Bahamas - Ragged Islands, A trip to Duncan Town

Karen and Duane on SV Sojourn joined us on a trip into Duncan Town by dinghy. Our first stop was to give Maxine a gift of a new Electric Frying Pan and to do some shopping in her store. 

Maxine, me and Karen

Maxine has had a new sign put up on her store, as new Cruisers never know where to find her

Duane waiting outside for us girls to get our shopping done. I thought it a hoot that Maxine put chairs outside for Cruisers (men) to sit and rest whilst the women shop

Sasha a local Fisherman kindly gifted us with some Grouper Fillets, as we’d not yet caught any fish, and I’d asked Maxine to relay to the fishermen to stop by Meshugga if they’d caught fish that we could buy.

An obligatory walk around the village to see what has changed and possibly find one of the bars open for a welcoming cold Kalik

Some houses are still in ruin from Hurricane Irma 2017

Others are fully renovated or rebuilt

The Church is fully repaired

This is one of the two Bird Houses in Duncan Town. This one looks like it needs some repair

Goats, Houts and Locals

Overlooking the Salt Pans, which I understand they started reworking last year

We went to the Bone Fishing Lodge, hoping to find them open but no luck, locked, but through the windows looks like they are in business

Nicholas inspecting one of the Bone Fishing Boats

Jenny pinching flowers

Back to the Jetty, I’d telephoned Myron to tell him that we’d arrived and he met us at the jetty. We brought him 2 x 50 pound bags of Bird Seed. Myron raises Racing and Fancy pigeons which he sells mainly to Nassau, and we’d met him last year when we had a couple of Racing Pigeons stop to rest on Meshugga and refuse to leave. After a week of bird poop in our cockpit, I reached out to find someone (Myron) who could come and catch the bird and take care of it.

Catching up with Myron. In the background the building being build is the new Clinic. 

After a couple of hours of shopping, walking around the village, we were happy to see the Ponderosa Tavern Bar was open and Ty (Maxine’s son), served us with cold Kalik and other beers.

Back to the dinghy a fishing boat had come in with a huge load of Lobster. All the tails had been taken off, and apparently these are sold to Nassau, whilst the head go to the locals who strip out the meat from the head, legs and feelers

Back aboard our dinghy going thru the channel from Duncan Town to sea and onto Hog Cay, about a 2 mile journey. Me Duane, Nicholas, Jenny and Karen

Bahamas - Ragged Island, Hog Cay

 

We sailed from Flamingo to Hog Cay, going on the eastern side of the islands into the deep water trolling with the hope of catching a Mahi Mahi. We had NO luck. As we entered through the Racoon Cut from the seaward side to the shallow Bahamas Bank, we spotted SV Gemeaux. They were flying a drone and captured this excellent shot of Meshugga with all her sails up. Thanks Allen and Shiera!

Aboard Meshugga going thru the Cut

The photo we got of Gemeaux as we passed her.

Arriving at Hog Cay we went ashore to the Hut. It looked much the same as when we’d left it in July 2021, but we could see that Cruisers had already been ashore by the slight bit of mess and stuff lying around

All looking fine and ready for another year of Fun

We are the only yacht here and we sat ashore with drinks and enjoyed the sunset. Alas no Green Flash

A stunning sunset

Next day at Low Tide we went to collect Conch, and then into the Cut north of Hog Cay to hunt Lobster

Nicholas in the water, but no luck today

Jenny with the Lookie Bucket checking out the reef below

Bahamas - Ragged Islands, Flamingo Cay

A Happy New Year to all our Family and Friends!

We’d left Sand Dollar Beach on Stocking Island (opposite Georgetown) on the afternoon of the 31st December and so we had a quiet New Years Eve aboard Meshugga.

We’d decided on this as we are heading to the Ragged Islands and we need to go through Hog Cut, a very shallow Cut, which Meshugga can only get through on Spring High Tide, and that was at 7am on the morning of 1 January. Our alternative was to sail a further 40 miles to get around a headland.

Going thru the Cut, it looks fine but there is a Hard Bar where we float over with 6 inches under our Skegs!

A beautiful morning sunrise

Exiting the Cut, it’s 7am and a little chilly

Wreck on one of the islands as we passed

We went into the North Bay on Flamingo Cay, as a Southerly wind was forecast and it would give us a calm anchorage

Next day we went ashore to explore

Jenny took advantage of the sunny conditions to work on her never ending desire to tan as dark as possible

Nicholas and I took advantage of the shade of our new beach awing as we never sunbathe

Our new beach awning with Meshugga and the dinghy in the background in delightful North Bay

After a while it was time for some exercise and walked to the far end of the beach, and took the trail across the Cay to the western beaches. Along the way we passed a few ponds with bright red shrimp. Not worth trying to harvest them as they were only about 1 inch long

We dinghied around to the western side of Flamingo Cay to the Cave. I thought the tide was far to high to get in, but we all ducked and got in fine on the dinghy. Inside the Cay is shallow water with a few openings to let in sunlight. On previous visits we’ve climbed up to the opening you see below and it looks out over the island, with a pretty view.

Looking towards the seaward opening. You can see how low the roof rocks hang.

Nicholas quite pleased with himself that we made it in fine, just as he said we would.

Back out with the cave opening behind Nicholas

Jenny with the cave opening as we left

Next stop is the beach next to the cave on the western side of the island. A couple of years ago, when we stopped here, there was a new yacht wreck, with a racing yacht caught hard and fast on the side of the cliff on the southern side of the bay. Rumor is that it was a single hander whose anchor dragged and found himself stuck on the cliffs with his rigging caught in the cliff rocks. He was saved, but the yacht wrecked and over the past two years the sea has broken up the boat scattering debri on the shore and cliffs

Not sure what part of the yacht this is

Apart from the yacht wreck it’s a beautiful pristine beach

Jenny collecting shells

Another small beach with Meshugga’s mast in the background across the island in North Bay