Back to Normans

We woke up after the lobsterfest in Pipe Creek at 4:30 a.m to a weird west wind that was fighting the north-south current. We flipped the instruments on and our depth alarm started to beep. We had swung closer to the beach but still in over 5 ft of water and low tide was at 4 a.m. so the water should be getting higher. We went back down below only to check again 30 minutes later and find that we had swung further and now only had 4'4". With a 4'2" draft, that won't do. We pulled up the hook and moved closer to Sundays Child who appeared to be in the same position. Ted woke up, turned on his gauges and he was in 2'4". He and Maggie were so calm and simply proceeded to pull the boat off with the dinghy. Arcturus also had the same bad luck but unfortunately he was over coral and could hear the keel slamming on every wave. We all agreed we wanted to go somewhere else. We sailed out the cut into the Exuma Sound and headed to Normans Cay. Arcturus had an adventurous day as they were towing their porta-boat and it proceeded to get swamped. Dan and Bill were able to work it out but had lost hundreds of dollars in gear that had been left in the boat including snorkels, masks, shoes, and their outboard gas tank.

We sailed into Normans Cay without having any luck with the fishing lines. Since provisions were slim for all three boats - that wouldn't do. Baxter and I had seen a conch herd in the shallows the last time we were here so Ted, Maggie, Chessie, Verne, Baxter and I set off to try our luck and scored big! I should mention that Kala and Chessie were not just standing by while we hunted - they were kangaroo hopping and chasing each other through two feet of water, running hard and fast. By time we were ready to go - neither one had a single bit of energy left.

Baxter, Verne and Ted headed to the beach to clean conch while Maggie and I chopped and diced for conch salad. Dinner was a feast with Cracked Conch sandwiches, conch salad, conch tacos - enough for seven people!

Sunday's Child at Norman's 

Not just some pretty shells - that's dinner

Playing with coconuts