Kayaking in Paradise

Exuma Islands, Bahamas, April 2004 - A group from the Marshfield, Massachusetts Recreation Department bonded with Ralph and Beth Spooner from Michigan for a week of remote kayaking through Ibis Tours. The trip started in Nassau on Paradise Island where we took small plane
Plane loading

Crew

 

Food

$850

Gear/Food Weight

845 lbs.

People Weight

1730 lbs.

Total Weight on 4/4/04

2575 lbs.

Water (Fresh) Consumption

~91 gallons, 1000 lbs.

Sail Kayaks

7 (Folbot - 5 dbl, 1 single; Featherlite - 1 dbl)

Kayakers

Featherlite - Dennis/Terry; Folbot single - Doug L., dbls Elaine/Xander, Herb/Ned, Sarah/Doug B., Beth/Ralph, Dawn/Spencer

Number of planes

2

Kayak Travel Points

Norman’s Cay to Staniel Cay

across 60 miles of shallow shoals

Shoals on the way


to Norman's Cay at the North end of the Exumas.
Runway on tiny Cay

 

Saturday, 4/3

New Providence Island - Norman’s Cay via plane.

Caribbean Aviation counter @ 9:30 a.m. for weight and check-in.

Flight time Nassau, New Providence Is. to Norman’s Cay ~ 20 minutes.

Activities:  Assign tents, sleeping bags, repack gear into dry bags, pack dry bags into kayaks, assign gear/food/water to boats, paddle kayaks from drop-off to pick-up point, group immersion.

First night in tents, camped next to runway.

Visit McDuff’s Resort and Bar.

Cay once owned by Carlos Lader, drug runner later shut down by DEA via attack launched from Shroud Cay. Era 1970 - 1980.

Sunken, former drug plane off shore.

Cay is now partially inhabited.

 

The next day, we loaded up our kayaks, and were off!
Packing kayaks on beach
Once we settled into our paddle and built some confidence, we decided to take advantage of a nice wind, and got our first lesson on using the sails.

Kayak sailing lessons


At first, we didn't stay together so well.
Struggling to sail together
But at the end of the day, we all made to the camp site in time to set up our tents, kick off our shoes and relax in our new home, sweet home.

Kicking back watching the sunset

 

Sunday, 4/4

Norman’s Cay - Shroud Cay - Big Hawksbill Cay

Paddled to a rocky point for lunch/swam.

West wind, unusual for Exumas.

Learned to rig/set sails on a beach.

Wildlife:  birds - Tropicbird, peregrine falcon.

Noon break at Shroud Cay - hike, swim options.

A hermit used to live on top of hill.  Collected misc. items washed upon shore.

DEA used top of hill to monitor drug traffic on Norman’s Cay.

Sailed/paddled ~60 minutes to Big Hawksbill Cay.

Daily activities - beach boats, set up camp, set up public areas, designate poop beach, eat dinner.

Saw two “sundogs”.