Leaving Compass Cay we stick to the VPR (visual piloting rules) route south. This route is a lot of fun because it keeps you in the thick of the cays. It's also challenging as there are no channel markers and many things that need to be dodged. Some of the cays are privately owned and have beautiful houses on them. One house had three huge wind generators providing electrical power. After a too short four hour cruise we arrived at Staniel Cay, the largest settlement in the northern Exumas.
Getting an anchor to work in the Bahamas is a challenge. The anchor's flukes penetrate the sand but not the hard pack just below it. While the sand alone gives the impression of a well set hook, it doesn't hold in a blow. Some LNVTs came with a Taiwanese knockoff of a Danforth anchor. Nellie's got one: it's 45lbs, stainless steel, well made, and has 'Taiwan' stamped on it. After having used it for a year now the conclusion is that it works fine--in other than flat smooth bottoms. Today, for example, we couldn't get it to set off Staniel. Even diving on it and manually directing the flukes downward didn't work. Interestingly, we were successful in setting a Fortress (a Danforth by another name but made of aluminum). The anchors appear similar but their individual nuances spell the difference between success and failure.
We dinghied ashore and walked on our first paved roads in what seems forever. Colorful, small, buildings are scattered about. The building colors are used in lieu of a business' name. For example, there's a pink grocery, blue grocery, and yellow bakery. It's about a mile walk to Isles, the island's largest store. Large is a relative term, think two car garage size. Three bananas and a loaf of Bahamas white sandwich bread was $7.
Walking back we stopped for beers at the Staniel Key Yacht Club. This is where the cruising set hangs out and we talked with the crews off three different boats. It never ceases to amaze me how interesting these folks are. 12nm today and 408nm total. DBH
