Hi-5 Sailcat - Our Next Family Adventure...: March 11, 2012

Tonight mom and me went to a report of the Bahamian parrot. Did you know there are only two groups of parrots left in the Bahamas? One is in the Abacos (where we are) and the other in Inagua. They both look very similar but I also learned they are very different. One thing is the Abacos parrots nest in the ground. The parrots are lucky to nest under ground because it keeps them safe from fire, hurricanes and floods. But there are problems where they nest. The first problem is predators like cats and raccoons. The second problem is people that want to build houses on their nest. The researchers are helping. They build fences to stop predators. Also, the researchers talk to the government to help them understand about the parrots. I asked a question to the researchers at the end. It was a good talk. The End.

This is a website we found -

http://www.parrotsinternational.org/Species_Pages/Bahama_Cuban_Amazon_pages/Bahamian_Parrot_Status_in_the_Wild.htm

2012-03-13 - in Treasure Cay

2012-03-12 - in Treasure Cay

Kite flying on a beautiful beach.

We have made a decision to stay in Treasure Cay for the next few weeks. We have been moving steadily for the past 6.5 months. It has been great seeing new places, meeting new people, etc. but now we want to just relax and enjoy this opportunity. This morning we caught up on school and even used youtube to watch new french videos. It's great to have more resources available to keep things interesting. After a good start to the day Kerry took Connor to the beach in the afternoon to do some kite flying.

Later in the day Cee Jem pulled into Treasure Cay and we enjoyed a nice day together. Tomorrow they are leaving for Nippers and then through the Whale Cut the following day, heading to Florida. We are both on the same schedule (needing to be back home by June), but they would prefer to be back on US soil for the remainder of the trip. For us, we would prefer to stay on a slower place now and then speed through the US as we race home. We are excited about just being together.

2012-03-11 - in Treasure Cay

Today was, sadly, the last day of their trip and we had to say good bye. We are all so glad that they made it out to see us as we were really missing them but sad that they had to go. Only a matter of weeks (well several) until we are home again and back together. Miss you guys!

2012-03-10 - to Treasure Cay (via Bakers Bay)

We pulled away from the mooring ball this morning before anyone had woken up. We had a lot of ground to cover today and wanted to make sure we enjoyed every moment of the day. We ended up heading to the beach at Bakers Bay at the northern end of Great Guana cay. The wind had finally settled down and the water was once again flat. Brooke, Connor and (even) Dylan got to ride in the tube. Connor lovingly wrapped his arm around Dylan to keep him safe. Dylan loves going fast and probably would have like to go super fast....but

Kerry did it nice and steady for Dylan.
He was giggling away and would wave at us as Kerry did circles around the boat - it was very cute. Connor and Brooke got whipped around as fast as Kerry could go. They seemed quite thrilled with it all. We played and explored the beach but then moved on again to Treasure Cay for the night later in the afternoon.

pretty flowers!

2012-03-09 - to Great Guana Cay (Nippers) via Fowl Cay

Happy Birthday Kerry!!

We started this day early heading out of the mooring field towards Fowl Cay. This is a Land and Sea Park that has the best snorkeling that I have seen. Unfortunately, the waves have not settled down yet making heading to the reef very uncomfortable - so, we did not do it this time. It is a beautiful spot still - reminding me a lot of the Exumas as it is just a rugged island, nothing on it, surrounded by crystal turquoise waters. Kerry stayed with Dylan on the boat and I landed the rest of the crew for a brief exploration. We may have to head

back another time to do the reef once things settle down more. We pulled anchor and headed to Great Guana Cay. Once at Great Guana Cay, we grabbed a mooring ball and then headed right towards Nippers Beach Bar and Grill. Nippers is a must see here in the Abacos - at least once. It has every pastel colour ever made into paint which gives it it's unique 'charm'. We ended up staying the entire afternoon, enjoying their pools, fabulous beach and frozen drinks.

anchored off of Fowl Cay

Nippers Olympic Mat Diving team!

2012-03-08 - to Man o' War Cay

The winds finally decided to give it a rest. Today we will move. We decided that we needed to have one more spin in the golf cart before handing over the keys (actually, there is no 'handing over keys' - you simply park it and leave the keys in the cup holder when you are done). We left for Man o' War Cay mid day and enjoyed the 3nm trip there. It was great to finally get off of the dock and see somewhere new. We pulled into the channel just in front of the marina to grab a mooring ball. Adele dropped her glasses in the water and Connor was quick to volunteer his diving services to retreive them. Kerry was all set with the

boat hook and fishing net...but, Connor, with one dive down, came up with the fallen glasses. It's great to have that kind of enthusiam on board for getting wet. In the past that might have been one of us that had to dive down - but I am happy to pass on that crown to someone more willing! We headed to shore to explore Man o' War. Man o' War Cay was settled in 1780 by loyalist descendants. These settlers became self-sufficient in farming, fishing and boat building. Several master boat builders were busy at work along the waterfront shops. After enjoying the local shops we ended up finding the beach and had fun jumping in the waves until the day was coming to close. It was a great day - we were glad to finally be on the move again!

2012-03-07 - in Hope Town (to Tahiti Beach)

The wind is still howling but that didn't stop us today. We braved the dinghy ride to town again and, after a little walk about - decided to rent a golf cart. We had to get a big one to accommodate the large group we were expecting to cart around. The vendor had to, first, change the tire and, second, fill with gas. But, after that, we were good to go. You can't really get lost on Elbow Cay. We ended up heading towards Tahiti Beach at the south end of the Cay. We were there the day before we came to Hope Town - it's a cute little spot. There is one part of the route that brings you high on a cliff overlooking the ocean. The wind and sand were fierce. The sand blew over the road and left drifts like snow. It was incredible. We all got out to brave the elements once more standing at the top of the cliff.

When we got to Tahiti Beach, we were more protected and did not feel the effects of the wind as much. It was a nice break. We walked the sandbars, picked up and examined lots of sea biscuits, urchins and sea cucumbers.