Duane and Karen picked me up, and Carol and Russ of Spirit joined us for a walk on the East side of Little Ragged Island.
I forgot to start my Apple Watch Outdoor Walk mode when we started the walk, so not too accurate, so it showed that I’d done 3.6 miles and burned 400 Calories.
Looking toward Lover’s Leap
I went ashore mid morning to burn our trash. Russ made a good fire which we all used.
Back on Meshugga Nicholas has been stripping out the TV wires from the KVH dome which he has already disconnected and removed, and then running new wires for our Starlink. So the cockpit and Salon is a mess with ceiling panels down and lockers unpacked as we pulled and fed cables.
Our band of boats have grown with 360 with Debs and Louis arriving, and Wasabi Sabi with Ally and Ryan and little Jellybean. We met both last season, so at Sundowners had much to catch up on.
The days blend into each other. It has been hot, humid and windlass, which has caused us not to go to the beach for Sundowners due to this voracious No-Seeums.
One evening we went to Sojourn for drinks, thanks Karen and Duane for the snacks and company.
En-route we saw a small shark in the shallows, hunting for a meal.
Sunset was superb. Nice to get a photo of Meshugga with the Sun setting
Nicholas made us laugh, with the KVH Dome on his head, which Duane was looking at, as to whether to use if for their intended Starlink dish.
With Christmas approaching, I spent a morning making English Mince Pies. The first 12 were largely inhaled as they came out the oven
Two long days sailing. We left at 5am in the Dark from Black Point. With previous Tracks and Aqua Maps, we were confident of not encountering any unforeseen shoals. The day dawned long, and the wind did not fill in as anticipated, so we had to motor the entire day, arriving at Flamingo Cay at 7pm, to a barrage of 8 yachts anchored in Two Palm Bay. With no wind, and shallow water over the bank, it was not for the feint hearted to see the bottom so clear and near.
Next day was a more leisurely departure at 7.30am, and we headed out through the Cut into the Exuma Sound and motor Sailed south to the end of the Raggeds Chain of Islands. As we approached Little Ragged Island from the North, one Fishing Reel screamed, and we had a good sized Mahi Mahi on the hook.
I was busy on the motor and helm, turning Meshugga into the wind to slow us down, and had not had time to reel in the other 3 rods. So Nicholas did that after catching the Mahi Mahi, and found that one Reel, had payed out about 1 km of line. It was a 15 minute slog, to reel in all that line, and on the end of it was a much exhausted, dead Baracuda.
Looking from the Exuma Sound to the South Side anchorage
Rounding south around Little Ragged and then 2 miles north in the Lee of the islands into the South Side Cut. The spot we like to Dive on in settled weather.
With a Flood tide we made it easily through the Cut into the Anchorage, and Nicholas gutted the Mahi Mahi, and I made fast work filleting it for Pickled Fish.
A short trip ashore to say hello to Sojourn, Blue Jacket and Bedouin, but the No-Seeums were so bad that the shore visit was cut short.
Duane and Karen of Sojourn came back to Meshugga for a catch up, and it was great to chat with them.
Being the Winter Solstice, after our super dive we invited all the yachts (DragonFly with Chris had arrived in the morning, so we now had 5 yachts in our anchorage), to Meshugga for drinks and snacks as with the light southerly winds the shore would be rife with No-Seeums. A great get together and catchup with everyone.
Donna and Jerry on BlueJacket, Chris and Mandy on Bedouin, Duane and Karen on Sojourn, and Chris on DragonFly.
First Day, we motor sailed across the bank, through Current Cut (and caught the tide at Slack Water).
Then into the Exuma Sound and arrived at sunset to go through the cut north of Shroud Cay - Wax Cay Cut, (catching a Flood Tide) anchoring in the shallow just out of the channel.
Second Day, we exited Wax Cay Cut (catching the tide at Ebb), and continued motor sailing south in the Sound to again enter a cut onto the bank at the north of Great Guana, Dotham Cut.
We anchored at Black Point, abeam Lorraine’s Restuarant. As this was a short day sail, and we went ashore for a late lunch and drinks.
So we went next door to the BLYC (Black Point Yacht Club), which was lively with a charter boat clients all having lunch.
The last few weeks have been quiet, Working on Meshugga, shopping, laundry, cleaning. Normal boat stuff. Very serene. Until…… Easter Sunday,...
