Canadian Invasion — Cupcake Afloat

The Canadians have arrived! After some weather delays getting to Staniel Cay from western Canada, Tom and Delwyn are with us aboard Cupcake for a week. We passed a calm night anchored just west of Thunderball Grotto (convenient to both excellent snorkeling and airport collecting). In the morning we snorkeled the grotto then set out about eight miles to the north to check out Thomas Cay, an anchorage we’ve been eager to explore in Pipe Creek. When we were at Little Pipe Cay with Simon early last month we could see boats over here and were eager to try it out ourselves.

We motored east through the cut behind Big Majors and about a mile and a half out onto the Sound we found water over 1,000’ deep and set our fishing lines. Didn’t catch anything but enjoyed the gentle sail up to Thomas Cay. The seas were fairly calm, the winds were under 15 knots, the sun was shining, and the water was gorgeous indigo.

Our anchorage was to the west of Thomas Cay where the tide flow was so strong the boat rode to the current instead of the wind. We all played in the crystal clear water for an hour or so.

Both Tom and Delwyn put in some practice and have already mastered the Jennabird Flip into the dinghy. Their goals for the week were met on their first full day here! Finally everyone can get down to the business of serious relaxation.

After a shockingly calm night at Thomas Cay (really, the anchorage was as still as a pond) we took Mr. Flowerpot to shore and followed a footpath through some short palm trees. The path led to a beach bordering the cut between Thomas Cay and Joe Cay. We hunted for shells on the beach, skipped stones in the water, and soaked up the beauty of the area. On the way back to Cupcake Delwyn and Moss decided it would be more fun for us to tow them behind the dinghy while they rode on a little float. So we did.

The wind was light, but from the north. So the trip to Warderick Wells was a motorboat ride. We fished along the drop off where the water was more than 1,000’ deep but caught nothing. Then we arrived at the mooring field in the Exuma Land and Sea Park late in the afternoon. Turns out it is almost exactly seven years ago that we were last at the island.

Today, after a snorkel, we dropped the mooring at Warderick Wells and had a magnificent beam reach down to Cambridge Cay where we are once again on a mooring. Cupcake was hitting 7.25 knots on the reach, passed a couple of other cruising boats, and got to kick up her heels and be glorious.

Today is Ellen’s birthday and to celebrate she made herself a chocolate cake under sail and is now taking a rest before making meatballs and spaghetti for dinner. Delwyn and Tom serenaded her with a happy birthday/ukulele song first thing in the morning.

In the week before the Canadian Invasion, we spent more time in the Staniel Cay area with Piper. The weather provided us with another cold front, and Piper bugged out to Pipe Creek with Mojo. We stuck around Big Majors because we needed to stay in the area to pick up our guests, and were rewarded with some dramatic meteorological displays. Mostly wind and rain. But Big Majors is a spot with super protection and we trust our ground tackle (landlubbers, that means our anchor and chain).

The rain went on all day and was heavy enough for me to scrub the deck and all the teak. Then I was able to take a rain shower and rinse with the downpour. Finally, I used all the fresh rainwater in the dinghy to do a load of laundry. Side note: when I test the product water from the watermaker it typically has between 200 - 300 parts per million of dissolved solids. Moss suggested that we test the ppm of the rainwater. It clocked in at an astonishingly low 11 ppm, and that was after the rain slid off the salty boat canvas.

The double edged sword of spending time with sailing friends is that the social calendar is absolutely grueling. Last week we attended three dinner parties! Think of it: one night it’s stir fry, pasta salad, Whirly-Pop buttery popcorn, and a movie with Jennabird. The next night it’s curried rice and Girl Scout cookies aboard Piper. And then it’s conch fritters, spinach rice, and pudding on Cupcake.

Maintenance update: Inspired by Piper, I taught myself how to make Dyneema soft shackles. These are basically shackles made of high-tech rope, they are lighter and stronger and cheaper than stainless steel ones. So we are trying them out on the dinghy-lashing-system we use to tie Mr. Flowerpot to the deck when we are underway.

I also finally got around to drilling out the larger hole the teardrop zinc for the centerboard pin. Installed it. Done. Probably put another one on in a month or two so Cupcake will be protected until the end of her sailing season. Ugh. Why am I even thinking about the end of her sailing season? It’s just February!

Here’s a cruising tip: We’ve learned that if you act like you belong there, you can sneak into the pool area at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club. They’ve got a tiny little swimming pool and, more important, wifi. (The password is “guest1234” but don’t spread it around.)