The Final Installment of the Exuma Story

Written April 22, 2025

This is the 4th of my Exuma Cays posts. There is lots to see here! We have been in the Exumas since March 16 and left for Eluthera on April 16th. A full month in the Exumas and we could have spent more time.

Rat Cay

Rat Cay is one of those narrow channels very close to a Cay where one is looking for wind/wave/swell protection and a pretty spot. The Exumas, and the Bahamas for that matter, are a lot about looking for protection from the weather in paradise. There are lots of options.

Our Rat Cay anchorage. Quite heavenly.

We were ready to get out of Staniel and Rat Cay was close to several sandbars we also wanted to explore (and never ended up doing). A bit tricky to get into from the west side, through narrow channels between sand bars that dry at low tide, hug an island with a sand bar on the other side, round the corner almost into the Atlantic and then into the cut on the other side between another sand bar and island. Piece of cake! Trust your instruments, charts (we have three different sets of charts and all provide a slightly or wildly different cartography, satellite imagery and your eyes.

Sand on one side of the anchorage. This dries all the way to the rocks.
The rocky island on the other. There was a strong current through here and it was pushing us to shore. We were in 20 feet of water and with the amount of line we needed to have out would not have had spin room when the tide (and thus current) changed. So, a stern anchor was in order.
To use the stern anchor, I had to hold station; keeping the boat from moving forward or back or sideways into the sand or rock while Jim builds the anchor. This is an anchor that breaks down for storage in a much smaller space. We started by re-anchoring so we were with the current and the boat would hang in place better without my constant action. After Jim got the anchor built (we’d only done a stern anchor once before), into the dinghy we go to take the anchor and special anchor line we have on a spool that lives on the back of the boat 150 feet out from the boat and drop it in the water. The idea is the boat will not spin around when the current changes. It worked as it should!
Of course to retrieve the anchor, one has to start at the boat, and pull yourself to the anchor with the line, then pull the anchor that is set well in the sand then drag the dinghy back to the boat. This anchor weights 35 -40 pounds or so, so Jim got his exercise.

We had planned to stay at Rat Cay for several days and explore north and south via dinghy but we learned we had gotten a mooring ball at the Exumas Land and Sea Park, one of Jim’s must do’s, so we only spent one night before leaving. This was after spending over an hour getting our anchoring completed.

We did have drinks on a friends boat anchored across the sand bars that evening which was nice.

As we leave the anchorage, ahead is the Atlantic. We do not take this cut (nor does anyone else except in a small dinghy as it is too rocky) We turn right and around the bottom of Rat Cay.

Above is the exit from the anchorage back on the west side of Rat Cay (we were anchored on the east side.) Note the sand bar to the left. We follow this for a bit then turn left and sneak our between two sand bores heading west.

Warderick Wells

Warderick Wells is the heart of the Exuma Land and Sea Park. This is a rather big park to protect a chunk of the Exumas. The park is only accessible by water and Warderick Wells is another of those thin channels between drying sand bars. There are 20 mooring balls in high demand. You call on the radio or phone and let them know you want one and when. Then, each morning you listen on the VHF to see if you have made the cut. They are in high demand and we were surprised we had. No resorts, restaurants, cars, roads, etc. Just boats, trails, fish, sharks and rays.

The first picture in this post is us at Warderick Wells.

We are the 3rd boat back. The entrance to this field is to the left. Follow the boats around in the darker blue line. They only way in and out.
Here is another view. Our boat is just to the left out of the picture. This is at low tide when the sand is beginning to dry. One has to weave their way between the moored boats in the narrow channel to get to your assigned mooring ball.
There are quite a few primitive trails across the limestone marked with red and yellow arrows. Flipflops are probably not the best footwear, but we have adjusted.
I said basic trails, here we have this fancy bridge across the creek. We did not think about the tide coming in.
No rock hopping to stay dry on the way back. But, we had flipflops and the rocks were not slippery.
Pretty views from the top. This is looking to the west and the “overflow camping,” those that do not have a mooring ball in the heart of the park.
One of the trails takes you to a place called BooBoo Hill. It is one of those places cruisers are supposed to go to leave an offering to the sea Gods for safe travel. It was a bit too haphazard for my taste. I did not know we were supposed to leave a gift, so we may have issue with the sea Gods. But the view was beautiful, you can see a bit of the mooring field to the right and the Atlantic Ocean to the left.
We saw lots of lizards along the trails and even saw a Bahamian Huita on the hutia trail! They were thought to be extinct but found again and they are slowly grown the population. We were excited to see one!
The current is quite strong through the mooring field cut. This apparently brings the turtles in. We’d see them morning and evening right by the boat feeding.
I know, hard to see, but this is an Spotted Eagle Ray! We saw rays several times gliding right by the boat. You can see the spots of you look closely. So very cool!!
We did finally one afternoon take the dinghy to the sand bars to play a bit. We’d hoped to also do some snorkeling off the sand bar, but the current was quite strong. it would have been good. We’ve since learned that you tie yourself to the dinghy and do a drift snorkel. That way you don’t get too far away from it. Hard to control your direction much though!

We spent 3 days at Warderick Wells and also got so spend time with our friends Greg and Lara whom we had not seen since we were in Florida heading south to Mexico. It was nice to catch up.

Cambridge Cay

We had one more stop we wanted to make in the Exumas before heading on. We had heard this was a very pretty spot and it was centrally located to several of the things we wanted to see and do. It is still in the Exuma Land and Sea Park so protected.

The anchorage had both mooring balls and anchored boats. We did both. The first night we were anchored and it had a bit of current and wrap swell. The next two nights we were able to get a mooring ball further in. Better wind protection, no current and so totally lovely. The water was super clear.
This was our shark who came to visit. We saw several sharks around the anchorage. All nurse sharks which in general do not bother people.
A short dinghy ride to the beach and a hike over the hills and there is the Atlantic ocean. We are on our way to see a cave, but the beach is quite interesting
It is a rocky shore with all these round and oval indentations that have collected rocks.
At first I thought someone had placed them there, but I think the ocean did it all on it’s own.
At high tide they are almost completely submerged.
We also have a beautiful of Bell Rock. Cambridge Cay is also called Little Bell Cay. At low tide you can walk to the rock and climb it. I was not ready to try and scramble up this. Just looking was enough.
And what a fun cave! The Atlantic was calm and the weather was so perfect.
This is another of those places with fantastic limestone formations.
As we were enjoying the ocean and rocks up close, the big blue fish was quite close. At least a foot long and very oval. There was too much wave action to get more than a pretty blue image of him. Of course all my fish pics are wavy. I must get that underwater camera although it would not have helped in this instance as we were on the shore looking into the water 20 feet down to the water.
From the top of the hills going over to the Atlantic side, there is a very pretty view back towards the anchorage and the protected waters to the west. Of course Rincon is front and center.
On another day, we dinghy 5 miles or so north to a place called the Aquarium. It is a rock in the center of an inlet. It has a nice bowl on the inward side where fish like to congregate. There were lots of fish and gorgeous corals. You could see the fish swimming around before you even got into the water. It was a fun snorkel and Jim stayed longer than I’ve ever seen him during a snorkel. that tells you how nice it was.
On the way back to Rincon, we located the sunken air plane. Some sort of small plane but you could see the fuselage and winds intact. Are you enjoying my into the water pics?
Our last day at Cambridge, we took the dinghy south to Rachael’s Bubble Bath. The bubble bath is right on the ocean so you beach your dinghy on the inland side and walk up a little sandy creek to the bubble bath. When the waves come in the break over the rocks and provide a nice foamy bath. I’m second from the right. Jim did not join me.
There I am on the right. I think Jim was enjoying the girls in their bikini’s more. They just stood and watched. It was actually very safe and quite fun.
Along the edge of the bubble bath in shallow rock were these tiny mussels and snail “formations” is lots of different patterns. They seemed to follow seams and cuts in the rock.
And as we were leaving the bubble bath, a float plane flew over. We saw quite a few while in the Exumas. I have always thought they were so cool, and oh so practical here.
A view from Rincon looking back towards Bell Rock across the cay. Such a pretty place!

Our plan had been to next go to Cat Island, due east of the Exumas. Another outer island with an interesting small abandoned monastery. The winds did not want us to go however, so we changed out plans and headed north east for Eleuthera. We had planned to go there but ended up skipping Cat.

We really enjoyed the Exumas and found a lot of variety in terrain, beautiful water and friendly people.

Stay tuned for Eleuthera.

Comments

The Final Installment of the Exuma Story — 3 Comments

  1. Navigating is so complicated. Glad you’re enjoying the boat life. Enjoying your adventures.

  2. In the fourth picture down from top where Sylvia is describing our Rat Cay anchorage, there is a dark line close to shore. That is a large shark passing through the channel. They seem to like being in places with lots of current.

  3. One can see why many folks come back to the Bahamas year after year.

    I can finally pick out Rincon Feliz with out help … from the right angle helps of course and it also helps that there are so many catamarans to automatically exclude. LOL