CODA : Living the life in the Exuma Islands, Bahamas.
27 February 2025
Staniel Cay Harbor west anchorage, Staniel Cay, Bahamas
Staniel Cay Yacht Club.
Marc- This is our second visit to Staniel Cay. Our first visit was just a teaser since we only stopped for fuel and water. I was impressed by the efficient system and dock staff that cater to everyone no matter what boat size. We pulled in right after a 70 foot Oyster sloop was finished. The facility is expensive but it works well (no free RO water here). We came in today for a repeat performance of our first visit and we accomplished it plus gained local knowledge on access to the Thunderbolt Grotto. It is critical to visit at slack tide and to anchor (all dinghy moorings are long gone) your dinghy with a significant anchor. Our grapnel hook was not going to be a sufficient anchor. As soon as we had Coda anchored nearby, I removed our big boat "back up" anchor (a 40 pound hi-tensile Danforth anchor) for the dinghy. Sue and I gathered our snorkeling gear and off we went. The anchor was an immediate success. The Thunderball Grotto is an amazing cave used in several movies including the James Bond movie Thunderball (Sean Connery, 1965). There were no fight scenes when we visited. Our only excitement was when someone up on the top of the island decided to jump in through a natural skylight that had formed in the coral ceiling of the cave. Luckily people below were warned about this guy and moved out of the way.
The west entrance to the grotto is near the center of this photo. At low tide you can swim into the entry cave easily.
Sue got this photo of a sea turtle after we came out of the cave. Unfortunately I left our underwater camera on Coda. The cave was phenomenal with natural skylights allowing light into the turquoise waters filled with tropical fish. The grotto is about about 50 feet by 50 feet with a 20 foot ceiling and about 15 feet deep. It's a cave so dimensions are not in square feet.
Back on Coda anchored in this incredible water.
We anchored in 8 feet of water.
This catamaran was anchored nearby. When I think our boat is beamy it does not compare to the 24 foot beam of this cat.
They are a little boxy as well.
Entering the dinghy harbor at Staniel Cay Yacht Club.
Now that's what I call a protected space .
Sue noticed a few underwater visitors by the big boat docks.
Just nurse sharks.
The marina has some nice cottages to rent if you need to get away from the boat or have guests coming in.
The marina grounds are well maintained.
We walked around town a bit.
The Isles General Store gives direction to come by land or water.
Isles General Store.
This looks promising.
We made it back to the boat in time to do The NY Times Crossword puzzle with Brian & Michael.
It would not be the Bahamas without one of these.
Sue: I really liked this Cay. The yacht club is very nice, with a gift shop and restaurant (not in our budget). The little guest houses are very pretty and well made. We saw quite a bit of building going on. There was a new cement bridge, and a number of houses (cement block) going up. The houses are solid and good looking, nearly all are pastels. There was some landscaping around town - not quite as nice as at the yacht club, but nicer than we have seen other places. In addition to the general store there is a "blue store" and a "pink store." We went in the blue store and bought bananas. We did not go in the Pink Pearl, as it is formally known. We saw the airport on our walk, and little planes going out. There were a lot more people here, a livelier place than Little Farmer's.
The Thunderball Grotto made our day. I'm sorry we couldn't take you there, John Gilmartin.
The drain in the shower is not draining. It was working great, but not any longer. Apparently it is a very complex problem. The valve we got at the general store today is not the right size. There is no wind tonight and we are sweating. That's the part I can't stand - the heat, the sweating, feeling sticky, the sheets bunching up because the bed is an odd size, and stuff that does not work. It makes me want to go home.
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