Bahamas - Ragged Islands, Hog Cay, A new Walk, Conch Salad

We, Karen and Duane from Sojourn, and Mike, Penny and I set out to do a new walk cut and trail marked by Sam and Cindy of Bookend.

Mike, overlooking our anchorage 

Karen and Penny

Duane on the trail

Descending down to the Eastern windward beaches

The eastern beaches are mainly rocky and barren

Karen’s collection of Sea Glass

Walking the rocky shores

As we came over a ridge this beautiful of view of the bay below

Low tide

Juvenile Conch

Cute chap with his eyes poking out

Next day our morning activity was Conch Diving. We went to some islands about a mile from our anchorage and Nicholas and Mike dived, collecting 3 adult Conch

Mike and Penny on the dinghy on our way back to Meshugga

Coming up to the anchorage

Nicholas taking the Conch out of its’ shell

Mike then did the yucky job of cleaning the Conch

And Penny made the Conch Salad…Yum

Bahamas - Ragged islands, Little Ragged, Conch, Conch, Conch

Mike dived out a Conch, which he put it into the Freezer to try that method of taking the Conch out of the Shell. After 24 hours he let it partially defrost and then pulled the Conch out of the shell, and cleaned it

So we had 1 Conch…..

Roll on next day, and Mike, Penny and Jenny collected a further 3 adult flared Conch from the shallow flats at low tide. 

Here’s Mike cleaning the Conch the normal way, by knocking a hole in the shell, and cutting the Conch attachment point and pulling it out

Mike pulling the Conch out

The makeshift Conch cleaning station on the beach

Having gotten the Conch out, Mike did the messy, slimy task of cleaning the Conch

Back at Meshugga, Penny sliced the Conch and is hammering it with the Mallet to tenderize and thin the Conch slices

Jenny frying the battered Conch to make Cracked Conch

Bahamas - Ragged Islands, Little Ragged, Lobster hunting, Hotdog BBQ ashore

A stunning day, I did cleaning and stuff aboard, whilst Penny, Mike, Jenny and Nicholas went fishing in the Mangrove lagoon.

Nicholas and Mike Fishing the Lagoon

The poor little fish that was caught (and released)

Late afternoon the tide was high slack and Nicholas, Mike, Penny and I went to the inner reefs of the Cut for Mike and Nicholas to dive. I was Top Man.

Mike

Penny helping me keep watch on the the guys in the water

Nicholas dived out this beautiful Caribbean Whelk

Which we inspected, checked out the little animal therein, and he took it back down to it’s seabed

Nicholas back from diving, he had 3 good sized lobster for his hour dive

Back to Meshugga

I’d decided we should have an easy Hotdog BBQ dinner ashore, and invited all the yachts in the anchorage. I made a new recipe for Hotdog rolls, and am sorry I did not take a photo. They were superb! My best ever!

Nice photo of Karen

Nicholas and Karen are the pyromaniacs, and we had a great fire going for the hotdog sausages

Mike of SV?….And Guy of SV Breathless

Mike and Penny, Duane and Karen and Chris of SV DragonFly

Another stunning sunset, another great day in the Bahamas

Bahamas - Ragged Islands, Little Ragged Island, Hobie Sailing,

A couple of days ago we had a light wind day. We put the Hobie into the water. Here Mike is helping Nicholas step the mast and rig it. Both Jenny and Mike went with Nicholas for a sailing lesson

Mike getting sailing lessons.

Mike did well, and sailed solo for quite a long time, reaching up and down behind the 4 yachts here in our anchorage

Today is heavy winds, and Mike has gone out to sail by himself. About 20 mins later he flipped over

Nicholas went to right the Hobie, and Mike continued sailing, but about 5 mins later Mike had flipped over again. Nicholas went out again on the dinghy, and had Mike climb into the dinghy and then Nicholas jumped into the water with the Hobie and gave Mike a lesson on how to right a Hobie

Nicholas having righted the Hobie with Mike looking on

I think Mike had had enough after two flips, and he returned to Meshugga. Nicholas went for a little sail, this is Nicholas coming into Meshugga