CODA : Enjoying Valentine's Day in the Exuma Islands, Bahamas.
14 February 2025
Monument Beach, Elizabeth Harbour, Georgetown, Great Exuma Cay, Bahamas
Nice to get a singing chocolate-gram on Valentine's Day.
Marc- I decided to make a special breakfast of locally baked coconut bread French toast with Vermont Maple Syrup and a cup of coffee. What more could anyone want? Fresh strawberries would have been nice but they are long gone. This was as good a reason as any to head back across the harbor to the Exuma Market for strawberries, apples, and of course my favorite, ice cream. I also needed an on / off 12 volt electric switch from the local hardware store, "Top to Bottom." This store has extensive marine hardware and supplies. They only take cash, so I needed a bank. The only Bank nearby is the Royal Bank of Canada. Since we have an account at RBC in Montreal, this worked well. I also discovered that the exchange rate is only 10%. That would explain why there are so many Canadians here. The exchange rate for the Canadian dollar with the US dollar was 43% last time I checked. (The US and Bahamian dollars are equal.) We walked around town (our only exercise today- 2-1/2 miles) and bought Regatta t-shirts and a hat.
The weather alerts from home say snow (heavy snow and ice) are coming this weekend. Not so bad down here with the endless 75 degree sunny days!
Our return trip to Coda was rather wet with wind and waves building up from 15 to 18 knots during the day. The spray you get in a rubber dinghy eventually gets you soaked all the way through whatever layers of clothing you have on. More boats have been anchoring near us to get protection from the increasing easterly winds. The holding here is excellent in thick sand.
The entryway coming into the tunnel from the outer harbor into Lake Victoria, where is the dingy dock is. Boats coming in have right of way, and they know it because they come through at high speed. I've also noticed that there are few dinghies with outboards below 9.9 horsepower. Many are 2 cycle Yamaha types that you can still purchase in the Bahamas. They can no longer be purchased in the US, where you have to buy 4 cycle which are heavier and more expensive.
We brought our trash to the local disposal agent.
We also brought a 5 gallon can to purchase more Diesel fuel. It takes lots of trips to fill a 65 gallon tank on Coda. We also brought a 5 gallon can to pick up free RO (reverse osmosis) water.
Waiting for a clear shot to get out.
We made it out. Somehow the incredible color and clarity of the water here masks the size of the waves that we are dealing with.
Sue has been watching this kid zoom about on a power hydrofoil board.
I have been researching the rules for snorkeling and anchoring in Moriah Harbour Cay National Park next door. No anchoring. Big boats are to anchor in the designated mooring field. Dinghies are allowed to be tied up at official yellow mooring balls set on reef sites. They mean business here to protect the coral reefs. My secret weapon is my friend Charlie Langworthy who has come down here numerous times. He has given me precise information as to where to anchor Coda outside the Park boundary and then take the dinghy in to the choice reef sites.
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