For us it’s about meeting the people and exploring new places, the Exuma beaches and turquoise waters is now high up on our list of favourite cruising grounds in the Caribbean. I fully understand why so many people return year after year to these islands. Eleuthera is totally different and yet it’s only half a day sail from the Exuma chain. It has charm, isolation and some unique elements including another pink beach and an island hideaway frequented by the rich and famous.

We left the Exumas early so we could make it through the cut at high tide, then sail the 50nm passage to Rock Sound. The fishing gods were with us and we caught a good size Mahi on the way. Rock Sounds isn’t on the typical tourist map. It has a big protected bay with a small village. The locals live a relaxed lifestyle and during the winter season a few tourists call in, though they typically arrive in their own boat. The settlement may be in need of a coat of paint but the people are incredibly welcoming and friendly. Like all of the Bahamas it has a strong Christian community, as we walked around this small town we counted 8 churches.

The last couple of weeks we’d spent in a national park so our fresh fruit and vegie supplies were running low. Our first mission was to find a supermarket, outboard fuel and cooking gas. The town was very quiet, with no other visiting yachts ashore. Our first stop was at Dimbles Garage. We had read that although they are a petrol station, they also provide great tourist information for cruisers. We learnt about the two tourist attractions, the caves and the Ocean Hole. The latter is an inland pool that’s linked to the sea via underwater caves. We were pointed in the direction of the hardware store for gas bottle refills, the supermarket and most importantly, a good restaurant. It had been awhile since we had been out for dinner and I was looking forward to my cooks night off.

The hardware store took our gas bottles and enquired as to where we’d docked our dingy. The store was a combination of hardware and homeware items with some of the stock being on the shelves for so long they had started to rust. When we inquired about how long it would take to fill our gas tanks, they said they will be ready once we had done our shopping and that they would drop them at the dock to save us lugging them back. We were impressed with the friendly service although just a little concerned that they would make it back in time. We popped next door to the supermarket that was well stocked with the best provisioning since George Town. We found a good selection of fresh and frozen supplies including a tub of Simon’s beloved vanilla ice cream. We filled our back packs and carry bags and made the trek back to the dingy dock where our gas bottles were waiting on the dock. There was no dawdling as we had to get the precious frozen items back to Aura before they started to defrost. As it turned out, it was a very successful morning with all our tasks ticked off the list. Now that is rarity.

That evening we went to Sammy’s restaurant for dinner. Simon and I ordered the ribs that included three sides. It was a feast with a couple of glasses of red wine to wash it all down. Needless to say we went home very content without damaging the budget. The following day was Sunday so we joined Ann and Ian for a day of exploring. We visited the caves, the Ocean hole and walked around the other half of the settlement. We decided to head back to Sammy’s for a light lunch. We figured that as their ribs were so good, we had to try their burgers. They were good but Black Point settlement still won the best burger award.

The following day we decided it was time to move on. Both Simon and I wanted to go for a swim but we could not see the bottom. Also Si had seen something that resembled a shark when we had first arrived…I just think it was our resident sucker fish swimming away. I don’t think he was all that happy with his new home. We sailed north to Ten Bay which had good protection from the wind but not the best of holding. It took up a couple of attempts to set our anchor. My first swim off the back of the boat was short lived due to a fair number of jelly fish. I then sent Simon in to check the anchor. He reported back that the jelly fish were harmless.

The highlight of Ten Bay was sundowners on the beach at low tide. We were able to walk 100 meters offshore in very shallow water. We found a nice spot in about 40cm of water. Placed the rum cocktail jug and carry bag on a nearby sand bar and enjoyed the warm, shallow water. Si wandered back to the shore to check on Helios only to run into a fellow Aussie who owned one of holiday homes located on the water’s edge. It puts a smile on my face as you never know where and when you will run into an Aussie and how quickly you manage to find some common ground (he’s a fellow Saints supporter).

The next bay we visited was Alabaster Bay. Strangely enough, it was located very close to the Eleuthera airport. Not that it was a problem as you might have three to four 12 seater planes arriving and departing throughout the day. We went for an early morning walk on the beach and saw plenty of marine life including reef sharks, turtles and barracuda. We took the dingy around the small island that promised good snorkelling. After seeing the large number of sharks and barra, we decided to admire the coral from the surface. We all agreed that this was a wise decision when we saw a number of big dark silhouettes lurking on the ocean floor. Later on that day, the wind was calm so we pulled out the lilo’s. Ann swam over on her killer whale providing plenty of entertainment. That night, I tackled a fish curry recipe. Thanks to Ian and his collection of spices, the curry was a success. Ian and Ann brought over onion barge and dahl which were equally delicious.

As is always the case, the weather dictates when and where we have to move on. A south westerly wind was forecast so we decided to head to the protection of an island close to Spanish Wells. We safely made it through Current Cut and made our way to Meek Patch. Island. Si had been in touch with Jerome from Jiyu and Paul from Kerpa. They had departed Nassau and were heading our way. It was a very happy reunion…must have been over a week since we saw them last J. We decided to head to the island for sundowners where we were greeted by the local resident…three little piggies. They were very friendly but did not hang around long once they realised they were not going to be fed. It looks like the locals are replicating the Staniel Cay swimming pig tourist attraction.

The following evening we all went over to Jiyu for a lovely dinner. Si and I decided to be adventurous and make a bannoffee pavlova roulade complete with caramel sauce and toffee. Must say it was our best dessert yet and very well received. It was a fun night and we all got to appreciate how spacious and comfortable a catamaran is when accommodating eight adults for dinnerJ.

The following day the wind had dropped slightly so we took Helios and Kerpa’s dingy across the channel to Spanish Wells. Si had gone in the day before to check out the grocery store and fuel dock and said the town was very different to any place we had visited in the Bahamas/Caribbean…he was not wrong. The first thing you notice is how clean and neat everything is. All the houses are well maintained and the gardens are well kept. The next thing is that the population is predominantly white and they are all driving golf buggies. Everyone is extremely friendly and you find yourself waving to everyone that drives past. We had come to shore to find a place for lunch. After a bit of a walk around while having a look at our options, we stopped at The Shipyard. It was really nice with great company, good food and view looking over the devils backbone (reef).

Once again. It was time to move as a strong easterly was forecast. We said goodbye to Kerpa the night before as they were heading to the USA, Chesapeake Bay near Washington. They plan to leave Kerpa in the Chesapeake for a few weeks while they head home to Sweden. We hope to catch up with them again in the US.

During dinner and after a few bottles of wine, we discussed our options of where to get protection from the easterly wind while waiting for a weather window to make passage to Bermuda. Ann and I both fancied visiting Harbour Island, it is recommended to engage the services of a pilot to navigate the complex reef system otherwise known as the Devils Backbone. We decided that the passage exiting Spanish Wells via the start of the Devils Backbone looked relatively straightforward. We would then take a route around the outside of the island then enter at a cut located south of Harbour Island. We also had the extra advantage of being able to follow Tourterelle to ensure that all the depths were sufficient for Aura. We left on a rising tide with light winds and plenty of sunshine. All went to plan with the exception of a ferry that had parked across the channel that took us past Spanish Wells. Tourterelle went first and squeezed past the ferry…keeping in mind they are not as wide as us. They reported back that the depths were sufficient for us to get past. Si and I held our breath and went for it…me providing the distance between us and the ferry so that we did not hit our stays on the way past. Once that challenge was over, the rest of the 15nm trip was easy with the destination being a very protected anchorage. It was not until later that Ann told me that her pilot book highly recommends not attempting the cut without local knowledge…whoops.

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Harbour Island is very nice with lots of big holiday homes and pink beaches. We later read that it is a bit of a celebrity hideaway as it is difficult to get to (which I can confirm). We spent a day exploring the island and a few days preparing for our passage to Bermuda.

After careful consideration of the weather forecast we decided it was time to head to Bermuda. Our departure time was also dependent on the tide as we could not leave our anchorage until close to high tide. That morning I was busy in the galley preparing 4 days of meals. I knew the first two days would be a windward sail; meaning we’d be leaning over on an angle and bouncing directly into the swell. I don’t enjoy these sea conditions, cooking is difficult as are simple tasks such as visiting the bathroom. Just after lunch, we cleared the cut and I made myself comfortable on the couch as we ploughed forward with stronger than expected winds. The wind direction was directly on our Bermuda course therefore our direction was shadowing the northern Bahamas. In 4 days we could expect a southerly wind that would support our easterly heading to Bermuda, 800nm off the USA coast. A dot in the Atlantic Ocean. This would be our longest passage since November when we departed Mindelo off the African coast. On that day we set sail with Tourterelle and Jiyu and coincidentally these same three yachts are leaving together for Bermuda.