The results of the last hunt at Coco Bay

Well...we've left the Jumentos/Ragged Islands...sadly I must say. We've had a great season down there. The weather, hunting, social life, and "local conditions" were fantastic.


Love the big guys


Poached eggs on lobster cakes...yummie


We scored big time with the Fresh Market deliveries and with the fuel purchase from the mailboat. Maxine and the other locals also went out of their way to help us.

The Valentine's Day party was a rousing success. So too, was the Super Bowl Party and many beach cocktail hours, burns, and wallows. Kim and Christy had fun in their many miles of beach walks.

We like that part of the Bahamas because it is way less crowded, and for the most part, populated with "experienced" cruisers. We do get the occasional group that is getting their "Jumentos Merit Badge". The good news is they usually don't stay long. We were in that area a little over three months. We rarely stayed in one spot longer than 5-6 days, but came back to some of the same places several times. We usually only move when we can sail. We traveled over 300 miles while there and only used around 18 gallons of diesel fuel for the three months.

The hunting this year was fantastic...due in large part to my buddy, Bill of Veranda. So let's talk about Bill. He is a very capable sailor, navigator, and seaman. His mechanical skills are top notch. He is a great writer...check out his blog (link at left), but his hunting prowess is legendary. His single greatest hunting skill is his uncanny ability to see lobsters that are invisible to mere mortals.

I consider myself an "above average" hunter, but Bill finds stuff that is way hidden. I think he nailed about 200 this year. I believe my count is in the 125 range, and at least 20 of them were pointed out to me by Bill. I may have gotten more Hogfish, but that's because he is so focused on lobster. In fact, I've taken Hogfish right in front of him because he didn't notice them. So this year's hunting success was helped along by our friendship. I know I enjoyed hunting with him and we did have some great days in the water.

We had a great sail up the chain to Long Island, and we even caught a nice Mahi on the way. So here we are in civilization. We are now hearing ridiculous chatter on the VHF, and anchorages that are full of boats that are too close. The VHF carries the conversations indicating that there are a lot of cruisers out there that need help...in just about everything they do. Too many cruisers are not self-reliant. There are some real idiots out there. Oh my, am I showing my disdain for that type of cruiser? Yes, I've lost patience with them. People who are going to try cruising should find a mentor, not just take off and expect cruisers they don't know to look after them.


Lots of meat on the Mahi


OK, I'm now off my soapbox. We will get a few items here in Thompson Bay, enjoy some meals at Long Island Breeze, do a thousand loads of laundry, and refuel before leaving for...maybe Cat Island, but I'll let you know because we're not done yet...it's only March 13.

More later...