Motor Hard - Motor Slow

March 31 - Warderick Wells

Joanne & I planned to go to a closeby location to Nassau called Highborne Cay, anchor out the night and then go up to Allen's Cay to see the iguanas, a must stop for first time Exuma cruisers. The possibility of west winds later in the week changed our plans. Since very few anchorages in the Exumas are protected from the west (which would mean a rocky, rolly time), we followed s/v Blue Goose and Cantagree to Shroud Cay (a beautiful cay down the island chain), motoring into a SE wind all the way.  We picked up a mooring an hour before sundown.

I swam under the boat in crystal clear water and found to my amazement that the prop zinc was about 90% gone.  Prop zincs protect the prop from electrolosis (metal deterioration).   It was just replaced when Eagle's Wings returned to the water the end of January after her bottom was repainted. Guess we'll have to check why this happened when we get back to Punta Gorda!

At 8 AM we were underway again motoring this time into a stronger 20 kt wind with 2 - 3 ft waves. The bigger waves really knocked us back and we had a difficult time keeping up with the other boats., We made a speed of 3.5 - 4.5 kts falling well behind Cantagree, a Catalina 36, who was well behind Blue Goose, a Hallberg-Rassy 34. 

We had called the day before on our Satellite phone to get on the waiting list for a mooring at Warderick Wells.  At 9 AM, Warderick Wells started the mooring assignment process on the VHF radio.  I was quite happy when we heard that we were assigned a ball, #1,1 in the North Mooring Field (a nice protected anchorage).  There were lots of boats on the waiting list and I thought everyone in the area would be looking for a place to hide from the high winds - but we lucked out!  We picked up our mooring ball a little after noon.  

Warderick Wells is just a great spot.  It's the headquarters of the Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park, which covers 176 square miles of pristine beaches, snorkeling, hiking trails.  It is a "no-take zone" which means nothing living or dead can be removed from the park.  We checked in at the office and then went for a hike the long way around to Boo Boo Hill.  Boo Boo Hill is a place that boaters leave a plaque (with only natural items e.g., driftwood or shells) with their names on it.  It's like a big monument of those who have been here before and a neat gathering place to view the gorgeous coastline.  Our friends, Marilyn and John, hiked with us and we took lots of pictures.  Check out our pictures below by clicking  Pictures - Warderick Wells