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Travel Log
January 21, 2004

Norman's Island, Latitude 24° 35.54N - Longitude 76° 48.7W 

Seeking relief from an uncomfortably crowded Allan's Cay, we made our way to a crowded, but larger Norman's Island.  It's a beautiful island, "U" shaped with several small islands grouped together at the "U" opening.  The interior is extremely shallow water surrounded by mangroves and beautiful beaches facing Exuma Sound.  It has a sunken plane in the harbor and other reminders of the "Drug Lords" who had established themselves and a thriving business here.   Went to the only restaurant on the Island - McDuffs" hoping to find a telephone.  (As an aside, McDuff's has three lovely beach houses for rent and nearby is a little landing strip for private airplanes.  If you know of someone needing a very secluded beach hideaway, this might be the ticket).  Lunch was fine, but, since there was no telephone on the island, I charted an early morning course for Staniel Cay, thinking that since it has a marina, it would hopefully have a telephone as well.  But, sometimes the wind just doesn"t work with you, and with a wind shifting in all the wrong directions; I had to plot a course, halfway to the intended destination, so that we could find an anchorage before dark.   We got to Little Bell right at low tide and "bumped the bottom" while going through the suggested entry for the anchorage.  No damage done, but it is always harrowing to go in someplace that you are totally unfamiliar knowing that the light - green - blue water you must traverse has GOT to be shallow (it was).  This place feels "wilder" than the others with high rock hills as well as sandy and rocky shoals.   The sunset was totally unrestricted and beautiful.   There are two megayachts anchored here with white - costumed crew running about the decks.  Different strokes for different folks but I've got to believe that the view is just as lovely aboard Dreamer.  Likely, their dinner was more comprehensive than mine, but I can"t complain too much about our leftover shrimp gumbo.  Pretty good!


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Email: karen@shepirate.com