Long update - Haven't had a connection for a while

Much has happened since my last long post - We came down to Emerald Bay yesterday.  We're tied up at a Four Seasons built Marina hiding from a vicious Norther - The place is spectacular.  Tyler is currently shooting pool and I am sitting in the captain's lounge with a huge TV and CNN.  A free fast internet connection, unreal facility for $1 a foot.  The place is losing money hand over fist!  Four Seasons sold it to Sandals and Sandals is deciding if they are going to sell it or continue to develop houses....

We had a great time in Staniel Cay and Black Point.  Staniel Cay is home to the grotto that starred in 007 Thunderball.  You dive under some ledge and enter a huge grotto, loaded with fish.  The back side has an opening and blue light fills the back of the grotto - hard to describe, but one of the cooler places I have ever seen.  We need to see if Uncle Tim has a copy of Thunderball so we can see what's changed.

I did some diving while Tyler and two other guys spear fished above me.  We went to a number of spots on the ocean side of the islands north of Staniel.  The visibility is well over 100' and the topography was amazing.  All of the Northern Exhumas are spectacular and the water color is indescribable.  The kids call the 40' water "Blue Gatorade".  I did a second dive with Lex and the kids snorkeling above fairly close to the SCYC that the local dive shop recommended.  Amazing spot with great fish and great shallow water coral.  We saw a 7' nurse shark out snooping for chow.  Liza climbed up on Lex's back and I could hear the bubbles from her fifteen feet below.

Last night we joined a the other cruisers for a little home-made happy hour.  This is a pretty regular thing with the cruising crowd.  Every brings their own drinks and makes an app to share.  Good fun meeting folks from all over and hearing their stories.  Last night Lex was speaking to a woman with a bit of a British accent.  Long story short, the woman was not only from Shamley Green, she lived on Sweetwater Lane.  (That's where Lex grew up before she moved to the states.  Same road in a TINY village.) Crazy coincidence.

Our next stop will likely be Stocking Island a bit South.  I have a meeting to go to in Miami to meet with my buddy Rick and some other folks to discuss employment upon our return.  I will be in Miami for 2 nights and the jump back to Georgetown.  I'll leave Lex and the kids on a mooring in Stocking or we'll come back here to Emerald Bay as it's a bit closer to the airport, has free(!) laundry, internet, TV, pool table and the best showers since the Hyannis Yacht Club!

Weather has been great - the pictures from fishing were taken in some squalls that we were happy to get to help wash the cockpit fish cleaning station.  We also have had great luck with our rain collection system.  Water costs .40 to .50 a gallon here in many places and we haven't had to pay for it yet.  Today is bit of different story - still around 80 degrees, but the wind is blowing a high stink and is forecast to hit 30 by 1 PM.  Glad to be be in our posh, cheap digs!

Forgot to mention in earlier posts that Santa got us a GoPro camera - we'll shoot lots of video and post it to Youtube and the blog - this one was the first - I had the camera on a strap on my head in Nassau - pretty funny stuff.  Liza will post a new "Liza's log" with some underwater shots from Warderick Wells - was a pretty cloudy day, but the video is still cool.

(Keep in mind its Christmas Day...the boat isn't always this messy!!!!!)