Staniel Cay – The rest of the story!

While pigs are the story at Staniel Cay, there are other stories, like Pirate’s Beach and Thunderball Grotto.  There are mega yachts offshore and treacherous cuts and quaint colorful villas.  Staniel Cay has an airport and we say good bye to Jean as she flies off to take care of her mother.  We will see her again in GeorgeTown.  

Mega Yacht Pelorus is 375 feet
We pass it anchored outside Staniel Cay

Pirate’s Beach is one of the more elaborate cruisers’ beaches we have seen.  It’s on Big Major Spot that has an exceptional anchorage and perhaps 100 boats there at a time.  Some cruisers stay there and have contributed games, gas grill, set up tables and umbrellas, and pit fire. We gather fire wood on the island and create a pit fire for the evening.  We also find several scorpions on the beach.  

We take firewood gathered from the island to
Pirates Beach loaded in our dinghies

We tidy the beach for dinner - or rake and scrape!!

 

Pirate's Beach has all the amenities - tables, chairs,
umbrellas, games, grill, and scorpions!

Huddle around the pit fire at sunset

We have alfoil potatoes (Aussie for foil wrapped potatoes), and s'mores

Thunderball Grotto is an underwater cave that has holes in the ceiling that allows sunlight to stream in and illuminate the water and the fish. Jean brings cheese wiz in a can and the fish swarm her. How did they know they liked cheese wiz?  This grotto is featured in the James Bond movie, Thunderball, and each year they do a re-enactment of some of the scenes, and Staniel Cay hosts a Thunderball ball.  

Thunderball Grotto

We go through Staniel Cay Cut and it was spectacular - we saw the waves breaking and the calm anchorage just beyond. 

The calm anchorage just beyond the rough cut

View of Fly Away going through the cut
from the deck of Fair Winds

Breaking waves as we enter the cut

We sail past the cairn on an rock to enter Staniel Cay and pass a submerged rock that creates abeautiful eddie.

The welcoming cairn at Staniel Cay

The eddie swirls around a dangerous rock in the channel at Staniel Cay

Colorful busy cottages line the streets of Staniel Cay.
This is the clinic! It is whimsical and makes you smile.