Early on the first of January we headed out of Georgetown after resupplying with fresh fruit and veggies and doing laundry left from the previous year! Our destination was the Jumentos (also called the Ragged Islands) where we would meet up with our friends on Nighthawk and Sam the Skull - we had also picked up some supplies for them as stores are very few and far between that far south. We had really good sailing weather and so no problems reaching the southern Jumentos. We did spend one night at Flamingo Cay where the wind picked up as a front passed through and as the surge started coming into our secure anchorage we started bouncing off the bottom at low tide causing us some anxious hours made worse by it being nighttime. The boat survived though with no damage at all!
We made our way down to Raccoon Cay the next day and finally met up with our friends. We weren't sure whether they were more pleased to see us or the groceries we brought with us! The next two and a half weeks were spent mostly with Nighthawk and Sam the Skull going between Raccoon, Double Breasted and Hog Cays - a few days here and a few days there. The boys did a lot of spearfishing together while the girls walked the beaches beachcombing, looking for useful items we could use on our boats. I needed a waste basket for the bathroom which Barbara kindly found for me, while she needed something to make into a rudder for her kayak to replace the one that was lost. Where else but the Jumentos could 3 women walk about with long sticks poking through 'rubbish' talking to themselves without being asked to "move along" by the police or being given a wide berth by other people!! We had a great time! I also found a supply of sea glass to make jewelry with which was a bonus! Another day as soon as the boys set off fishing Susan and I heard Barbara on the VHF saying "are they gone yet?" At which point Susan picked us up from our individual boats and off we went to the beach trailing 3 inflatable chairs behind us. We spent the morning floating about in the water drinking our 'tasty beverages' and blowing soap bubbles with the bubble wands supplied by Barbara!!
Bruce and I separated from Nighthawk and Sam the Skull for 2 or 3 days and headed to Nurse Cay to spend some time just the 2 of us, to do some fishing and beach walking together before rejoining our friends again. One day we all got together on Windrush and headed to Ragged Island, the very southern most island at the bottom of the Jumentos chain. We towed the 3 dinghies behind us as it isn't possible to take the boat right up to the town dock due to the very shallow water. Our plan was to all go in and see what fresh produce was available at the little store and most important of all to see if we could get internet (and some little cigars for Bruce). We were feeling very cut off from family as we couldn't get any internet in the Jumentos. We did manage to make contact by going to the Ragged Island school and using their internet connection - which they were quite used to people doing and they didn't mind at all. In fact, we met the teacher who soon learned that Bruce was a retired science teacher who had also taught in Nassau. The next moment he had persuaded Bruce to teach a class right then and there as he himself was not science oriented and had trouble teaching the subject! Bruce enjoyed the kids and told them back in the day when students couldn't remember Mr. Marshall's name, they would call him Mr. Tingum!! It broke the ice and all went well. It was really kind of neat to see him back in school teaching! I think he quite enjoyed himself!
By the time we decided to take a break from the Jumentos for a while, our freezer was full of fish, crawfish and conch. One of the days of fishing that I went with Bruce (me rowing following him around), he had already speared a nice grouper and hogfish which were in the bucket when he came up from the depths beside the dinghy with a huge greater amberjack that was actually bending his spear! My first thoughts were, "how am I going to get that in the dinghy and where am I going to put it, because it won't fit in the bucket!" It must have weighed about 30 pounds - and we forgot to take a picture of it!! Bruce had made a brain shot, so it didn't flap around too much, thank goodness! Over the next 3 evenings we each took it in turn to host the others for supper. On our night we fed John and Barbara, Susan and Barry (as well as ourselves of course) with just one fillet of the amberjack - there was even a little left over!
Well, it was time to move on for a little while. We needed some more fresh produce, we needed to find a bank for cash and most of all we wanted to get in touch with family as we were missing them terribly and wanted to make sure all was still well with them in the real world. So bright and early on the morning of Saturday Jan. 21st. Sam the Skull and Windrush said goodbye for the time being and headed for the Exumas, spending one night at Flamingo Cay. John and Barbara were going on into Georgetown, Exuma to pick up (among other things) a solar panel that was arriving there for them, whilst we were heading for Long Island.
We arrived in Thompson Bay off the settlement of Salt Pond on the 25th., spending 2 nights in a bay by Whale Head point (Long Island) just north of there. We got some boat chores done and I also made some removable 'curtains' for the cockpit that we could put up to shield the cockpit from the sun when it came around towards the stern of the boat in the afternoon and evening. We still aren't sure yet if they are really a success or not. So far since our arrival here we have done grocery shopping and laundry. Also we have been in touch with George and my Mum and Dad and are looking forward to talking to everyone else. We have also been out for a beer at the Long Island Breeze - a resort here at Salt Pond.
One mysterious piece of news has happened since we arrived here. A trimaran (flying a French flag) called 'Angel' was found on the reef on the ocean side here yesterday with no-one on board. The crew have now been found, picked up by a cruise ship.
Well, Bruce has gone to the resort to attend a talk being given by Monty and Sara Lewis who are the people who put together the Explorer Chart Books for the Bahama Islands area. When he gets back, we'll head right back over again so that we can have a cold beer and publish this portion of the web! Stay safe.