With Caribbean waters radiating vivid blues, not man, nor women, nor palm tree can resist the allure of a plunge.

The sand and sea of Seven Mile Beach on the island of Grand Cayman has that effect on most. Tugging and grabbing at you, seducing you with its stunning looks and soothing touch. Who are we to resist. Not me.

True, this palm might have started life on a crooked path, perhaps blown side ways by the relentless trades. But the romantic in me likes to think that it is helpless, just like us, to the calling of Caribbean.

(Photo by j.wilson70 via Flickr)

Have a great weekend Castaways! If you have any great Seven Mile Beach photos I encourage you to post them on the RSR Facebook page, we all would love to see them!

Cheers,
RumShopRyan

NOTE
Don’t forget to sign up for the Castaway Winter Beach Bash! This break from the cold will take place January 20 – 23, 2012 at the beautiful Bolongo Bay Resort on St. Thomas in the USVI.

The fun will be hosted by yours truly and will include a rum tasting, a complimentary bottle of Cruzan Rum in your room, a sunset sail, a rum snorkel scavenger hunt, nightly entertainment and Castaway room discounts. Take a break from the Winter and come lime Castaway style in the US Virgin Islands! Click here for booking and details. Can’t wait to hangout with everyone on the warm sands of St. Thomas!

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The Wreck Bar as been around in one form or another since the 1950′s, when it started out as a simple thatch covered bar that served cold drinks to the locals. Today the Wreck Bar is a lot more. It has become the focal point at Rum Point for locals and tourist alike.

Wreck Bar Parrot - Photo from dougm1965 via Flickr

The locals have this place down to a science. The show up early and enjoy the calm waters and quiet serene setting. Then around mid-morning the cruise ship passengers arrive to eat their conch fritter, enjoy a cold drink and head out on their Stingray City excursion. After about 2 hours the tourist rush is over and Rum Point goes back to a quiet place to chillax.

Local legend says that the world’s first mudslide was made here, created by a bartender named Old Judd. The Wreck bar serves over 400 mudslides a day to cruise ship passengers that are eager to taste a bit of history.

Wreck Bar Mudslide - Photo from b.kelsch via Flickr

The Wreck Bar’s grill serves up an extensive menu made up with a mix of West Indian and American fare. You can find everything from spicy red conch chowder, conch fritters and thick jerk pork sandwiches to salads, club sandwiches, hamburgers and hot dogs. But come on people, you didn’t travel to Grand Cayman to eat club sandwiches and hot dogs did you? Try the local items like conch and any of the freshly caught seafood.

The Wreck Bar has dining outside and live music plays on the beach during the weekends. The bar has an extensive “Boat Drinks” list, though the big sellers are the home-made mudslides, especially the high-powered concoction called the Attlee mudslide made with premium liquors.

Welcome to Rum Point

The Wreck Bar is open daylight hours only, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. However, the beach doesn’t close so there’s no reason you have to leave, especially on weekends when the live music resumes at the affiliated Rum Point Restaurant, which opens after the Wreck Bar closes.

The infamous “welcome” sign to the Wreck Bar lists the top questions NOT to ask:

Do you live here?
No, We just ski from Miami daily!

Is that Cuba on the horizon?
We wish!

Can we get US change back?
Toto, we aren’t in Kansas any more!

Where is the best to snorkel?
Try the water!

Do you sell imported beer?
Sure, most of our staff are imported too!

Can you swim under the island?
You can try, but pay your tab first!

How much for a virgin mudslide?
Cups of ice are free!

Do you sell rum here?
WELCOME TO RUM POINT!!

Wreck Bar Sign - Photo from dougm1965 via Flickr

Have you been to Rum Point and the Wreck Bar? I would love to hear what you thought.

Cheers to another Caribbean Beach Bar we all need to add to our ever growing list!

RumShopRyan

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I had to find out more so I got in touch with Walker Romanica, one of the founders of Seven Fathoms Rum, and put him in the interrogation chair. Here are the tough questions I asked.

Seven Fathoms Rum Interview

1. I hear you have an interesting way you age your rum. Tells us a little about Seven Fathoms Rum and what makes it unique?

Seven Fathoms is a very unique rum. It is the very first rum to ever be made entirely in the Cayman Islands. It is made using a copper pot still and aged in bourbon barrels. It is, for the most part, made in a very traditional Caribbean style. That is – up until the point we start aging the spirit. We store our barrels at Seven Fathoms deep (42 feet) below the ocean. We do this – as crazy as it may sound – for a very good reason. We benefit from what is known as agitation. That is to say that underwater the barrels are constantly moving, passing the fresh surface area of the spirit over the fresh surface area of the oak. This enhances the interaction between the spirit and the barrel that we are looking for.

The concept of agitation is actually very old – it comes from a time when barrels were shipped across the ocean on a ship. It became known in time that barrels that had crossed the ocean had actually aged and tasted far better than the barrels that were left sitting on shore. In time, they came to understand that this was because in the hull of the ship, the barrels were constantly rocking back and forth. This movement became known as barrel agitation and to this day many distilleries around the world agitate their barrels. We of course achieve the same effect, just courtesy of the ocean tides and currents. Seven Fathoms is currently the only spirit in the world to be aged in this way.

2. What different flavors of rum to you offer?

We have released two brands of rum from the distillery. Seven Fathoms rum, and just recently Governor’s Reserve, which is a different and more traditional style of gold rum. We do not make any white, spiced or flavored rums.

3. What is your favorite rum cocktail?

Rum Swanky! Swanky is a traditional Caymanian drink that is made using limes, native sour oranges and brown sugar. The recipe can be as simple or as complex as you like, but add some Seven Fathoms rum and you have a truly uniquely Caymanian drink.

4. Are you and the other founders of Seven Fathoms from Grand Cayman?

Yes, we all were either born or raised here.

Seven Fathoms Rum Bar

5. Did I see a photo somewhere of a Seven Fathoms Rum Bar or pool bar somewhere, maybe at a Margaritaville or somewhere like that?

Yes indeed – be sure to check out the Seven Fathoms Rum Bar under the waterslide in Margaritaville(Grand Cayman)! Great place and they of course serve the best rum!

6. What is your favorite Caribbean island that is not Grand Cayman?

Can I say Little Cayman? If not I would have to say that I like Cuba and Cuban Rums for their rich history and culture.

7. What does the future hold for Seven Fathoms Rum?

Hopefully more continued enjoyment of the labor and love of creating this fine spirit and further establishing Cayman as a proud rum producing country within the Caribbean.

8. Last questions – If you were stranded on a beautiful tropical island in the middle of nowhere and you could only bring 3 things with you, what would they be?

A stick of cane, my still and a barrel.

(end)

I’d like to thank Walker for taking the time to answer our tough questions. If you would like more information and how to purchase Seven Fathoms Rum please visit their website: www.sevenfathomsrum.com

Cheers,
RumShopRyan

Today’s post comes from guest writer Tammy Manduca. Let her know how you like the story in the comments. Now lets go swimming!

The Softness of the Rays

The Rays that inhabit this area are docile creatures that are use to humans.  People have been visiting this area, feeding and swimming with the Stingrays for many years.  The stories that are out and about have different time frames and persons that were the firsts, but all that really matters is – it is an experience you do NOT want to miss!

Standing in 3 – 5 feet of water, in the center of the famed Stingray City, you can experience the softness of the Rays!  These Stingrays will swarm you and brush up against you as you swim and feed them. Their touch will feel airy and light and when you reach out to touch them – their softness will astound you.

There are plenty of different tour companies that are available for tours and I would suggest www.tripadvisor.com or www.caymanislands.ky to find the one that might be right for you. These tour companies will teach you about these Southern Stingrays and how to pet them, walk around them, they like to hide under the sand – shuffle your feet so as not to harm them and how to feed them, palms out.  It truly is an exciting, heart rushing, enjoyable experience.

One last note, each time we’ve visited, we have been told that, “this is part of a Federal Reserve and you can not even take the sand beneath your nails home with you.”  This is in part; true. Cayman waters are protected waters.  Know the laws and respect the animals and there will be many many more years of visiting the Stingrays @ Stingray City!

The Webcam looks directly out of the office window and down towards the dive boat dock. To the right is our diver training pool and to the left is the one bedroom building of Compass Point Dive Resort. Just before the dock on the right side is the Tiki Hut.

Diving Instructions and Snorkeling Adventures in the East End of Grand Cayman.

Grand Cayman Webcam

Best times to view diver activity are as follows (All time are local Cayman):

7:00am Dive Staff (Green Shorts) Start work and the boat Captains bring in the main dive boats.

8:00am Customers check-in for the morning two tank dives.

8:30am Dive Boats depart the dock

11:30am-12noon Dive Boats return from the AM Two Tank Dives

1:00pm Customers Check-in for PM Dives

4:30pm-5:00pm Dive Boats Return from PM Dives

Night Dives Check-in changes with sunset times.

Any time the ground moves it’s cause for concern, but especially so with what just happened a little over a week ago in Haiti. So I wanted to show you that Grand Cayman is clicking on all cylinders and it’s business as usual in beautiful George Town.

This webcam comes from CML in George Town.  The webcam is located towards the north of George Town on Harbour Drive and faces west over the Caribbean Sea. The image refreshes automatically every 30 seconds. In the background you will normally see some of the many cruise ships that visit Grand Cayman on a daily basis, carrying up to 5,000 passengers and crew. As cruise ships are far too big to berth in George Town, passengers are brought ashore in smaller vessels known as “tenders” (which can often be seen moored in the background). In the morning, cruise ship passengers will be seen ambling left to right past the webcam as they make their way towards Seven Mile Beach and the other attractions to the north of George Town.

Over and out from somewhere south,
RumShopRyan