Halifax Bay
03 February 2020
Kim
Halifax Bay was everything we were looking for after Prickly Bay, and most cruisers give it a miss because it doesn't look like much on the charts and the cruising guide doesn't give it a very favourable write-up. Our blustery day of sailing was rewarded by flat calm waters and protection from the winds once we were a half mile from shore. And best of all, it was quiet, peaceful and virtually empty. We had the entire bay to ourselves the first night and FINALLY had an opportunity to snorkel off our boat. The water was clean and clear, there was enough coral to attract a few fish and there were lots of turtles.
The second night we were enjoying our books in the cabin and heard a faint voice in the distance. We noticed a tiny light, which we assumed was a local out doing some fishing and payed no further attention. The voice kept calling out periodically and seemed to be getting closer so I popped my head out into the cabin and noticed the tiny light was growing larger, but I had difficulty understanding what was being said. "Ayot, Ayot" - perhaps it was a call to a friend on another nearby fishing boat? About 20 minutes later we heard a 'knock knock knock' on our hull. When Tom went out he was met by a man, woman and 3 children, in a small wooden boat which had run out of fuel. Apparently, the man had been calling "Hey Yacht", which we had inadvertently ignored until he reached us. Tom passed over our outboard fuel tank knowing that was all we had onboard. We watched with anxiety as what seemed like an lot of fuel pouring into his tank. Fortunately, when Tom politely suggested 'That should be enough to get you home', he passed it back with enough left for us too. But then of course the tiny boat's engine wouldn't start, causing us all even more anxiety. Finally, after 20 attempts, it fired up and the family was on their way in the pitch dark. What a night!