Friday, 19 June. Sailed and motor sailed from Mira por Vos to Hog Sty reef leaving early AM. En route, I caught a head fish - a black fin tuna that was attacked by a shark as I was reeling it in so I only ended up with a head! Actually there was enough of him that we got enough meet of cocktail apps, but not really enough for dinner. Hog Sty reef is a horse shoe shaped reef about 5 miles long and 2 miles wide. There is a tiny island on the NE corner which is where we anchored. Not great holding - mostly marl and very little sand over it, but we managed to wedge our Delta into a crevice of coral that should hold quite well. There are two wrecked freighters on the reef - one on the N and one on the S, but quite a ways away, so we did not get to see them closely. After we were tucked in safely for the night, we enjoyed the tuna which I seared as I usually do with ground coffee - fantastic! It really would have been nearly enough for dinner, but Deb had made a meatloaf as well and we nearly polished off that as well! We went to bed feeling very well fed. Saturday, 20, June. Today was a rest day between travels and a chance to enjoy Hog Sty. The little island off which we anchored is home to about a million gulls of a variety of species. They were not exactly thrilled with our exploring their island, but despite Deb's fears (remember Alfred Hitchcock?), they did not attack us, just flew in circles squawking loudly. Deb & Dottie found lots of nice shells and Larry & I both found flotsam floats, hard plastic balls that held nets - made in Spain. Out of deference to the gulls (or was it fear?) we did not go to the middle of their nesting area to explore the old lighthouse, but were satisfied with pictures. Larry & I snorkeled the entire circumference of the island dragging dink along behind. Reef was much healthier than at Mira, but still not really spectacular. Quite a few trigger fish and a couple barracuda, but not much for dinner fish. It was a great and relaxing day between long sailing days. Finally tomorrow we will have a chance to sail S instead of SE which given the prevailing sinds should mean a good sail, except that the forecast calls for the winds clocking to S/SW over the next couple days - our intended course exactly, again! Given that we are low on diesel, we cannot afford to run both engines all day if the wind is right on the nose, so we downgrade our expected speed and decide we need to leave @ 3:00 AM, so we had an early supper and went to bed early. Sunday, 21 June. We awakened @ 3:00 AM to a nice EASTERLY breeze of 10-12 kts. What a treat. We weighed anchor with only a little difficulty (remember how nicely it was wedged in the marl?) and after we cleared the reef, we hoisted sail and shut down the engines. Sailing at last. No race, making 3-5 kts up and down in the light breeze, but sailing and not burning dead dinosaurs. After a short while, Larry & Dottie went back to bed leaving me alone at the helm. (Deb had not slept well, so did not get up.) I love this watch. The stars are so brilliant. The milky way is a billion dots of light but each one separate and distinct. No moon yet, it is almost then end of the last quarter. We sailed smoothly and silently and I loved every minute. About 4:45 I saw a faint light on the E horizon - a freighter maybe? No, at 4:55 I experienced a beautiful moon rise as this tiny crescent with both horns pointed up rose above the horizon for just and instant before disappearing in some distant clouds. A special treat. Then I did see not one but two boats visible be their lights, AIS signature and radar echo at about the same time. One was clearly a freighter and would pass 6+ miles away so could be ignored. The other looked more like a military vessel, but its AIS signature just gave course and speed, nothing else. Its course would cross ours but exactly where depended on our varying speed. Need to keep a watch on him. I got Larry up at day break as requested and we put out fishing lures. The military looking boat now displays USCG 619 on AIS and has changed course and seems to be circling some distance off so no longer a worry for us. (The USCG has been keeping close tabs of us. We were approached by a cutter on the tongue of the ocean several days ago and although they did not board us, they questioned us extensively via VHF. Since then we have been visited with a fly over every day. Initially it was a harrier helicopter, but yesterday a falcon jet. Always a low close pass and gone.) The sun was up, the magic over for today and so I left Larry with the helm and went to bed. I was awakened by Otto complaining that he could not keep us on course (I recognized the beeps). I sprinted to the helm to find Dottie up as well and the wind having died, gennie was misbehaving and they were trying to take her in when Otto began wandering with an unbalanced sail plan - actually nothing to worry about except that our sailing was over for the day. There was still enough wind to make it worthwhile leaving the main up and motor sailing, but as the day wore on even that failed and I tucked the main away. The sea was a calm as a bathtub! We got to Great Inagua by 13:00 which was perfect for picking our way in. It was also dead low tide which was both the good news (if we make it in, there will be no problem leaving tomorrow) and the bad news (tricky getting in!). We posted watch on both bows and a person on the anchor windless as I motored slowly into Alfred Sound - this lovely lagoon surrounded by breaking coral reef. We anchored again on marl, but it seems secure. Beautiful place. Nice sandy beach to S, breaking surf on the reef N & E, and water like you only see in the Bahamas everywhere. Deb & Dottie walked the beach finding shells and Larry & I snorkeled the outer reef. Found remnants of an unmarked wreck - looked like and old wooden ship, big wood ribs and masts that still looked like trees. The reefs were mostly dead where breaking, but healthier inside. Not much for fish, but fairly plentiful conch (but Deb is still "conched out" after cleaning 50). Tomorrow we will get fuel, clear out and head for Jamiaca.