in action. I'd seen others traveling to and from Georgetown out on the water but the openings weren't as high above the water as these were.

Above we are looking south with the Atlantic to our left and Exuma Sound to our right. Notice the difference in water color that also meant there is a huge difference in depth.

Looking off to where I had the Mac anchored in the anchorage near Emerald Rock. Guess which one of those boats was the Mac. The picture was taken from over 3/4's of a mile away yet Tony commented on how much the boat was rocking as was evident by the mast swinging back and forth like an inverted pendulum.

An enlargement of the same picture and you can see one of the buoy's that you don't go past to the right and below the Macgregor.

Another view in that direction with Emerald Rock center right above.

Tony led us to a bench were we, I, could enjoy the view sitting down. Daren was left standing as the bench wasn't long enough for three of us. While we sat there the resident bird kept an eye on us.

Off in the distance was the park headquarters and just barely below it is the little bay where we had left the dinghy's.

At the same location is a shrine/monument of sorts where you are allowed...

... to leave a remembrance of your visit to Warderick Wells.

Which was being guarded by this little guy. Unlike the same type lizards I had seen on Whale Cay that were very skittish this little guy had no fear of anyone. Tony poured some water into the cap of his water bottle for the little guy and he just flipped it over like 'is that all you are going to offer'.

After the hike I said my goodbyes to the guys and went back to the boat planning on heading north in the morning. They were going to spend another day at Warderick before starting to work south so that Daren could then fly out a few days later.

I had that 'most miserable night ever' on the boat and although I really liked it here was anxious to move to some place were I could sleep again at night. If I was to return it would be a mooring ball only situation. There can be a waiting list on those so as soon as you are in the area and before you need one call or radio park headquarters and get on the list.

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