We arrived at Warderick Wells Exuma Land and Sea Park yesterday just in time to celebrate Capt Bob's birthday! Today we did our first dive, at least 30 huge lobsters on the first reef we dove, they are all protected within the park of course, just look and not take! Then we went to the second reef and saw the biggest Black Grouper that we have seen in a long while...pictures only, Bob said "it was almost too big to take even if we were not in the park...it would feed us for a month". The park is surreal, we have been here probably 10 times in the past and feel like we just came home to tranquility and a slice of heaven.

Sunset we were inspired by as we cruised from Bimini to Nassau...good things to come! Now we are on our way to the Exuma land and Sea park in Wardrick Wells.

The water was swimming pool blue and clear as well.....water! Best part; it was smooth! We could see starfish along the bottom as we passed over them.

This profile of Veda L was taken at the dock in Bimini, I was in my jammies running down to dock so as not to miss it....crazzzy tourists!!!

This is the sunrise that made me jet out of bed in Bimini...

new photos!

I have updated my Picasa albums and "where in the world are Bob and Linda?"  Check us out at http://lindabesk.blogspot.com/

and Happy Thanksgiving to you all! 

Fwd: Nassau at 7:30 am Sunday

Whoo Hoo...Veda L is happy as she is in the right color of water....Aqua swimming pool blue!

We left Bimini around 2:00, and could not believe the beauty below us as we went around the north end of the island, over the Bahama banks (typcial 12-15' of water I suppose), the "bank" is shallow and then you get to the Tongue of the Ocean which is the abyss!  While cruising the banks it was light the whole way, you could see starfish on the bottom as we cruised over them, the water was like jello, unbelievable beauty.  Then the sunset came which certainly equaled if not surpassed the sunrise that morning.  Bimini has great beginnings and endings to days!  I went to bed right after sunset so I could take the helm at 10pm.  

I got up at 10:30, but Bob wanted to do the way points which had been previously set on his navagational system at Chubb Cay himself so I did not start my spell at the wheel until 12:00. Thank you Teddy for putting some great tunes on my Ipod which got me through the night, as we were passing Chubb Cay I saw a shooting star just as George Thoroughgood was having "one bourbon-one scotch-and one beer" quite the moment!  My battery power went dead at 4:00 and I gave myself a goal that if I could stay awake while my Ipod charged (always have to set goals....ya know!) I would reward myself with a Kalik beer so when Bob got up I would be extra sleepy to go to bed, so battery got charged and I had a 4:30 Kalik while enjoying the peace of a dark pilot house looking out at a gazillion stars dotting the skies.  Something very decadent about that.

Buddy is now sporting some new jewelry...after he jumped ship twice while coming south while docked, I bought him a safe collar when I was home, it has an auto release should he get hung up on something, it says "if I am out, I am lost" on the back I wrote "EMCY-life sustaining injections daily!" with our info.  I wanted something that would deter anyone from keeping him if found. Hopefully the rascal will keep his furry feet on the boat and not be such an escape artist from now on, but he scared me to pieces as I saw his furry backside going down the dock at Venice Florida. Guess he had heard they had a great restaurant....

Anyway...we entered the channel coming into Nassau around 6:30am, had to radio the harbor in order to get in line with the cruise ships that were coming in, and got to the dock at 7am.  We were both exhausted after the long night, and it really took both of us to concentrate on the markers and to make a safe landing at the dock, the same dock incidentally that we "bought" a light post for as we "took it out" upon leaving the last time....oooops.  We have worked on that particular technique since and hopefully when we leave today we won't take the light post with us.

After taking a well deserved nap we took a walk to McKenzies conch shack under the bridge that takes you to Paradise Island, Atlantis.  What disparity as you walk along the levee wall taking in the poverty of Nassau with Atlantis looming in the distance.  Once back to Veda L another nap seemed like the thing to do, then a good boat cleaning and early to bed.

Bob's goal was to be in Exuma Land and Sea Park for his birthday, and "Today is his Birthday...we're going to have a Good time!!!"  We should be in the Sea Park later this afternoon.  Google the park and have a look at it, a very special place but you can only look at large groupers, lobsters and such...no taking! 

As always....Life is Swell on Veda L! 

 

HOT DAMN DADDY...WE'RE GOIN' BOAT'N! That was the cry this morning from our bed as Bob announced at 5am that the wind had shifted and was now easterly. We will be off the dock by 6am and will be in Bimini around 2pm. I am excited as we have not been into Bimini before, we only anchored on the Bank, which was lovely shallow clear turqoise waters, but this is a new adventure. And "No, we did not trade in our boat to do cross-country, vs. cross-water...."
Our friend Dan Himes let us try out his Suzuki for a minute last night.

Even though I may need a jacket as it is a little cooler than Miami.....this little girl's smile surely warms my heart!