Back to Elizabeth Harbor on Great Exuma. We took advantage of a great powerboat weather day to tuck back into Elizabeth Harbor. Carl and Marlene fly out February 17, and need to be close to the airport.
We’ll poke around in the dinghy, relax for a couple days, and plan to have the water taxi deliver them to the airport for their flight.
They feed the scraps to the sharks and manta rays that hover nearby, obviously expecting the handouts.
The next morning, we dinghied into town for a quick walkabout. There are three grocery stores, The Blue Store, The Pink Store and The Yellow Store. These are their official names, which of course are their colors! Nearby is the Happy People Marina, staffed by (you guessed it) happy people. Next stop, Little Farmer’s Cay.
Lee Stocking is home of the Perry Research Institute, also known as the Caribbean Marine Research Center. Interestingly, this center on Bahamian soil is run by a US group made up of NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and three US universities. They study changes to the ocean environment, particularly as they affect conch, lobster and coral. In addition, the invasive species the Lionfish is a subject of research. We had a tour of the facility, which was most interesting. In the winter there is just a skeleton staff, while summer is the peak research season, with about 30 people in residence.
For a change of scenery, and to get out of the “blowing stink” winds, we upped anchor at Sand Dollar Beach and moved just a few miles around the corner to Red Shank Bay, tucking up nicely behind a couple islands.
What a way to start the week – we attended the Beach Church on Volleyball Beach. More than 120 boaters attended this non-denominational service. We sat on wooden picnic benches under the casuarinas (wispy scrub pines) as the breeze cooled us.
Unlike the high sung mass in Nassau, these cruisers were barefoot, in shorts and T-shirts, and had all arrived via dingy. There is no ordained preacher, just volunteer boaters who share a message. The Casuarina Choirs, both kids and adults, sang many hymns, sometimes joined by the congregation. A guitarist, flautist and electric keyboard accompanied us. No collection was taken, coffee and baked goods followed, and we met some of our fellow boaters.
Adjacent to the beach is Chat & Chill, the local grill and pub. Sunday dinner of a whole roast pig was on the spit. 
We checked out the signpost with mileage indicated to exotic distant lands, including Mackinac Island!
The afternoon was sunny and BREEZY (we daily see first-hand where the term Bahama breezes came from!), and we opted for a walk to the top of Stocking Island. 
We were greeted by a stunning vista – steep cliffs, huge waves breaking below, and incredible water colors. Between our hike up and down, and a long beach walk, we were ready for a good dinner and a good night’s rest.
Bright and early in the morning, Marlene and Marty headed to Sand Dollar Beach for organized yoga. A very professional instructor led over 30 participants, all boaters, and we followed as best we could in the sand, in 25 knot winds. 
We were treated to another fabulous sunset our first night here. Later, in the moonlight, the white beaches looked like snow (just thinking about that as we had a report from Mancelona that it was 17 below this morning – about a 90 degree difference from here!).
Departed Warderick Wells this morning. We were the “test boat” with others waiting for our report on “how bad it is” in the ocean after the big blow. We had reconnoitered the situation from our flybridge, where we could see over the saddle of the island, and the waves had subsided considerably, to only 3-4 feet. We slipped our mooring, exited the harbor, and reported passable conditions. We only had about 45 minutes in the Sound before we were back on the relatively sheltered Banks. Had a pleasant run about 35 miles south to Little Farmer’s Cay, population 55. We picked up a mooring, launched the dinghy and set out to meet the locals. At the government dock was the welcoming party; four fellows selling freshly caught and cleaned conch. We took four, and a few beautiful shells to boot. Another boater informed us of the “must do” Superbowl party at the Yacht Club. We weren’t interested in the game, but wanted to socialize, and so went in for a beverage. The owner was grilling ribs on a 55-gallon drum barbeque (noticed some local goats – we wonder?), and the Club was actually more like a public restaurant, island style. Met a couple from Prince Edward Island and one from Virginia, both sailors.
Walked about the island today, and will dine ashore tonight, February 2, at Ocean Cabin, a restaurant which also runs the mooring field. We made reservations, and were requested to select our entrees so they could go out and catch them. Talk about fresh! This establishment advertises its hours of operation as “Most days about 9 or 10, occasionally as early as 7; but some days as late as 12 or 1. We close about 5 or 6, or maybe about 4 or 5. Some days or afternoons we aren’t here at all and lately we’ve been here about all the time except when we’re some place else but we might be here then, too.” Jerry recognized these as the same hours as the Crow’s Nest in Tobermory!
We’ll stay on “our ball” tonight, as a thunder squall is predicted, and this should hold us securely. Then we won’t suffer the fate of Blue Sky, this old turtleback tossed up by a hurricane. 
Within yards of the beach is the Pirate’s Lair. This is where the pirates came ashore to relax between pillaging expeditions. In the lair, there are palm trees not indigenous to the Bahamas, and grasses found in Louisiana. The theory is the pirates unrolled their hammocks and mats to relax, scattering seeds picked up in other locations. The lair also has a “well” of fresh water – actually a “lens” of fresh rain water that floats on top of the salt water – so they could have cool water to mix with their daily ration of rum!
In the morning, we traveled four miles via dinghy to the park headquarters to register. We decided to provide some additional support for the park and took a membership in the Exuma’s Park Support Fleet. Since we live in a national marine park in the summer, this seemed appropriate!
At the park office, we were welcomed by bananaquits, bold little black and yellow birds who will eat sugar right from the palm of your hand.
In 1995, a sperm whale washed ashore, and its skeleton is preserved here. It is the same length as Monarch at 52 feet.
We hiked to the top of Boo Boo Hill, the highest hill on Warderick Wells. Many years ago, lore has it, a schooner of missionaries was wrecked off the coast with all hands lost. The hill is named for the cry of these ghosts, which can be heard on moonlit nights. At the top of the hill, some boaters leave driftwood souvenirs painted with the name of their boats. It has become quite a pile, and we declined to add to the assortment! 
Warderick Wells is the headquarters island of the park. There are several mooring fields in the park, and we picked up one in the south anchorage, which has mooring balls for six boats. The use of moorings is encouraged to prevent damage to the coral, which may be caused by anchoring. Adjacent to our mooring are large slabs of blue-green reef forming stromatolites. These types of reefs are the oldest evidence of life on Earth, with some fossils dating back 3.5 billion years. The live ones near our boat are estimated to be about 2000 years old. They are extremely fragile, and as with all park life we are directed not to disturb them. 
