Bahamas - Ragged Island, and Great Inagua

The days blend into each other. Boat chores, walks, snorkeling, boat improvements and maintenance.

Nicholas making a Fibre Glass Sheet for fillets for the new additional Solar Panels he’s installing.

All other yachts have departed to Hog Cay, and it’s only Sojourn and Meshugga in the Cut.

Full Moon rising on a perfect evening, with Sojourn

We had Karen and Duane of Sojourn over to Meshugga for dinner, and had a great evening. Thanks Karen for the lovely Spring Roll appetizers.

A rather large Front is passing over USA and impacting the Bahamas, which will bring Northerly winds even to us so far south in the Bahamas. Nicholas and I decided that we’d use those Northerlies and sail across to Great Inagua which lies SE of Little Ragged Island, about 140 miles, and a days sail. We left in the afternoon on Monday 9 Jan, and sailed overnight with a lovely NE breeze, so light that we only made 6 knots overnight increasing to 7-8 knots next day. The trip took us 23 hours.

We went directly to the southern coast of Great Inagua to Molasses Reef, and with the excellent weather, sunny and light NE breeze immediately went for a dive.

Nicholas was immediately rewarded with 3 large lobster each about 4 Lbs.

We stayed overnight on our anchorage at Molasses Reef and tried the same Coral Head in the morning, 

Superb clarity of water

Clouds rolling in

Rain squall in the distance

While snorkeling the clouds seemed to roll in and the wind had turned SE, but Nicholas was rewarded again with another 3 large Lobster, this time the largest being 5 Lb, and 17 inches

The wind increased, and resulted in a bit of a swell so we decided to motor round to the eastern side of Great Inagua to Matthew Town, and we headed into the Harbor and tied up between two jetties.

Ive been craving Asian Salad, and having no Cabbage aboard, I took a walk to the General Store

Along the way I passed this cute, colorful Restuarant 

Roadside Bar

Old Fort, all barricaded up

The Police Station

Back at Meshugga in her Slip.

The winds were predicted to go West at night, hence we’d tied to both sides of the jetties so Meshugga could ride the swells, as the harbor is open with no protection from the westerly winds and swell. The wind came through as predicted, but light (as predicted) and the swell was small. But still had disrupted sleep, as we were constantly up checking the swell and how Meshugga was fairing. By 7am, and with a rising wind and swell, we left the Harbor and again headed to the south coast, this time to a bay towards the eastern side of the south coast. 

Passing the Great Inagua Lighthouse

We checked with our friends who had been to Great Inagua, and seems that none had been into Lantern Head Bay before. However C-Maps, based on the Explorer Charts and AquaMaps, had a proven track into the bay through the coral bank. Four hours after leaving the Harbor, we entered the bay under motors with me standing up the Mast at boom height for extra visuals. We entered at high tide, at noon with good sunlight.

The initial entrance is a wide 200 ft gap, with 6-7 meters depth. Thereafter  the dangerous Coral Heads, two on Port and then one on Starboard were exactly where the Charts show them, and they were easy to see. FYI, C-Maps was the most accurate, but we had AquaMaps and Navionics also open as well for comparison.

We are now anchored in Lantern Bay Harbor. There is no development on the shores and we look forward to exploring.

The Front came through on Saturday night, and we had an Anchor Watch set, as it’s pitch dark with no lights ashore, and last thing we’d want is to drag onto the Reef and not even know that we are dragging….

The night passed uneventful with 20 knots NW wind, minor swell, and anchor holding perfectly. Today although sunny, a cold wind from the north is blowing. A day for lazing around, reading and watching TV, YouTube, and Movies and Reading.

Bahamas - Great Inagua

We left Man O War Bay at 6am, that was anchor and sails up!

No sooner than we cleared the bay Nicholas put the rods out and at Sun Up around 7am the first reel went.

A beautiful Mahi-Mahi.

 

The lighthouse at the South Western end of Acklins Island

As we rounded the Lighthouse we saw this huge 144 foot power boat, MV Magnet, which was anchored in the lee. We could not help wondering if it was a Russian Oligarchs Yacht…

Later in the day we caught a Bonito which Nicholas immediately threw back overboard. Lousy eating fish, and bleeds like a pig

Amazing sunset, and a big Green Dot too boot

At sunrise Thursday morning Nicholas put 2 rods out, and within 10 mins both rods were whining, unfortunately 1 strike got off, and the other broke the line. Assuming a pair of Mahi-Mahi. So Sad…….

About an hour later, glancing out the window I saw AlleyCat, Allan and Marita, our friends from Royal Cape Yacht Club, Cape Town, South Africa

They hung off Meshugga and said Hi.

Bahamas - Great Inagua, Farewell Sojourn

Tuesday was a work day. I cleaned, did 4 loads of laundry. Nicholas went for a dive to see what the bommies around our boat looked like. Karen of Sojourn came over to bake bread in our oven as theirs is on the blink.

A lovely Fan Coral

Lurking Baracuda

Another beautiful Fan Coral

Tubular coral

The calm waters behind Meshugga, in the distance you can see Nicholas

We were invited to Sojourn for a Farewell Dinner, I made Apple Crumble with creme, to take as dessert. Thanks Karen for the great dinner again.

A fab photo of us all. Who knows when and where we might see them again. We have Penny (Nicholas’ sister) and Mike (brother-in-law) arriving on Monday and winds will dictate where we go with them over the 3 1/2 week period they are on Meshugga. Fair winds to our good Friends!

Lovely shot of Duane and I

Bahamas - Great Inagua, Touring the Island

Karen made an arrangement with Henry to take us on a Tour of the Island, and so early Monday morning, with little wind we hoisted our StaSail, for which at long last the Roller Furler and Foils had been repaired, and then we used the StaSail to sail the few miles south to Matthew Town. We anchored just out of the Harbor.

We picked Duane and Karen up in the Dinghy and went ashore at the Harbor to meet Henry in his Bahamas National Trust vehicle, for whom he oversees the National Park daily.

Inside the SUV we were 3 up front and back

Once outside the town it was a well graded road that we traveled on to the Morton Salt Works

Henry explained the Salt process to us. Apparently next to each Salt Pan, and alongside the road, trenches are dug. These are then filled with Salt water, graded 3 - somehow the remove some of the water and concentrate the salt water

When deemed right, the sluice gates are opened and generators pump the water from the troughs into the Salt Pans

The Pan is left for 3 to 6 months, and they monitor the depth with strategically placed sticks with measurements marked on them. Some Pans and they get lower exhibit a pinkish color.

This Pan is almost ready for excavation

We stopped to watch the Salt gathering process. A Grader drives scraping up side mounds of Salt, like they do with snow

Then a machine drives over the mounds and sucks up the Salt simultaneously pouring it into dump trucks 

    

Karen picked up some Salt and you can see how coarse it is

Unfortunately the Morton Salt Works no longer allow tours inside the facility, so we drove around their fence peering in

This is fresh sea water and the clarity is amazing. Mangroves growing all around

 

The water flows into the Morton Plant and is used for the Salt Pans, and they make a very concentrated Salt water solution from this fresh water which is used to ‘wash’ the salt from the Pans prior to loading on the ships

Conveyor belt

Big ship, which loads via the conveyor belt in about 24 hours and then ships to the USA for final processing and packaging

Nicholas, Duane and Karen inspecting the water as it flows under the road into Mortons facility

Next on our Tour is to see the Flamingo birds, which is in the Inagua National Park. Here is Henry our Tour Guide

The roads in the National Park are far narrower than around the Salt Pans and we had trees slapping on and into the windows

Some of the scenery was Outlandish

And then we saw the Flamingoes

And more further along

And more again with the Salt works in the background

Unfortunately we came across a dead Flamingo in the road

We had to stop to gather some of the amazing colored feathers

After we left the Park we were amazed to see wild Cotton Plants on the side of the road. WOW

Driving through Matthew Town, this is the Police Station

The old Salt Warehouse

Immigration and Customs

Our next stop was at a small grocery store so that Jenny could buy cigarettes as she had 1 pack left….I bought bananas, and Karen a few fresh produce too

Our next stop is at the Great Inagua Lighthouse. Here Henry left us, this is him driving out

The Lighthouse was stunning 

And we had to climb to the top

Looking out of a picturesque window

The old Kerosene equipment which used to power the Light

The view from the top balcony walk around 

The top Lighthouse dome, Nicholas with the new electric Light

We’re all exhausted and we walked the 100m to the Lighthouse Restuarant for Rum Punches, Kalik, and Curried chicken with sides for lunch

Back aboard our boats, the anchorage at Matthew Town is horrible so we upped anchor and sailed north about 10 miles to the Man O War Bay

Another view of the loading of the Ship at Morton Salt Works