On to Normans Cay and Warderick Wells Cay

Vaiata has the shallower draft (only 4' below the water surface), so we follow him out of Allen's Cay and towards Exuma Sound (basically the ocean thousands of feet deep). We have the islands to protect us from waves so we had a great sail down to Normans Cay...once well known for its links to organized drug smuggling. A crashed plane submerged in the harbour and a lonely deserted building are what's left of the smugglers.
At Normans Cay, there is a cut (deeper section of water where the current passes through with each ebb and flow of the tides) where everyone anchors as it's too shallow elsewhere. The boats swing from side to side as the tidal current changes every 6 hours...the wind has little effect.

Acting like the rich and famous

We went ashore to explore. We had heard of a restaurant close by just across from the old abandoned landing strip. It certainly wasn't close and at this secluded little resort drinks were $7, Rum Punch was $15 and a hamburger was $25...crazy when you can buy a bottle of rum at the store for $10.
Later, after happy hour on Vaiata, we return to our boat and find a trawler anchored pretty close. I dinghy over to the trawler who is from New Brunswick (an east Canadian province), and he reassures me he's fine where he is...he's a nice guy and seems to know what he's doing. That night the winds were blowing strong (again!)  Around 04:00 I move up to sleep in the cockpit as there will be little time to react if we start to drag. The trawler is now closer, and over the next half hour I shine my torch light on it to check distance. Well, now its too close and as I'm about to yell over, the owner opens his door and steps out on deck. I told him that according to my instruments I haven't dragged, which puts the onus on him to correct the situation as he dropped anchor after me (sailors etiquette or just common sense). As we chatted, the wind and current brought our boats within feet of each other; as he reached out to fend off our boat, I ran downstairs to turn on power  to the helm, then jumped up behind the helm to start the engine. I turned the rudder hard to port and gave a good shot of forward thrust to swing my stern away. Naturally, with the start of the engine, Julie and Wally were quickly in the cockpit ready to provide assistance for whatever the circumstances were.  The trawler owner fought to bring his anchor up, then moved 100 feet further back behind us. I stayed in the cockpit until sunrise - 07:00, then went below for a few hours of sleep. Our timing earlier was coincidental and lucky as we would have surely hit each other...note to self: trawlers and sail boats don't swing the same in current and wind. The next day, Ian from Southern Flight, arrived by dinghy offering a bottle of wine as an apology for the near miss earlier that morning, which we thought was such a nice gesture. We would run in to them (not physically) a few times as we made our way down the Exumas chain and became good friends by the time we reached George Town.
The winds will be clocking around to blow from the East...we decide to sail 23 miles to Warderick Wells Cay as we will find good protection from the strong East wind expected.

Boats in the cut on moorings in the deeper dark blue water

Wardrick Wells National Park from the rangers station

WWC is a national park so you are encouraged to use the mooring balls as any anchorage is much further away...also, no fishing or use of spears. Wally and I take the dinghy one mile to register and pay for the mooring ball, snap a few pictures and head back to the boat. We pick up Julie and dinghy over to Emerlad Rock to snorkel. Emerald Rock has many fish to look at and I also noticed some tentacles sticking out from beneath the rocks. Diving down, I discover three huge lobsters in 8' of water...easy to get but I think better of it than to kill them in a national park.