Trade Wind Sailing Through Exumas

On February 15 we left the comforts of Georgetown and Emerald Bay, leaving friends and the southern Exuma cruising community, to start the long sail back to the US.

Pushed by a spritely southeast breeze and 4-6’ waves from astern, we made good time, sailing at 6+ knts northward. For the next few days we worked our way back onto the Bahama Bank, island-hoping towards the Exuma Land and Sea Park. This was “champaign sailing” at its finest: broad-reaching the leeward side of the island chain, down the Tradewinds, which blew a steady 15 knts for days on end.

We stayed a few more nights than anticipated at Compass Cay, situated at the southern edge of the Land and Sea Park. Like the park itself, Compass is a protected island, which strictly enforces environmental rules and prohibits overboard discharge and waste disposal. 

Here, those who inhabit or work on the island, along with their patrons, take the regulations seriously. As a result, the marina is virtually an aquarium. Numerous coral heads and reefs dot the sandy bottom of ocean floor, 8 feet beneath the OG. The kids snorkeled the reefs several times per day, spotting sea turtles, giant puffer fish, sting rays, schools of yellowfin, and much more. 

Compass is also known for its school of tame nurse sharks. The kids wasted no time and jumped right in. Swimming among the 5-6’ sharks, they also met Mackenzie, an 11-year old from Maryland out cruising with her parents. . . one more reason we decided to stick around Compass. 

Our very extended weekend culminated with dinner aboard a “proper yacht,” owned by Paul and Sue from Texas, who graciously invited the entire Ryba family over for steaks, booze, and a lively discussion of gun control regulations. 

On February 23, we sailed further north to the island of Warderick Wells, the headquarters of Land and Sea Park. The Park is a small, protected archipelago, consisting of most beautiful islands in the Bahamas, which is saying something. It has no amenities and no connectivity—truly an “off-the-grid” experience.

The park is teaming with marine life. Each day we saw numerous sea turtles, “real sharks” (the not-so-friendly kind), and sea rays, all right outside and below the OG. Evidently, this is the basis for park rules that strongly discourage swimming after 1600. The most amazing thing we saw was five eagle rays swimming in a V-formation like a flock of geese. They “flew” beneath our boat, circled another boat and then back to circle ours. Unbelievable.

We hiked the island, making our way atop Boo-Boo Hill for the requisite offering to Neptune and obligatory selfie. 

The Land and Sea Park was one of the highlights of our trip and we could easily appreciate how some stay on anchor here for weeks on end. 

We left the Park and sailed further north, back to Highbourne Cay to refuel and to take on provisions for the next leg of the trip to Nassau.