Day 22 Fri 18-Apr 2014
Shroud Cay, Exumas
LAT N24 deg 31.97
LON W076 deg 47.83

[photo: looking down at the tidal creek we had just followed]

The wind probably hit 18 kts a few times last night, which is not dangerous at all, but makes for a less restful night with the boat motion and the howling through the rigging. I was not concerned because I had visually confirmed the anchor was well set in good sand and there was no hazard or other boat close by. We awoke before dawn and enjoyed a nice cup of fresh coffee in the somewhat cool breeze.

It has been a little frustrating trying to get Internet weather when the Bahamian cell phone I bought can't maintain a connection with the tower. I suspect it will only get worse as we go south until we get to some cays with sufficient numbers of inhabitants to justify a local cell tower, Like Staniel Cay.

After a healthy breakfast, I dinghied over to Footloose for a chat and to exchange a book. Next I went to Slowdown and we also discussed weather and travel plans. If his weather sources turn out to be correct, it should be windy and possibly squally for a few days. I suspect that the forecast weather will affect the areas to our north more so than us, but we will see. Our next stop, Shroud Cay, is only 1.5 hours away, so it couldn't be all that bad to travel.

Just as a cautionary tale to other cruisers, we always try to secure our dinghy to the boat two ways. That proved very important last night as when I got up to check things in the early morning, the painter (line) had come off the special dinghy cleat and it was being held by my second, independent hitch. I know the cleat hitch was properly made, but I suspect the wave action worked the line loose. I will never trust that cleat small again, and will use the main cleats on the stern. It is scary to think how far downwind and current that dink could have gone in 7 hours.

After a light lunch, we dinghied ashore to walk a bit. The first stop was the restaurant where we informed the manager to cancel our reservation for dinner. We thoroughly enjoy being with Footloose and Slowdown, but we just felt there was nothing else to see there and we wanted to move on. If we didn't fully expect to see them as we head south, it would have been a harder decision.

After a brief walk, we dinghied over to Slowdown to inform them of our decision to move, and fortuitously, Footloose arrived a minute after we did. I think they were surprised that we wanted to leave, but they felt secure on their anchors in that location, so they were definitely staying.

It took all of 75 minutes to motor-sail to Shroud Cay in SE winds about 12 knots. We picked up one of the few available moorings and tied up with two lines to port and starboard cleats for extra security. It is just as important to know that the mooring is strong from the seabed up to the pennant, but there are many very much heavier and quite expensive yachts that use them and I am sure the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park takes good care of them.

We arrived at almost 1400 and quickly got back into relaxation mode. The cell coverage here appears to be zero, so my purchase of the phone for Internet weather and other communication use might have been a waste after all. An interesting side note is that this is where we met the British cruising couple, Tick and Andree who became good friends in 2008.

I think I made my first big mistake of this cruise around 1500 today. Diane had struggled with a few things today and it got her a bit frustrated. Mid-afternoon, she was trying to open a jar of olives for a martini and couldn't open the jar. Instead of just asking me for help, she got a tad upset and whimpered in exasperation, "why is everything so much more difficult on this cruise?" I actually made two mistakes; first, it was a rhetorical question where no reply would have been the best choice. Second, I simply stated the truth, "Honey, you are 6 years older than the last time." At 56 years old, you would think I would have learned by now. Maybe I had better learn quickly if I want to reach 57.

We enjoyed an early supper of the leftover Mahi-Mahi, a small piece of blackened tilapia, the leftover green beans, and a portion of Caribbean rice. It was very tasty. As Diane cleaned up, she was lamenting the limited water supply we carry (78 gals) and asked where could purchase some next. Compass Cay should have water for sale, but not fuel, although we should be fine with fuel for a while. No boat has unlimited supplies of anything (a water maker system, however, in the presence of decent water and adequate electric power solves that problem), so you must always be planning ahead to know where you can (hopefully) acquire what you need before you run too low.

Sitting in the cockpit after supper while it was still quite light, we marveled that of the 12 boats here, we were the smallest by far. The other sailboats and smaller powerboats were over 42 feet for sure, and then there were 4 yachts between 80-100 feet, and another 3 megayachts at least 160 feet long. Gone are the days, apparently, (as I learned from reading more than experience) when it was common for 27-33 foot boats to cross oceans and range far and wide. It still happens, but much more rarely.

Tonight at sunset, I blew the conch horn I purchased at Little Farmer's Cay in 2008. I made many brief attempts until I got the right lip position and pressure to make the sweet sound I wanted. Diane had some laughs while I "tuned" my lips, but it was all good.

The wind has been moderate until 2100, and time will tell whether we will have any strong winds before morning. We intend to stay here at least one more day and maybe more. Next stop is another very short hop south to Hawksbill Cay.