Once the winds finally abated on Wednesday we decided to hoist anchor for a change of scenery. Although Tavern Cay is a good spot to hide from winds the down side in good weather is that there isn't any where to get ashore. There is a reef just outside Marsh Harbour that we have passed numerous times but have never stopped. It's a part natural and a part manmade reef in a "no take" zone so it's teaming with fish of all sizes and shapes. It is less than a mile outside of Marsh Harbour making it a popular stop for the tour boats, but luckily for us there were only a few people there when we arrived. The water was still a little murky from two days of heavy winds, nevertheless we were treated to a great show.

Since we were in the neighbourhood we decided to pop into Marsh Harbour for the evening to catch up with a few friends plus grab a couple of supplies. More and more the harbour talk is turning to crossing dates and long term travel plans. We all gathered on Duchess Wednesday evening and it was bittersweet as we all realized our days together are coming to an end for this winter. After having ridden out a couple of days heavy winds it was decided that we needed a beach day so plans we made to head to Tahiti beach on Thursday morning.

Light winds greeted us Thursday morning as we headed out of Marsh Harbour, we poked along at 4 knots in bright sunshine enroute to the beach. This winter Lana and Robert introduced us to a game called Marbles that has been the highlight of our evening get togethers. The basic idea is to get your 4 marbles around the board and safely home while trying to kill your competition without getting knocked out yourself. It's always guys against the girls resulting in many hilarious moments as the English language takes quite a beating. Since this may be the last time The Abaco Express is together for awhile we savoured our 2 days at the beach and 2 rowdy evening around the game board.

We have been invited to join Jimmy and Debbie for an overnight cruise with the Marsh Harbour Yacht Club gang. The plan is to sail 15 miles south where we'll rendezvous at Lynyard Cay and spend the night anchored off the beach. The weather has been a little unsettled but we've looking forward to a great weekend with new friends.

Today's picture is a solo sailor enjoying an evening harbour cruise.