The Best of Both Worlds, the best start to the season!

While our Best of Both Worlds trip, which combines both kayaking and sailing, may be our least run trip, this one was one of our best!  

Tazy, Dallas, Kathy & Craig (Joss didn't come this time)

Because Tamara's time is becoming more and more important in other areas I, Dallas, will be writing more and more of the trip blogs for this season.  Well, our 2013/2014 season has started off with a bang with one of the most fun trips I've ever had the pleasure of leading.  Because our trip load looks to be getting larger and larger as the weeks roll on Tamara and I have decided to bring in help again this year.  But instead of looking abroad, we are looking local.  Tahjmann "Tazy" Smith is the newest employee of Out-Island Explorers!  

So far Tazy has been excellent.  We kind of threw him in the deep end and had him out on a guided trip less than a week into his employment.  He responded like a champ and soaked up all the information I threw at him and by the end of the trip I didn't have to tell him what to do anymore, we were already working like a well oiled machine.  He is going to make my job and our trips a whole lot easier this year! 

Another beautiful sunset at Rat Cay

Because this is only the third time we have done a Best of Both Worlds trip, we are still tinkering with the details a little.  The format this time around was: Two nights of kayaking, switch out the kayaks for a sailboat, then two nights of sailing.  The weather to start the trip was perfect, virtually no wind and lots of sun.  We launched from Odi Creek in Barraterre and paddled into the Brigantine Cays.  After a lunch stop to say hi to the Iguanas on Cluffs Cay we settled on Lily Cay for our first campsite and settled in for the afternoon.  

I was a little worried about the beach condition at Lily Cay after Hurricane Sandy last year, as a lot of the sand had been carried away.  I knew we needed a North facing beach to take advantage of what little breeze we might get that night and Lily Cay is one of the few beaches that faces North and is not on the ocean side.  

Luckily the beach was back to normal and there was enough space for us to camp.  

 

Sun setting over Arawak at Lignumvitae Cay 

We spent the next day paddling.  We were on the move from 10am until about 4 that afternoon.  Along the way we stopped to snorkel at Tug & Barge rocks, and it was a good stop, fish were everywhere!  Under the watchful eye of a pretty large Barracuda we managed to bag two Nassau Groupers and a pair of Gray Snappers, dinner that night!  That night at Rat Cay was gorgeous, with fresh fish on the grill over the fire and the sun setting in front of us it was the perfect ending to the kayaking portion of the trip. Not to mention we got to celebrate Kathy's birthday with a few goodies Tamara baked up for us.

The next morning we packed up the kayaks for the last time and headed to Barraterre to meet Tamara with the power boat and Sea Pearl.  The Paddle in was relatively smooth and took about 2 hours, Tamara had just arrived when we paddled up to the government dock in Barraterre.

After a quick swap of gear (a little too quick, but more on that later), Kathy and Craig hopped in the Sea Pearl, smiled at the stiff breeze that kicked up, and set out.  Tazy and I followed close behind in Overdraft  as we headed for Leaf Cay and a much needed lunch break.  While enjoying Tamara's homemade chicken salad under the shade tarp and keeping an eye on the iguanas that weren't afraid to get close, we laid out the remainder of the day: Sail for camp at Lignumvitae Cay.  

Unfortunately the wind didn't get the memo.  As soon as Craig and Kathy pushed off the beach in Arawak and got offshore it was obvious the only force moving the Sea Pearl was the current.  The wind had completely died.  We de-rigged the boat and hooked her up to the powerboat and enjoyed a peaceful tow through the remaining cays to our campsite on Lignumvitae Cay.   

Me and Tazy with dinner!  Two nice Margate Snappers!

That night I realized that in the gear exchange from kayak to sailboat I had accidentally sent my air mattress back with Tamara, along with our hose for the propane stove!  Lucky for me we still had a Thermarest air pad with us for me to sleep on, but it wasn't the best night of camp sleeping I've ever had.  Of course now Tazy and I had to cook our remaining meals over the campfire.  Apparently, I like to challenge myself for the fun of it!

The next day we spent the day in Overdraft exploring the cays North of Lignumvitae.  We went to Little Farmers to mingle with the nicest Bahamians on earth and restock our ice supply.  Craig and Kathy got to meet the quirky wood carver or Little Farmers: JR.  JR likes to talk and we all got to listen to his tales of wood caving through the years and how the government recently sent him the wrong blade for the islands only lawn mower which of course caused it to blow just about the same time we arrived.  Craig and Kathy bought a beautiful piece from him, a large sculpture of the Bahamian Pea Owl which I'm sure is nestled comfortably in their home now.

The best part of the day for me and Tazy was when we stopped at the sunken airplane across from Musha Cay.  As soon as I jumped in my eyes widened, from wingtip to wingtip the plane was covered in snappers!  Some were huge and had nowhere to hide but under the wings which made them easy targets for me and Tazy's spears.  We managed to snag the two biggest ones there, and with dinner checked off the list I was able to relax the rest of the day.   

The final evening at Norman's Pond Cay

The sail from Ligumvitae to Norman's Pond was both extremes.  At one point the wind was so high that Arawak was heeling over far enough for water to rush over the gunwale, and then next we were towing again.  In the end the wind died for good before we were able to reach camp and it never came back enough to sail.  Craig and Kathy spent the remainder of the trip in Overdraft with Tazy and me.  

The final night on Norman's Pond was also both extremes.  At one point we were sitting by the fire enjoying the perfect light onshore breeze, the next we were laying in our tents watching the mosquitoes and no-see-ums gather under our rainflys waiting for us.  The wind completely died that night and most of us spent the night trying to sleep but mostly waiting for the sun to come up!

On the whole, this trip was nearly perfect.  Craig and Kathy were wonderful to talk to and get to know, Tazy has given me hope that there is the perfect employee for us right here on the island, and the weather, while slightly sporadic, was the best we could have asked for.  

Here's to a 2014 season packed with adventure!