And we are off!

Journal of our charter cruise this summer with 12 passengers- 6 couples, all friends. Exuma Cays aboard the Cat Ppalu. 65’ catamaran with four crew.

29.05.2009 - 29.05.2009 31 °C

Saturday started early with flights from Fort Lauderdale to Nassau…piece of cake. On time, no issues and clear skies made this breezy hour long flight most enjoyable. Flying over the Bahamian waters on a clear day afforded us great views of the many hues of blues too! We landed in under an hour! Upon arrival in Nassau, we were greeted by the transfer company that was waiting for us- that was stress free for sure. No hassles, just hop on board and off we went straight to the boat. Our driver, Mr Wright, shared lots of local history and tidbits along the way to make the ride even more interesting.

The crew knew we were arriving and were waiting for us at the steps to help us with our luggage…we boarded, found our rooms and settled in for some lunch while paperwork was handled with each person. Three of us are divers while the other 9 are all snorkelers and “maybe” divers. I found the cabins to be clean and comfortable with plenty of storage underneath the bed for our suitcases. I had read that you don’t need much on these trips so hopefully I didn’t over pack! Bathing suits, t shirts, sarongs for me and some sandals…don’t need much more than that! The main salon was comfy with seating for all of us in the comfort of A/C. The bathrooms conveniently located and instructions on how to use them were given with humor. Captain Ronnie briefed us well on safety too. We talked about itinerary a bit and then off we went! The crew consisted of four- the captain, engineer, chef and activities coordinator/dive instructor! Ron, Scott, Kent and Stephanie were very welcoming too which was a good way to start the day. www.catppalu.com to see the boat.

The ride from Nassau to the Exumas was gorgeous…the water is so clear you can see star fish on the bottom as we passed over them! The skies were a bit overcast but the water was gin clear. We couldn’t wait to get there!

Our first night, we anchored off Highbourne Cay and enjoyed the starry sky with cocktails forward. Phyllis had her iPod loaded with great music and we all laughed at some of the choices- Working on the Railroad loaded up right after Iggy Pop. Quite eclectic…just like us!