As read in a prior post about the beautiful Ragged Islands, we have found more than a few fantastic islands in the incredibly clear but shallow Bahamian waters. But wait… there’s more!

We (too soon) departed the Raggeds bound for Thompson Bay, via the Comber Channel. By now we’re a bit less intimidated by the shallow depths, while learning to trust our navigation charts, sprinkled with grains of white sand and (sea) salt. Getting our feet wet, so to speak!

We’re now“buddy boating” with good friends Mary and Mike aboard Dreamweaver, their beautiful Hylas 49. They’ve been kindly providing us with their valuable experiential references to Bahamian areas unknown to us. In exchange, we’re navigating through a few of the shallower passages first, with our shallower 5’3” draft. Call us Guinea pigs if you wish – but happy to comply. Comber Channel is one of those “recommended routes” showing a particularly shallower path on the charts.

“Haven’t seen anything less than 7 feet, Mike, and that’s only at the entrance turn”, I announced back to Dreamweaver on the VHF. “Ok, great, thanks Buddy!” was the response.

Thompson Bay & Long Island

Having uneventfully traversed through Comber Passage, we set anchor in 10 feet in the calm protection of Thompson Bay, located on the west side of Long Island. The next day Mike became our rental car’s designated driver, avoiding potholes, zipping us around to a few interesting places. First stop was Dean’s Blue Hole, a 600+ feet deep and round depression near the shoreline. Blue Holes get their name from their contrasting darkened center, typically surrounded by shallower white sand or coral.

For incomprehensible reasons, there exists a few crazy people who hold their breath and dive freely (without SCUBA equipment) straight down into the dark abyss of Dean’s Blue Hole. Totally nuts!

Next stop was Hamilton’s Cave, where we met the knowledgeable and mild-mannered Larry, who gave us a lengthy walking tour and historical background of his family’s underground cavern. Larry fondly recalls all six species of bats, as many flutter and hang above our heads.

For a final stop before returning the car after lunch, we enjoyed another relaxing stop at Max’s Conch Bar. Max, pictured below, started this fun roadside watering hole several decades ago, frequented by salty locals and sunburned tourists alike.

Georgetown

Early the next morning we motored out of Thompson Bay for points west, set up the whisker pole and made a leisurely downwind passage to Georgetown in the Exumas. Wow, we are really getting back to civilization now, as we had to anchor by squeezing between dozens of other vessels – all striving to stay out of the busy channel between Great Exuma and Stocking Island.

While anchored near Georgetown we hiked from one white-sand beach to the next, and enjoyed an incredibly delicious conch salad, made fresh-to-order. Preparation of all the ingredients (see opening photo) – from extracting and dicing the conch, to squeezing multiple limes, was all part of the experience. The salad was huge and eliminated the need for us to find dinner elsewhere that evening.

Parties, Pigs, Grottos, Bubbles and Sharks

After two days hanging about congested Georgetown, we decided to continue our journey further north for a stop just inside Cave Cut (at the relatively secluded Cave Cay), and another night further north at Black Point. Killer (our waiter/bartender) served up fabulous food and beverages at Lorraine’s restaurant.

Excitement was in the air as we began to meet up with fellow cruisers for the first Salty Dawg Exumas Rendezvous. Having been strewn about the Caribbean for the prior several months, a pleasant reacquaintment began with beverages, heavy hors d’oeurves at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club. Early that evening, fishermen were cleaning conchs and snapper by the dock, allowing children and adults alike to feed nurse sharks who also enjoyed our company.

Each day our generous volunteer hosts arranged meet-ups at different cays and sandbars. Come to the Exumas for fantastic snorkeling!

After a week of daily activities and nightly celebration, it was time for planning our continued journey northward. May is approaching (and so is hurricane season). For pristine crystalline water, white sand and happy folks everywhere, cruising in the Bahamas hadn’t a hint of disappointment. It’s tough to approach cooler climes after our timeless experiences here. Fortunately, we’re not alone, as many fellow cruisers are also beginning their slog north.

Next up: Saying goodbye to friends, hello to others and visiting a few more cays further north. Thanks for reading!