March 14, 2015 Lyford Cay to Highborne Cay

March 14, 2015

Lyford Cay to Highborne Cay

Ready to explore and start our trip to the Exumas with Lainey, we left early Saturday, 3/14/15.  Our first stop in the Exumas was Highborne Cay.  Highborne is a private island with a marina.  It is the first marina to be found in the Northern Exumas.  Although the island is private, privileges are extended to visiting boaters.  We maneuvered around the rocks--definitely want to have good visibility coming into this marina.  There is a very well stocked marina grocery/sundries store along with assorted souvenirs.

We ate lunch at the Xuma restaurant where we could overlook the entrance into the marina and the neon blue green water with snow white sandy beaches.  We had the opportunity to meet the owners of Mint Julep, a Grand Alaskan from Kentucky.   A road running across the island was cut through limestone. Late in the afternoon we walked along this road to the Atlantic side of the cay to get a look at the beaches on that side.  We sat on Adirondack chairs shaded by thatched roof huts to look out at the sea.  It was too rough for snorkeling, but  a great day for enjoying the warm weather. 

Otter, another Fleming, was also at the marina.  We enjoyed getting to know Parker and Martha and their Labradors, Ruby & Madison.  Piper spent some doggy time with them as well.  A fishing boat came in while we were enjoying some time at the Exuma Bank side beach.  Steve hailed Lainey and  I over to watch the fishermen slice and dice some Mahi. They threw out the scraps to at least a dozen sharks who were worked up into a frenzy.  Lainey got some great video with her go pro using the extension rod to film the sharks from underwater. 

We had dinner on the fly bridge and watched two charter boats come in at dark squeezing in between other boats without incident.  The hosts came over to warn us that the boats were full of college and high school students on spring break.  They had chartered both boats for their children and their friends for a week long vacation. 

Strolling along the marina after dinner provided Lainey some time to network.  She met several captains who offered her information about job opportunities for the future.  The marina is run by Carolyn and Kevin who take great care of this island.  Jessica, their daughter, came out to talk to Lainey and they discovered that Jessica has a cousin who is also a student at Eckerd. 

On Sunday morning before we checked out, I noticed a man with a rope strung through about a dozen conch shells.  I watched him as he hammered and scraped to remove the conch from its shell.  He was collecting the conch to take home to his wife who makes conch salad to sell in Nassau.  The owner of the boat for whom he was working invited me in to see the lamp her husband had made out of these conch shells.  I saw Steve wandering by and got him to join us so that he could see the lamp and make one for me too--he just loves a project. 

Joy

P.S.  I used my baking skills to catch about 3 lbs of Mahi today.  Brownies made with Georgia pecans can be alluring bait for a fisherman who has had his fill of Mahi.