Today’s bonus picture is the public washroom at Cat Island, be sure to read the sign.

As we ghosted into the anchorage at New Bight we noticed a small trimaran with a Canadian flag anchored in the corner of the harbour and realized that it had been at Conception Island with us. We had seen one anchored north of Beaufort NC on our way south and we were wondering if this was the same adventuresome couple. This particular boat is a 27' long Corsair and the outer hulls fold in so the whole thing fits on a trailer. There is a berth in the Center hull but not much else so it really is like camping on a floating tent trailer; and Steve and I thought we were roughing it in my Tanzer 22.

Just as we finished putting Dagny to bed Francois from the trimaran stopped by to introduce himself and say hi. Turns out he's from Montreal and coached sailing at Royal St. Lawrence YC and even attended a few Fruit Bowls at HYC with his team. Over drinks the next day they told us how they trailed the boat from Vancouver to the west coast of Florida and had been in the Bahamas since early December. But this wasn't their first kick at the can, a few years ago they had trailed it to Mexico and sailed the sea of Cortez, a perfect example of never say never.

With the ever changing weather the past couple of weeks we have certainly been getting our money's worth from our Chris Parker subscription. My morning routine is listening to his forecast while the coffee brews then discussing our options with the Admiral once she arises. The strong easterlies (20-30 knots) kept us pinned at New Bight for a few days but at least we could easily get ashore for exercise and socializing. The big dilemma for us was what to do when the winds quickly rolled around to the west. We had been here earlier in the year and a light westerly breeze made the anchorage uncomfortable until the wind shifted to the NW. However, this time around we would only have one day of moderate south winds before it would blow 15-25 knots from the west for 12-18 hours. The question everyone was agonizing over was, do we have to to get somewhere else before the west winds drive 5' waves into the anchorage or do we try and tough it out. For 24 hours political discussions were on the back burner as numerous scenarios were explored. At the last minute we elected to leave early Wednesday morning for Rock Sound expecting to arrive after dark. The seas were still a little elevated but after 15 miles we set the sails wing and wing and roared northbound in following seas and a 20 knot breeze. Dagny covered the 75 miles in 11 hours from anchor up to anchor down. Unfortunately, the only fish we caught was a barracuda who was lost, normally they reside in shallow water, 100' or less but this guy was in 2000', maybe he's been concussed by all the Space X debris that's been falling in the local waters.

Next on the agenda, a few days in Rock Sound while we wait for 2 fronts to roar through. In the meantime there's lots to do here as we have new and old friends to share our time with.

Today's picture is from the Cathedral Caves at Rock Sound

As mentioned earlier, a visit to Conception Island has been on our wish list for a few years. We hung around the central Exumas looking for a good 3 or 4 day weather window that would allow us time to explore this beautiful island. Our patience finally paid off as we motor sailed in a light southerly breeze across Exumas Sound. The 50 mile trip would put us in position for an overnight stopover at Calabash before continuing on to our destination. Conception Island is a national park, the stunningly beautiful uninhabited island is surrounded by beautiful beaches and several good snorkeling areas. It's imperative to keep a close eye on the weather as there is zero protection from any west component wind and any strong easterly can make for a tough trip to or from the Island. The final 17 mile leg of our trip was a little sportier than expected as we beat into short steep waves. We hoped that the island would be as beautiful as everyone says, making the effort worthwhile.

However, before we even got there things started going in our favour, the wind shifted a little as per the forecast ensuring the anchorage would be well protected and Bev got a fish.
Ever since the tuna we caught early on Lady Luck has not been on our side until now. It's not the biggest Mahi we've caught to date but he did put up a good fight and will provide us with 5 or 6 meals.
We had chosen to motor sail rather then sail because we knew our time at the island would be limited and we wanted to maximize out time there. Shortly before noon we dropped the hook in crystal clear water off a gorgeous mile long crescent beach. Once our fish was cleaned and in the freezer it was time to explore and relax. The next 2 days were spent enjoying all Conception has to offer as the anchorage gradually started to fill up. One highlight was a kayak trip to a small deserted beach where we had a very relaxing lunch of FRESH fish sandwiches. There are numerous reefs around the island so obviously snorkeling was on the agenda. As we drifted over a reef preparing to go over the side Bev was checking the bottom with our lookey bucket for a nice coral head to dive on. As she was describing the various fish a shark swam right under the bucket, needless to say, our trip was aborted and a beach walk seemed like a great idea.
The island is a nesting area for Long Tailed Tropic birds, the birds themselves are white, about the size of a large pigeon but their black Vee shaped tail is longer then their bodies. Each morning they put on an air show over the anchorage with their morning aerobatics.

Sadly after two days we knew we had to get moving before the wind shifted so the decision was made to head to Cat Island. I have to say the only down side to our visit was the number of boats in the anchorage. Usually there's only a handful of boats; however, it was obvious we weren't the only ones waiting for a good window and by the time we left there were 30 boats plus as well as a 220' mega yacht in the anchorage. We set off in a light breeze which filled into a beautiful 12 knot breeze and we had a fantastic sail to Cat Island in virtually flat seas. Only downside, no fish.

The weather this winter has great, steady easterly winds and virtually no rain; however, over the next couple of weeks it will be very unsettled as front after front passes through. For now we'll spend a couple of days in Cat riding out a blow and figure out where to go after that.

Today's picture is of Bev with her latest catch.

The morning of the Space X launch dawned cloudy and overcast causing us to wonder if we would get to see the rocket as it passed overhead. However, as the day wore on the skies gradually cleared and a check of the website showed all systems were go. This would also be our last evening with White Bird since they were leaving early in the morning for points north. Following a great kayak trip we set about making preparations for our viewing party as the sky continually cleared. We had high hopes of seeing the booster as it was programmed to land on a barge a few miles offshore from us. However, for some reason, the recovery barge was moved further north out of our field of vision. We rendezvoused on the beach at 5:15 for the 6:15 launch and set off to organize our viewing station on a ridge overlooking Exumas Sound.

The crew of Nightingale joined us as well for what turned out to be a spectacular evening. While setting up our evening feast we were treated to a beautiful sunset and had time to toast our friendship before the big event. It would only take 8 minutes for the rocket to be overhead so we kept a close eye on the sky while enjoying our treats. Suddenly there it was, we had a great view as it streaked southeast bound, virtually overhead as it paralleled the coastline. Bev was the first to spot the booster separating and a couple of minutes later we could see the guidance rockets fire as it descended towards the recovery barge. In all we saw the rocket for at least five minutes as it roared across the evening sky. As darkness fell the warm breeze continued to keep the bugs at bay allowing us to savour the moment until well after 7:30.

With our friends heading north it was time to get our act together and make plans to move on but not before finding some groceries. The mailboat was due in Staniel Cay in a couple of days, the plan was to get fuel, fresh produce and as soon as possible move south east towards Long Island. Conception Island lies 20 mile north east of Long Island and is home to the Long Tailed Tropic birds; and, we have long wanted to visit this remote uninhabited island reserve. The idea is to station ourselves nearby until we can get favourable conditions to visit Conception Island.

As great as the weather has been with the persistent strong easterly trade winds we would need a change in wind direction to sail to Conception; and boy did we get a change! For 3 days the forecasters warned us of a strong weather system approaching with heavy squalls and wind gust to 45 kts possible. After pouring over the charts and carefully monitoring the forecast we decided to head to Black Cay for the weather event. We had been here earlier this winter and knew that it would be rolly the first day there but once the wind shifted around the thought was it would be fine. Whenever we choose a new place to hide from weather there's often that lingering doubt, did we make the right choice or not. We certainly don't want to be in a crowded anchorage in bad weather but it is comforting to see that other people have reached the same conclusion as us. So, as the wind started to shift as forecasted, we moved over to 100 yards off the beach at Exumas Point to stake out our spot. We ran out 100 feet of anchor chain and settled in to wait. By days end there were 12 boats very well spaced along the beach with anchors well set. The squalls are here, heavy rain at times but Dagny does need a good fresh water rinse, in the meantime the peak gust so far has been 36 knots. Normally the bad weather blows through at night but this system is treating us well, it first hit around 7 this morning and will be through by mid afternoon. Besides keeping an eye on the radar we are being entertained by our Norwegian neighbours who are out kite surfing in the squalls, I guess they never heard about Ben Franklin flying kites in thunderstorms.

Todays picture is self explanatory.

Today’s bonus picture is of the group playing Bocce Ball at low tide.

Once the exhaust elbow had been changed and tested we decided to head back to Black Point for a mandatory laundry day. We have been making a concerted effort to slow down and smell the roses so to speak, and usually only change locations when the winds are favourable. This year the easterly trade winds have made for easy sailing up and down the island chain. There were strong winds forecasted to hit in a couple of days and we wanted to be sure to get a good spot in the Black Point anchorage before the crowd arrived. Although the sailing was enjoyable we elected to motor for 45 minutes or so to ensure that there weren't any leaks in the exhaust system. Luckily we secured a spot close to shore with good protection from the 25 knot winds due to arrive in a couple of days. The only issue with these spots is the Black Point rooster, he has always had trouble with his internal clock and will crow unexpectedly at anytime of the day or night. Small price to pay for a safe anchorage!

Our good friends on White Bird were due to arrive in a couple of days so we busied ourselves getting all our chores done ahead of time. The plan was to spend the week together in the area prior to them starting their trek north. Despite a couple of days of strong winds we enjoyed a great week of hiking, kayaking, on some days, swimming, (always between 10& 3, shark free) Bocce Ball and of course a few happy hours. Unfortunately, the current political turmoil dominates too much of everyone's time so we strive to take time to enjoy what nature gives us. While out for a walk the other day we were entertained by a medium size Hermit crab trying to fit himself into a shell that was way too small, kinda like me trying to do up a small pair of jeans. Although it may seem trivial it was a great distraction from the chaos of today's world. The crews of White Bird, First Love and us took time out to celebrate Valentines Day with a great dinner at the Black Point Yacht Club and before we realized it our week was coming to an end. As we started to scan the weather forecast we discovered that they would be recovering the booster from a Space X rocket launch on Feb. 18th just east of Black Point in Exuma Sound.

We have moved over to Little Bay on the south side of Black Point and will set up a viewing station on the top the ridge overlooking the ocean. Not sure how far off shore the recovery will be but we should have a good view as it goes overhead; hopefully, they put enough gas in it to get that far. In the meantime we will,be busy checking weather forecasts as we search for a new destination further south. Also, the level in the freezer is starting to go down so it's time to get fishing offshore again.

Today's picture is from the beach at Black Point.