Sailing South, Then North?! A Change of Plans in the Exumas

At eight in the morning, the catamaran crew of Sailing Big Lost pulled anchor at Little Farmer’s Cay to time their exit through the cut at low slack water. With the upcoming flotilla packing the anchorage, shallow sandbanks flanked the navigation route. As the boat advanced toward Exuma Sound, the helm monitored tight clearance over the seabed. The crew watched the sounder closely: “our draft on this boat is 4.3 and our depth finder is reading about 6 ft.” Buddy boat La Vida Shred trailed behind with a deeper draft near five feet, navigating past Farmer’s Cay Yacht Club and Marina before turning into the sound under a reefed mainsail.

The passage down Exuma Sound carried the boats south to Georgetown on Great Exuma. Cruisers congregated around Elizabeth Harbour, dropping anchor amidst a bustling fleet. On shore at Stocking Island, the crew joined the daily routine at Chat ‘n’ Chill, where sailing families assembled each afternoon following boat-schooling hours. The stop allowed the children to socialize, while the crew hiked the steep quarter-mile trail up to the island monument overlooking the harbor. Evenings centered on cruiser gatherings, including an island beach bonfire at Sand Dollar Beach, alongside morning check-ins over the VHF radio during the Georgetown Cruisers Net.

Departing Farmer’s Cay and Navigating Shallow Cuts

Leaving the shallows of Little Farmer’s Cay demanded exact timing with the tide cycle. Slack water at low tide provided calm current through the cut, but minimal depth across the banks. The catamaran drew 4.3 feet, leaving little margin over the sandy bottom. Trailing closely was buddy boat La Vida Shred, captained by Josh, whose vessel drew over five feet. A lookout remained stationed on the bow to read the sandbars visually while Captain Connor steered along the starboard side of the channel.

Once clear of the cut and into the deeper waters of Exuma Sound, the crew prepared their canvas for freshening winds. Connor climbed the mast steps to tie in the first reef on the mainsail. Setting sails enabled the catamaran to stabilize in the ocean swell as both vessels shaped a course toward the south.

Georgetown Cruising Life and Elizabeth Harbour

Arriving in Georgetown brought a shift from isolated anchorages to an active harbor community. Over Elizabeth Harbour, dozens of visiting boats gathered ahead of the upcoming cruising regatta. The family integrated into local harbor life, attending afternoon gatherings at Chat ‘n’ Chill beach where cruising children connected after finishing their daily lessons.

In addition to shore visits, the crew joined local radio schedules. On the morning of February 9, 2025, the crew listened to priority traffic and departures on the Georgetown Cruisers Net before the kids shared a riddle over VHF radio during the net’s Kids Corner segment. Later, the family explored the heights above Stocking Island, climbing the quarter-mile path to the monument for a panoramic view of the anchorage below.

A Turn of Plans: Heading Back North

Despite the active cruising scene, the family decided against an extended stay in Elizabeth Harbour. Heavy boat traffic, persistent swell creating a rolly anchorage, and a lack of nearby dive sites prompted an unexpected itinerary change. Rather than continuing south with La Vida Shred toward Long Island and the Ragged Islands, Big Lost prepared to reverse direction and sail north toward Freeport.

Weighing anchor between nine and 9:30 in the morning marked a difficult parting with their close friends. At the helm, Connor reflected on leaving their cruising companions behind: “I wish we didn’t have to go North to be honest I’m going to miss my friends.” With only the headsail unfurled, the catamaran traveled downwind at four to five knots, setting a preliminary course toward Rat Cay while monitoring passage tides.

Challenging Anchorages at Lee Stocking Island

With high tide at Farmer’s Cay Cut scheduled for 1:30 in the afternoon, the boat could not reach the cut in time to cross on favorable water. The crew opted to detour into Lee Stocking Cut, arriving two hours ahead of slack tide against an intense crosscurrent. Inside the cut, they sought shelter near Leaf Cay off the iguana beach, but the seabed resisted their ground tackle.

After multiple attempts to dig in, the crew had to pull up the rode and move: “we tried twice to set the anchor at Leaf Cay we weren’t getting a hold.” The anchor brought up sand and seagrass, but failed to bite into the limestone crust beneath. Moving around the point toward the main beach of Lee Stocking Island, they dropped hook in exposed water. Heavy ocean swell hooked around the point, causing severe vessel motion that made sleep impossible: “this Anchorage at Lee Stocking is crazy rolly it’s the rolliest Anchorage we have ever been in.”

Running Farmer’s Cut at Slack Water and Catching Mahi

At 6:30 the following morning, the family weighed anchor to escape the rolly roadstead. Rather than battling the narrow channel, they exited through a wider, deeper pass into Exuma Sound, timing their sail to arrive at Farmer’s Cay Cut for slack water at 9:30 AM. Big Lost engaged its twin 40 horsepower Yanmar diesel engines to maintain speed and steerage through heavy sound currents.

While trolling lines offshore in Exuma Sound, three reels struck at once. The crew hauled in the spread, bringing aboard three mahi-mahi on deck before steering back toward the bank. Approaching Farmer’s Cay Cut from the ocean side, the crew verified their timing: “it’s 9:26 so we’re coming right at slack tide.” The catamaran slipped through the cut over turquoise water, returning smoothly to the protected inner banks of the Exumas.

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