On land we use maps to navigate. We identify blue as water and white or sometimes green as land. Navigating on the water is different. We use charts that show land as green and water as white or varying shades of blue depending on the depth of the water.

In the Exumas, we are transiting along the Bank side of the islands. It’s shallow but well-protected from the prevailing easterly winds. The Sound side is much deeper and exposed to winds from the east making for rougher seas.

On the chart pictured, the banks on the left are in varying shades of blue. The lighter blue is deeper water while the darker shades show shallows. The little circles on the far left show where coral heads are to be avoided. The islands are shown in yellow-green.

The white area shows the deep waters of the Sound. The pink dotted lines are common routes between destinations.

There is quite a difference between the Bank and the Sound. The depths on the bank range from 8’-20’ where the depths on the Sound side can be 3000’-5000’.

For now, we are happy to splash around in these shallower waters. ❤️⛵️🇧🇸