Strange Magic at Hog Cay
20 February 2019
22 14.95 'N:75 45.13'W
We had a lovely light wind 10nm sail during the early afternoon to Hog Cay. We dropped the hook in Middle Pen Bay, launched the dinghy and headed for shore to the Hog Cay Yacht Club - the funky cruiser's tiki hut that rests on a gorgeous west facing beach. Tradition has it that visiting cruiser's make an avatar with their boat name to hang inside the hut. We had made one in 2016 but sadly it didn't survive the hurricane. We made a new one that should stand the test of time and Mother Nature.
Another tradition in this place calls to cruisers anchored in the bay to assemble at the tiki hut for sundowners at 4pm. It is a great spot to watch for the green flash while enjoying the company of other people living this dream. We bring a drink and snack to share. The musicians bring their instruments -- there is always a jam session happening at the Hog Cay Yacht Club. The jammers change as boats come and go but it is always a treat to listen to the tunes and sing along. Sometimes the jam sessions last an hour or two...sometimes they last much longer!
Now for a little story about 6 degrees of separation. First of all you need to check where we are. This is a very remote part of the Bahamas. Only a small percentage of the cruising sailboats in the Bahamas actually make it to this area. We met Mark from s/v Truant at the Hog Cay Yacht Club. Mark's buddy Barry Ward was visiting him for a couple of weeks. It turns out Barry is an aircraft mechanic and was working in Resolute Bay, NWT (an equally remote part of the world) at the same time as Paul was. They did not know each other but they had several common friends and colleagues in the industry. If that wasn't enough, we found out Mark's sister lives on the Galetta side road. We also lived in Galetta for a period of time.
So this is all crazy but this is not the first time this has happened to us in this very same place! There is something magic about the Hog Cay Yacht Club!