Our sailing exploration of the Exuma chain of islands is nearing an end, but not before we knock off another Bahamas bucket list item: swimming with a mermaid.
Many small islands of the Bahamas are privately owned, and one of those islands is Musha Cay owned by the magician David Copperfield, who did a cool thing back in 2011. He commissioned an artist to sculpt a statue of a mermaid looking at a grand piano. He then sank the sculpture in about 15 feet of water nearby and had a contest to see who could find it. Since then it has become a go-to site for snorkeling among cruisers, charters, and day boats alike.
Before sailing to Musha Cay to see the mermaid, we spent two nights at Black Point. Black Point holds a special place in our hearts because it reminded us of how we grew up as kids, a time when no one bothered anyone, and people were friendly and happily going about their ways. The biggest difference of course was the turquoise blue sea and the coconut palms, versus the New England small towns and murky waters. We felt right at home moseying through the streets, chatting with folks as we explored and did our normal errands. Everyone in town was super friendly and welcoming. We met a man named Magic who invited us to watch him perform at the upcoming Farmer’s Cay regatta. He’s sailed on “Patton’s Pride”, a Class-C Bahamian Sloop. Since we couldn’t make the regatta, we opted to cheer him on during his sea trial practices. Later on, we were invited to a cruisers dinner at Lorraine’s Cafe where we gathered with a dozen other cruisers and enjoyed a wonderfully fun night out without cooking or washing dishes.
The next day we made our way to Musha Cay, 18 miles south. We left early to make sure we didnt arrive at low tide due to many shallow spots. We arrived an hour before low tide, just enough depth without touching the bottom. Once at Rudder Cut, we found a good spot to drop anchor and settled in. We were ready to find our mermaid.
The piano/mermaid sculpture was indeed pretty cool, albeit in deeper waters than we would normally snorkel. With a good deal of chop and current which made me feel a bit nervous but Claudia assured me that we were good. We’re not sure exactly why underwater sculptures are just inherently cooler than above-water sculptures… but there’s just something about the contrast or the unexpected nature of the sculpture that seems to make it magical.
Tomorrow we leave for George Town, a place we’ve heard so much about. Everyone says we have to go there, it’s like no other place you’ve been to. Like everything, we’ll keep an open mind and decide for ourselves, but for now, no expectations.
So nice meeting you two here in Fort Pierce City Marina. You guys have been on quite an adventure. So many cool places. And beautiful pictures. We are plotting our charts now & Heading down to the exumas within the next couple of weeks. We just invested in a new reverse osmosis for our boat. Hope to get a lot of use out of it. I so want to snorkel down & swim with that mermaid. 😊 Elisha & Charley S/V Red Sky
Hi Elisha, This is such an exciting time for you guys, wish you the best of luck on your journey😘. The RO water maker will make your cruising life so much more enjoyable and you will both smell clean too😜. Enjoy on the beautiful turquoise waters/wildlife. Keep me posted of your travels so I relive all the joy!
Well u r certainly taking on the world- as was your goal when u left. Every port is more beautiful than the previous.
Do u know how many ports u have checked off??!
Enjoy – Miss u!
Hi Trish, Miss you guys !!! I lost count on the number of ports.. I know it’s more than my fingers and toes… I believe it’s close to 100 😜. Please keep the where are we now videos coming. Give Tim our best 💕💋💕
Hello friends! You remind us so many great moments while in the Bahamas! And of course, we are so happy for you that every minute you spend there is a great one! While in Georgetown, have dinner at the Pleace and Plenty Hotel! Also, as you say, better décide for yourself and have no expectations. If you need propane, you can fill up there at the gaz station in front of the hospital. Have fun friends! Oh, happy that you went swimming with the pigs!
Hi Marie-France, Thanks for the tip.. yes for sure we will have dinner at Pleace and Plenty Hotel.. it looks yummy😋! Tomorrow I hope to do the water aerobics class at Monument Beach and maybe even drag Jim to a yoga class too. Wow, they even have a supermarket 👍👍👍. Keep the tips coming 😘