23 41.91 'N:76 02.26'W
During the squally weather at Barreterre, Paul did oil and filter changes on our engine and generator. The anchorage had easy shore access via a government dock so we went to shore for some hiking around the settlement with Tom and Cindy from Oopsea. We found the landscape less scrubby than other areas of the Bahamas. More of the homes had beautiful plants and gardens around them. We actually saw someone cutting grass! I'm pretty sure that was a first for us in the Bahamas. After chatting with a local we found out there is fresh ground water in Barraterre so that explains it.
On Feb 24 we had a smooth high tide exit at dawn from Barreterre, out the square rock cay cut into Exuma sound. It was a rollicking sail in 25 knots to Georgetown. We had our fishing lines in the water but no Mahi Mahi to be had on this day. Oopsea did hook a tuna but sadly by the time they got it to the boat a shark had taken the body and left only the head of the fish on the line. We had heard about this happening but that was the first time we witnessed it.
After such an early morning departure we were anchored in Kidd Cove right in front of Georgetown before noon. This left the whole afternoon to scramble around town getting fuel, water, groceries and some laundry done. By dinnertime we were all set to depart for the Jumentos and Ragged Islands again! This time we were accompanied by Bluejacket, GraceV and Sheherezade.
We hauled up anchors at 06:30 on Feb 25 and headed south on smooth clear water. We had to motor the whole way to Water Cay but the trip was interesting. We passed through some very shallow water but also some deep areas. The deepest depth was at 30 feet and you could still see clearly to the bottom just like looking in an aquarium. We could see coral heads and the reef fish swimming around them.
We anchored in Fisherman's Bay at Water Cay in time to catch the sunset. There were clouds at the horizon but we still saw a green flash just at the top of those clouds. Even if it's cloudy you still need to look!
Feb 26 we took the Atlantic ocean route from Water Cay to the Nurse Channel. The wind angle was such that we had to motor-sail. We tried for some Mahi Mahi or Tuna but no luck, then, just as we were preparing to enter the Nurse Channel we hooked a huge Barracuda. Once we exited the nurse channel and turned south on the bank side we had a great sail to Hog Cay. We were surprised to find no boats in the anchorage at Hog Cay. The last time we were here there were about 20 boats.
While sailing we had noticed a couple of rips along the leech line in our mainsail so once we were anchored the gang showed up to help us take it down. The next morning we loaded the main, the sewing machine and all the supplies into the dinghy and headed into the Hog Cay Yacht Club (tiki hut) on the beach. The repair went very well with all the gang on hand to help manhandle the sail. The repair was complete and the sail re-installed on the boat by 13:00, not bad! We thought the repair would take all day! That night we had a potluck dinner on the beach followed by a bonfire. The island is loaded with hermit crabs of all sizes that come marching out of the bushes at sunset. They roam around the beach for awhile and walk among us checking us out then they head back to the bush.
The beaches on the Atlantic side at Hog Cay are fantastic places to find sea beans. The whole gang hiked across the island a couple of times to comb the beaches in search of these lucky beans. Hog Cay is also home to many wild goats. We would see them in the bushes and along the hillside as we were walking the island. We even had one tiny little fellow come out to check us out. I don't know where his mama was as he seemed to be all by himself.
We sailed to Little Ragged Island on Mar 1 but found the anchorage too uncomfortable due to an ocean swell that was wrapping around the tip of the island and causing the boat to roll at anchor. We headed back to the Hog Cay anchorage using only a reefed jib and still travelled at 7.2 knots! That evening we cooked cracked conch on the beach with Grace V. We used our little butane stove for the cookout which worked really well.
Sometime through the night we had a small anchor dragging. The boat moved about 750 feet before the anchor hooked up again. Lucky for us there were no other boats in the anchorage and we had just a bit of confusion when we woke up the next morning to find ourselves in a different spot than we were before!
There were several hunting and snorkelling trips which netted several lobsters and conch. The sharks are abundant here so we are always keeping a watchful eye out for the men in grey suits when we get in the water. We've seen them frequently but they seem to just cruise by without paying us much attention. We did have an encounter with an aggressive Barracuda the other day that had us a bit on edge. Usually the Barracuda will follow you around and appear a bit curious but this particular one was very interested in Deb and Dahlene and appeared to actually be stalking them. Yikes! Paul speared a small fish and launched it towards the barracuda in hopes that he would be more interested in eating the fish. He came up and bunted the fish a couple times then bit it in half. He ate the fish then continued to harass the ladies to the point where they decided to get out of the water. Once Deb and Dahlene were out of the water we didn't see the barracuda anymore.
We had another potluck on the beach. This time it was a pizza party. Each boat made a pizza to share. It was an awesome meal again followed by a bonfire on the beach. It was during the bonfire that Paul said uh oh, I don't think we anchored the dinghy! We had pulled the dinghy up on the beach but didn't set the hook so once the tide came up she just floated off and away. Well a search party was sent out with flashlights to do a grid search. I'm happy to report the wayward vessel was found but we were very lucky. It was about a mile and half out and definitely on it's way to Cuba. We were both just coming to grips with the fact that we just lost our car in probably the most inconvenient place in the Bahamas at the worst possible time. Lessons learned? Always set the anchor goes without saying but reflective tape and a light on the dinghy would also be a good idea and would have made it much easier to find.
A weather front was approaching that would see us stuck at Hog Cay for another week. Before the front arrived we did some beachcombing for firewood to add to the pile at the yacht club. With that complete we hauled up anchor and moved to the north end of the bay and tucked in close to shore. We set two anchors and got ready for the weather to arrive. This included securing the halyards and lashing down anything and everything that could blow away. The weather did arrive on time and as forecasted. The wind was very high at 25 to 35 knots sustained with several gusts in the 40's. The first night was uncomfortable and as usual not much sleep was had. I spent from midnight to 03:30 in the cockpit watching the stars until the clouds and rain squalls rolled in. By the second night it was a little easier to get some sleep after monitoring the boat swing and anchor alarm settings for over 36 hours.
During times like this we remind ourselves why this lifestyle isn't for everyone. You can be careful and plan all you want but mother nature is still the one who is really in charge. We set out for a nice trip down to the Jumentos and Ragged Islands. We expected to spend a leisurely 7 days or so hopping island to island then head back to Georgetown for some minor re-provisioning before slowly making our way north. When all is said and done and we can safely move again we will have been in this one location for about 11 or 12 days. It will take another 2 or 3 days to reach Georgetown. By the time we reach Georgetown we will not have one fresh item of food on board except for an onion if we are lucky. We have lots of canned items available and certainly all the fresh fish you could eat but I can tell you without a doubt we will be craving something fresh and crunchy!! As I've said previously, the cruising life is a simple life but it sure ain't easy!