On the morning of the 29th we departed Exuma for Conception Island. Our route was to sail to Cape Santa Maria on the northern tip of Long Island and then to Conception. This course required that we sail hard on wind with velocity in the mid-teens. Fortunately, the waves were less than a meter, so we strapped in with one reef in the main to account for the apparent wind and took off. Our fallback plan was to stop at Long Island if we could not keep our angle or make good time. We did some pinching but kept the boat moving. I calculated we would arrive around 3 PM but we made great time and arrived at 1:30. There were a few boats going our direction, including a HH50 carbon fiber catamaran with dagger boards, meaning it can fly upwind. I was amazed it was unable to pass us in the sea state. Upon arriving I washed some of the salt off the boat and we both took a swim in the pool like anchorage. Since Conception is a Bahamian Park, there is no cell tower, therefore like being at sea, you have no insight to what is going on in the world. The following morning Amy awoke at sunup to see two dolphins nearby. They stayed next to the boat for a half hour and attempted to communicate with squeaks before moving on. I assume they were trying to welcome us to their paradise. Since this is one of the most beautiful spots in the Bahamas, we decided not to put the engine on the dinghy and use the paddleboard if we wanted to go ashore or explore and to get more exercise. With the water so clear, I decided to break out the hookah and clean the bottom. I had the sea lice scared off of me two times by sharks. The first incident I noticed a large shadow on the bottom and looked up and saw at least a 9 foot shark with multiple remora hanging on it coming from behind. I went for the ladder as it completed a circle around the boat and disappeared. I believe it was a Lemon Shark. I continued to clean the bottom and around a half hour latter I saw some fish swimming very fast beneath me. As the fish went by, I looked down and saw a 6 foot shark chasing the fish swim directly below me, just a foot away from my fins! In surprise I yelled in my regulator which I think the shark heard as it swam away. I think this one was a Caribbean reef shark. That was enough adrenaline for the day, so I declared the bottom clean and got out. Most of the boats appeared to turn in at cruisers midnight so there were no fireworks at New Years. Today we left at first light and made good time on a beam reach to Calabash Bay at Long Island. We took the dinghy ashore and had a tasty lunch Cape Santa Maria Resort.
