Farmers Cay Regatta (lots of pictures)

In February, we headed to our first Farmers Cay Regatta. Farmers Cay is a little settlement up in the Exuma Cays. It took us about 3 hours towing the sailboat up. It is a weekend event, so we decided to make it a camping trip :) It's been a while since the boys had been camping. TOO long considering the work we do!

Dallas had a camping table wash off one of his kayaks on the trip he had been out on the week before, so he had planned to look for it as we were passing through. We are blessed with crystal clear waters most days, so it took him all of 5 minutes in the water to find it. Money saved!

Someone had given us a snake they found in the bush recently, so he made the trip with us too and we set him free on the island. Zoe's first order of busy when we landing on shore was to dig a big hole! If I didn't know better, I'd say she was a little boy doggie :) 

After the boys and I set up the kitchen, while Dallas and Miguel (a kid that came along with us to help crew the boat with Dallas) went to drop the sail boat off by the race area, it was time for us to EXPLORE!

Big Farmers Cay is an incredible camping spot with tons to do right on the beach around camp. Huge tide pool area that runs into the island and is full of baby conch, sting rays, crabs, birds, mangroves, and very cool sand patterns. And that's just what we've discovered in this little area so far. 

It is so pretty in here, and the boys get so excited running around checking things out in here. 

I always get excited to familiarize myself more with some of Dallas' 'office spaces'. He talks about all the places they go on their trips, but mostly I see them in passing as we're driving up and down the cays. So to spend a couple nights here, I feel like when he calls me now from his trips and says he's gazing out at the sunset from Big Farmers and the breeze gently blows onshore, I can place myself right there beside him!

After a great night sleep with nice cool temperatures, the boys jumped right out of their tent and hit the trail exploring some more. What a wonderful camping trip this way!!! Nothing but good memories from it. 

I knew Zoe would be miserable in the boat all day, so we decided to let her stay at camp and explore the island. I almost caved in when I saw how pitiful she looked as we were leaving the beach (see her below) :( She came running out from our tent area super happy to see us when we returned! I felt bad, but she was still happier than she would've been. 

Here you can see a plan landing on the strip to Little Farmers Cay. This landing strip is tiny, and is also one of the biggest paved stretches on the island. So anyone that drives, ends up on it, plus folks walking around from the other side of the island. The planes often circle the runway a few times before people get the clue they need to get off the runway so they can land. I was quite amazed at how it all went down! Papa (Andy), Nana (Nancy) and Granpa D flew in the first morning of the races to join in the fun. Papa was going to be sailing with Dallas, and Nana and D hung out on the boat with me and the boys. They even joined us to camp for the night. More on that in a minute :) 

Joss loved helping sail the boat around to the starting line. He thought he was Super Stud :) Which of course, I didn't argue with. Isn't he adorable sitting on the pry. I have since this time bought them new sailing life jackets that they love so they always wear them while sailing. Just FYI for the worriers or the ones thinking I'm a horrible mother. Truly, they were sailing a little faster than idle speed in a little power boat. And he got off before the racing started.

Two Friends always looks sharp on the water, if nothing else :) I loved having D on the boat during the race. He hasn't forgotten a thing about being out there in the races. His racing was done on a little different style sailboat, but this man knows his sailing!

In between races we explored the settlement and went to say HI to some of the folks Dallas interacts with regularly on this island. 

I jumped on for the last race on this first day while I could leave the boys in good and trusting hands on the boat. Nana to help keep them behaving, and Papa driving the boat :) Not too many chances come along for me to sail WITH Dallas. I trust his captain skills way more than Pat's!

We didn't finish anywhere near the front of the races, but it was a pretty fun day on the water. 

 The following morning we were woken up to D singing the Bahamas National Anthem and then when I came over to the kitchen area he started singing "America the Beautiful". It was a sweet way to start our day. If you look close, Emit has an adorable grin on his face in the photo of D singing.

 Morning at camp! 

 Group shots and generation photos are always a necessity when we're with D! Sometimes they work better than others. The ones we took on the beach were pretty good. I love Joss' look for D in the top right photo above--total admiration! A little later, however, he was not in the mood to take pictures :(

 Zoe refused to get left behind a second day, especially after we had packed up all the camping gear and piled it up. And I didn't have the heart to do it to her again. She didn't "complain" one bit all day either. She was totally happy just being close to us. 

 I have to have a back-up plan for these long days on the boat when I'm driving and mommy'ing all at once while Daddy races. They of course don't mind it one little bit! MODERATION is key for us and them though. If they get too much time on it all chaos breaks loose. I will take advantage of modern technology when I really need to. I hate the guilt that comes with it though, but nevertheless...it is present with this contraption!

 Our totally content dog settled in for the day :) 

I always take too many pictures during the races. 

 way too many.....

 "Oh Captain, My Captain" 

 The course was insane on this race. They raced straight through the anchorage with all the sailboats. Many looked like they were inches away from colliding with anchored sailboats, and it altered their course a lot with the sailboats being obstacles. Glad I wasn't at the tiller!

 Papa, Nana & D were all set to fly out in the afternoon, so we had to drop them at the beach before we started the final race. We rounded the buoy by the beach and saw them still waiting for their plane. 

The two kayaks above were from two brothers kayaking from Brazil all the way to Florida, and they were passing through Exuma at the time. We were hoping to meet them, but it didn't work out that we could. We had to get home before it got too dark on the water, and we were cutting it close as it was. You'll also notice a gas pump in the cays with a rate we were paying then... ridiculous!

Fantastic weekend, not good where the racing is concerned, but the camping, boating, weather, exploring and family fun were all GREAT!!!!!