Manawa : Falling in love with The Exumas

Who: Frédéric, 42; Isabelle, 37; Benjamin, 11; Charles, 9
Where: The Exumas, Bahamas
Multihull: Nautitech 40 Open
Facebook: Sailingmanawa

Going back to the Exumas with our multihull was magical. Where do we begin? The Exumas are an archipelago in the Bahamas that consists of hundreds of islets, several of which are privately owned. The chain of islets stretches for about 100 miles, leaving us with a great playground to explore. These islands are home to the Exuma National Land and Sea Park. The archipelago now has twenty-five protected areas. It is not uncommon to see sharks passing right next to the catamaran. It’s just like being in an aquarium. Every day, we are amazed by the sight of turtles passing by, rays, and all kinds of fish. The clarity of the water is quite exceptional. We sometimes wonder how such a beautiful place could have been created. It almost seems unreal.
Moreover, we met some very nice families from all over the world. During our time there, we of course visited the island of the pigs, the caves, Pablo Escobar’s plane at the bottom of the sea and much more. We are already looking forward to coming back next year.
At the moment, we are in Bimini, still in the Bahamas and are getting ready to leave this week for Florida. Hurricane season is already here, and the storms are starting to hit hard. It’s not ideal in a boat with a 65-foot mast! We are starting to get a little nostalgic as the end of the season approaches. But we are looking forward to returning to our beautiful Quebec and seeing family and friends. Our days are numbered. We are proud to look back on the last eight months, France, Spain, Gibraltar, The Canary Islands, Cape Verde, an Atlantic crossing, Martinique, St. Martin, St. Barth, The Dominican Republic, The Bahamas and now back to the USA. We are certainly going to bring home some wonderful memories. See you soon!