Allen Cay to Highbourne Cay, Exuma Cays, Bahamas
KORKZcrew is the blue dot on the map
Just south of us is Highbourne Cay, a privately-owned island known worldwide as "the gateway to The Exumas". The resort and marina welcome stop-in visitors for fuel, ice, and basic supplies, as well as for visiting their beautiful restaurant named Xuma, which sits perched on a hill looking west over the spectacular Exuma Sound. Ron has been "shopping" online for best fuel prices in the Exuma Cays, and found that surprisingly, Highbourne's marina was less expensive than locations farther south. We decided we'd travel here today to top off KORKZcrew's 500-gallon diesel tank, as well as the two portable gas tanks we keep with us to power the dinghy engine.
First things first though, as our day started off with two very interesting, unexpected, and rather bold visitors to our open side door. They had somehow discovered Steve's food bowl, and I'm pretty sure they liked the food more than HE does. (Which honestly isn't saying much because he usually consumes these dry bland bits as a last resort and with an air of defeat, realizing that yet again he will not be partaking in the more interesting and tasty human food that surrounds him three times a day.)
Steve didn't notice the birds at first, but when they started to approach the bowl from the BACK door, that was all she wrote and he chased them off for good. Once Steve had recovered from this food vandal episode, he gave us his not-so-subtle hint that he'd very much like someone to ferry him to the nearby beach.
Ron decided Steve would have to work for it a bit this time, and encouraged Steve to join him for a swim to shore. Looks like a success story on video, but Steve decided mid-swim that it was just too far, and turned around and came back to KORKZcrew. 😂🙄
With unusually light wind this morning, I was excited to have another opportunity to fly my drone. You can see why people flock to this anchorage. It's well protected, and just plain gorgeous.
KORKZcrew pulled up anchor after lunch, making the short 30-minute journey to the Highbourne Cay marina.
I can't quite kick my addiction to filming just the water itself. In some ways it feels like it cannot possibly be real. Those shades of blue are really hard to describe in words, and I'm not even sure the videos and pictures do it justice.
Ron had contacted the Highbourne Cay Marina requesting permission to fuel and to be sure there was room for us at the fuel dock, and once we'd gotten the go ahead, Skeet got on the dinghy to drive it away from KORKZcrew and simplify the docking process.
Skeet parked the dinghy at the marina's dinghy dock and took Steve for a walk while we got fuel, which can be a fairly lengthy process.
Afterwards, we anchored near Highbourne's Xuma restaurant, straightened up the boat a bit, and then took the dinghy back to shore for happytizers and drinks. Some notable fixtures at the marina dock on your way into the marina are local nurse sharks who hang out there waiting for the next fisherman to toss scraps into the water. In this first photo, you can see their dark shadows lurking at the end of the dock.
I took this video on our way back to KORKZcrew, and have since learned to my supreme dismay that my GoPro Max takes blurry underwater footage. From the GoPro website:"Your GoPro Max may be water proof (which means you can use it around water) but it is not an underwater camera. Due to physics, the curvature of the lens combined with the defractive effects of water will result in blurry pictures if used underwater." Does anyone else learn everything the hard way, or is it just me?! While I wanted a 360-capable camera, I totally assumed it could also be used underwater. 🙃
This is Highbourne's resident parrot, Luann, who greets you as you walk up the path from the marina to the restaurant.
Such a beautiful approach to the restaurant, and you can see KORKZcrew anchored in the distance.
What a VIEW!
Night night, KORKZcrew!
30 minutes underway; 3.2 nautical miles traveled
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