Super Bowl Sunday at Staniel Cay

It was Super Bowl Sunday and while we’re not the face-painting sort of sport fans, we were all about finding a fun place to meet up with our cruising crew.

Staniel Cay was the spot so we pulled up the hook early at O’Briens Cay and got underway. This meant navigating back through the small cut we had passed through yesterday, but this time with some current and sun in our eyes. It was just as nerve racking as the first time but we went through easily and set course for Staniel Cay.

It was a beautiful morning as we drifted along clear blue waters and only got better by hearing “Storyville” hail “Sea Yawl Later” on the VHF radio. Rusty and Linda, aboard Sea Yawl Later, are good friends whom we met in Kemah just days before leaving the dock. Through our early-on engine issues, weather decisions and times of discouragement and celebration they have been only a phone call, email or facebook note away. We have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for them and truly feel “home” in their presence. They had scooted passed us in Florida while we were in Houston for Christmas and we’ve been on a quest to see them ever since. Well, it turned out they were headed for Staniel Cay that afternoon as well so we were overjoyed to meet up with them again!

We knew Staniel was getting close as a stream of boats were all headed in the same direction and every time we looked behind us another few had joined the pack. Seems like most cruisers in the area were on their way to catch the big game. This proved true as we pulled into the anchorage to see boats coming and going, at anchor and tied to every dock around, with dinghies zipping about like hummingbirds on Red Bull.

Staniel Cay is home to “Thunderball Grotto” made famous by the James Bond movie “Thunderball”, “Never Say Never Again” as well as “Splash”. Kaleo motored passed the grotto and we threaded through the intricate web of boats in the anchorage to find ourselves a spot with plenty of room. It took a few tries to really get the hook set well but once it did the boat jerked back on the anchor chain like an excited puppy on a short leash.

Naps were in order first, then it was into town to check out the scene. As we came up on deck, country music started to drift across the waves getting louder and louder. A little puzzled, we looked around to see which boat was playing it, but most near us were empty (aka their dinghies were gone). The volume grew as we spotted a pink spinnaker sail puffed up like a hot air balloon on the southern horizon. We’d been on the lookout for a pink spinnaker as that was what Sea Yawl Later was flying and when old school country tunes came upon us we knew it was them!

Rusty and Linda know how to make a Texas-size entrance. They came sailing into Staniel with a huge PA style speaker on deck, music blaring and sails full. Overcome with excitement, we couldn’t wait to see them. As Rusty wove through the boats like Sea Yawl Later was on rails, Linda came on the VHF with “Kaleo, Kaleo where are you?!” A quick VHF exchange and they were dropping the hook nearby.

While they settled into the anchorage, we and Storyville, headed toward town, spotted a few Southern Sting Rays on the way and tied the dinghies at Staniel Cay Yacht Club. Stepping onshore was like stepping into the quintessential tropical movie scene. Jimmy Buffet warbled over the speakers as folks in swimsuits and flip-flops sipped rum punches and Kalik beers perched atop brightly colored stools at the outdoor bar. Local kids ran around the palm trees entertaining themselves, oblivious to the many travelers who had come to see the paradise they call home. From super yacht owners to local fisherman, the whole gamut was here and enjoying island life to the fullest.

After talking with a few folks about spots for the Super Bowl we started walking down a one lane road towards “town.” Golf carts are a popular mode of transporation around here and a few came humming by, drivers offering friendly waves and smiles. We drifted past a few rental cottages (www.stanielcaycottages.com) and the Taste and See bar that had 6 big screen TV’s tuned into the pre-game shows. Remembering it as a potential spot for the evening, we walked down to the bakery (a little yellow house with a plywood sign that says “Bread”) and by the church. Vibrant red and orange Bougainvillea were along every corner and just as brightly painted houses were a warm reminder that this is what we have been sailing toward.

After checking out the area, we decided that Staniel Cay Yacht Club would be our place to catch the game and more importantly, visit with friends so we walked back to get a table. Walking in we were consumed by the burgees (boat flags) hung from every inch of the ceiling and yacht name plates and conch shells perched on every shelf. After waiting around and helping the waitress set-up the dining area, we were rewarded a prime 7-person table right in front of a TV. Kaleo, Storyville, See Yawl Later, and their buddy boat Guiding Light now had a place to gather for the game. Matt and I held the table while the restaurant/bar started to fill up with cruisers from every destination. We talked with folks we’d met in Nassau, Allen’s Cay, Warderick Wells and Emerald Rock. Our crew arrived and after a warm round of hugs we all swapped stories, shared pictures and happy hour until the game started. The evening was spent cheering on the teams, enjoying the Bahamian dinner of roast beef, BBQ chicken, cranberry rice, corn on the cobb and fresh salad with lemon and ginger dressing, finished off with homemade lemon meringue pie and chocolate cake. Whew!

We were near sensory overload after having not seen TV nor being around that many people in months so after the game, we retired to Kaleo for the night. The night was topped off with a Packers win that made us smile as my brother, Casey, has been such a die-hard fan for as long as I can remember and Steve from Anchor Management was all about the Green and Yellow :o).

N 24° 10.53 / W 76° 26.93