Compass Cay the place to meet your favorite shark!

Compass Cay Marina is located, logically, on Compass Cay.  It is a small marina located on a cay with no population.  The owner, Tucker, is quite friendly and has tried his best to turn the cay into a naturalist’s delight.  While not as highbrow as Highbourne Cay, it is a delight.  The beaches are magnificent, and the marina is quite protected, albeit hard to find.  The channel is marked, but not on my GPS.  The local maps (paper charts by Explorer) have the channel so we had to navigate old school.  We made it, with just a little consternation and some back seat driving!  We met a couple from Connecticut on a 59’ Grand Banks who had us over for dinner.  They have a stand up engine room to die for.  A local fisherman sold me a grouper for $100, and we had fresh grilled grouper for dinner!  Since I can’t catch anything, I swallowed my pride for a great meal, and fish in the freezer.  My friend, Bill, is now as old as me.  Happy birthday Bill!  For my friend, Andre, who has been complaining about the frequency of my posts, this one is for you.  

On a trek to a shelling beach.

Hester's house is atop this hill.  Not sure what the story is, but the house is a goner.

Alexis shelled on this beach all day.  I went back to the boat. This pic was taken from Hester's house. 

Compass Cay Marina.

The shells!

The admiral.  As we say down the bayou, a flat calm day.

These sharks are sociable!  At high tide they come onto the dock to be petted!

Petting the sharks!!!

For Michael-a Nordhaven motorsailer.  

Compass Cay has many trails, and this one lead to a great reef to snorkel.

I am posting this from Staniel Cay, about midway down the Exuma chain.  Alexis flew out today to be with her father, Bobby, who has pancreatic cancer.  Bobby is a first rate father in law, and my thoughts are with him.   While I already miss Alexis who will be gone a week, I am pleased we were able to get her home so easily from this remote outpost.  The marina here at Staniel Cay is exposed to the west, and if the winds switch to that direction, all boats have to leave to a nearby protected anchorage, which can be quite crowded.  Fortunately, we have made new boater friends who have offered to help me out if need be.  The James Bond movie, Thunderball,  was filmed here, and Thunderball Cave is a major attraction.  I will snorkel it tomorrow and see if I remember the movie scenes.