This year we made the run again from Ragged Island to the Keys. Last year we followed the Old Bahama Channel to the Nichols Channel. The chart shows a favorable current using that route but our experience was the opposite and for much of the trip we were struggling to do 3 knots.

This time we took a more direct course, across to Cochinas Bank to the Cay Sal Bank. It might have been the best passage we have ever made. Had winds behind us the whole way and averaged over 5.5 knots sailing wing on wing with mild seas.

Again this time we stopped at Cay Sal. First we cruised by the Anguilla Cays on the eastern edge of the Cay Sal bank about 50 miles away from Cal Sal itself. The Anguilla Cays were much larger than we expected but with the exception of a couple little beaches on southernmost cay, there was not way to access the islands and explore so we continued on to Cal Sal.

On our first visit, as we approached the island we could see what at first appeared to be a structure then as we got closer looked more like the rusted out hull of an old boat. We did not explore that section last year but did this time. Turns out it was the rusted out remains of an old quonset hut. In addition, we found a small cement structure.

We have since tried to figure out what it was used for and how old it is. There are remnants of old radio equipment and big fuel drums. One conspiracy site suggests that it was part of a old CIA anti-Castro operation.

Here is a link to a video some guys shot walking around the quonest hut. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnWJYH-yjQY

While that stuff was all interesting, we had a mission at Cay Sal - coconuts. (note the shadow of the coconut palm in this pic) We added a couple dozen more to our supply. We could have gotten all the conch we wanted, very easily, but after husking coconuts we were too tuckered out to think about cleaning conch.

Once again, we thoroughly enjoyed Cay Sal. Except for the lack of protected anchoring we could stay there for weeks. One or two nights of being tossed around and getting no sleep was enough, so on our third day there we pulled to hook around 5 PM to start the 72 mile sail to Marathon.