Bahamas - Ragged Islands, Hog Cay, A New Connector Trail

Another day and another Trail Walk. We had heard the previous night at the Hut that Chris and Gosia of SV Alderbaron had cut and marked a new Trail. So we had to go and check it out.

The new Trail connects the Sojourn Trail to Lobster Bay, to an older Trail that crosses the island from Lobster Bay to the Bay overlooking the channel markers for Cut between Hog Cay and Ragged Island.

Along our Sojourn Trail, we stopped at the Lookout Point, it is just such a stunning view over Lobster Bay. 

Thanks Karen for the photo!

Arriving at the Channel Cut about 30 minutes later. In the distance in the photo you can see a ‘stick’ which is a channel marker for vessels using this Dog-Leg Cut to get from the Ocean onto the calm waters of the Bahamas Bank

The coast line after the bay above gets very rocky and there is no Trail, so we used another cross island Trail to get from Channel Bay to South Bay. However this Trail cuts across a Pan, which last year was dry. This year it’s filled with knee deep water and we had to walk across some very sharp rocks and through a lot of dry shrubbery to get around the Pan. There is no other route.

Across the Pan, its normal Trails, and well marked

South Bay is very shallow, and we were at Low tide

This lone Mangrove is trying its best to take hold in this shallow bay

Walking along the shoreline as it is low water

Another Trail and we’re across to Lobster Bay (remember the first photo overlooking this beautiful bay)

Along the way, in the shallows, we saw the biggest Pin Cushion Star Fish, I have ever seen. Only in a foot of water, my underwater camera could not pan out enough to get a photo of the whole starfish

Taken from above the water, we had to wait for the ripples to calm down to even get this clear a photo

Both Karen and I did not have a Clear picture of exactly where the New Connector Trail started and ended, so from Lobster Bay, we 

This is where the two Trails intersect, the Brown Rope shows the existing Trail across the island, and the Blue Rope is the direction of the New Connector Trail across to the Sojourn Trail

Once on the Connector Trail, it is wide open and direct, heading for the RHS of the rocks on the ridge in front 

Back across the Sojourn Trail, and down to our anchorage in Hogs Middle Bay

On Sunday afternoon, Raphael and his son Raphael came to visit. They had a boatload of Conch, which they cleaned as we all chatted, and a huge cooler box full of large Lobster

We have 28 yachts in the anchorage, most here as a strong NE wind is coming thru on Monday, and then I’m sure more yachts will arrive for Maxines Valentines Lunch which is on Saturday 19th.

With so many yachts, all going ashore to the Hut for sundowner drinks, we were happy to give the shore a miss, and enjoy the company of Karen and Duane for drinks aboard Sojourn.