Better late than never- Northbound Reiding Weeks 2023-03-02

Better late than never- Northbound Reiding Weeks

30 April 2023

23 46.30 'N:76 06.29'W

Northbound Reiding Weeks

We were sad to be leaving the Ragged Islands but it was time to start the northern migration. On March 18 and 19 we made thesalty passage northward to Georgetown, Exuma. Time to fly into action. Lots to do over the next few days before Ken and Janet Reid were due to arrive! Water, fuel, laundry (tons), groceries, more water, more groceries. Boat ripped apart, boat put back together! Now that we had successfully stashed all the provisions in new locations as we prepared the boat for the Reids arrival I was finding myself just a bit concerned we were not going to be able to find anything.

I visited the farmers market in Georgetown to pickup a hand of bananas. Who knew a bunch of bananas was called a hand of bananas? Not me, that's for sure. I thought it was funny, but the Bahamian fellows selling me the hand of bananas thought I was funnier for not knowing this useful information. They also sold $5 bags of the freshest arugula, so good, and it was still fresh after more than a week in the fridge!

We sure picked a good week to be hunkered down in Georgetown getting all of those chores done. The weather was horrible. On March 26 the skies cleared and warm weather returned as we welcomed Ken and Janet on board. We had planned a special Bahamian dinner for the first night. Cracked conch, with conch we had harvested and cleaned ourselves. It was delicious and we honestly didn't try to kill Ken but we sure took the wind out of his sails for a couple of days. And for his medical records, let it be known, he is allergic to conch and won't be eating it again!

We made our way north to Williams Cay where we found Cookie Monster, River Rat, Solaris and Sam the Skull in the anchorage. On March 29 we woke up to calm flat water meaning it would be a large water play day. We went south in the dinghies with Cookie Monster to windsock cay in the morning for some snorkelling. Then moved to the research center anchorage so we would have a shorter dinghy ride out to the elk horn reef in the afternoon. Paul and Ken took the dinghy, while Janet and I walked across the island to meet them. The elk horn reef did not disappoint. Ken got his 1st lobster, Paul got a lobster and Janet saw her first sharks, which made getting back into the dinghy much easier! We spent another two glorious sun filled days hiking, snorkelling, beach walking and swimming at Lee Stocking Island. The island dog, Chase, joined us for some of our adventures. He was loving the attention!

On April 1 we had a rolly ride in confused seas north to Blackpoint Settlement. We joined River Rat and New Horizons for dinner at Scorpios new waterfront restaurant. It is lovely but we sort of miss the old Scorpios. The new place just doesn't have the same vibe. The crews joined us back on 2 Outrageous for a good night rum. The island roosters put on a concert starting at 1AM and continued for the rest of the night. I was ready to strangle them! We decided to move to Bitter Guana Cay mostly to get away from the roosters but wow what a beautiful anchorage! We enjoyed hiking the island, the beaches and some more nearby snorkelling.

We had a great beam reach sail from Bitter Guana Cay to Rock Sound Eleuthera on April 4. The day was made even better by landing a beautiful Mahi Mahi enroute! That solved the dinner dilemma!

The next morning we walked to the inland ocean hole in Rock Sound, then headed further north to Goulding Cay. It was a nice day and a nice six-hour sail. Some dolphins showed up to play in our bow wake and entertain the crew. It doesn't get any better than that! We had a short rolly ride to current cut the next morning but once through the cut we had smooth fast sailing on the other side to Spanish Wells. We were anchored just outside the breakwall shortly after noon on April 6. This meant lots of time to head ashore and do some exploring before some afternoon cocktails at the Shipyard followed by happy hour and dinner at Wreckers. Paul really enjoyed his wrecker burger for dinner but Janet's pizza looked amazing.........good to know for the next time!

The next day we moved a short distance to the Egg Island anchorage and positioned ourselves for an early departure. We still had plenty of time to do some swimming, snorkelling, beach walking and exploring the mangrove creek before prepping the boat for passage. Motor up, dinghy on deck then dinner and an early night but not before witnessing the magic of squid lighting up the water around the boat like tiny green flames flickering all around us.

April 9 we had an early morning departure along with a parade of boats heading to Little Harbour, Abaco. It was fast rollicking sailing and 2 Outrageous was in fine form as we passed several boats including a couple of catamarans!

Ken had a Mahi hooked and up to the back of the boat until she jumped and spit the hook. Her mate was swimming around as well. These were both BIG fish! There was some talk that the crew was too efficient at slowing down the boat meaning the fish was reeled in to the boat before she was ready to come aboard. I'm not sure about that but I do know it was disappointing to lose the fish. What an amazing sight though, to see them both clearly at the surface of the water like that.

We had a bouncy ride through the Little Harbour Cut with breaking seas just to make things interesting. We got the hook down in the north anchorage at Lynard Cay just after 5pm. The crew was tired and ready for a cocktail, a good meal and some sleep!

The next day we had a lazy sail in light wind to Hopetown. We enjoyed the light wind and sunshine in the morning and good thing we did because just as forecasted the squalls, rain and high winds arrived in the late afternoon. Happy Easter! Our Easter dinner consisted of Grouper, orzo salad and steamed carrots...a fine feast! What Easter be without chocolate? Ours was Lindt chilli pepper chocolate enjoyed with the last of the red wine we have on board.

The next morning we battled the wind (20 to 30 knots ) and waves in the dinghy to Lighthouse Marina in Hopetown. Time to do some laundry! While I did Laundry Paul, Ken and Janet did a walkabout town.

We climbed the lighthouse then had a late lunch at Captain Jacks. Did some more walking about town then battled back through the wind and waves to 2 Outrageous where we spent a very windy, squally night.

The forecast was still looking pretty dismal for many days to come so the Reids decided to jump ship a couple of days early. They took the afternoon ferry from Hopetown to Marsh Harbour then to a hotel near the airport where they would spend a couple of nights before flying home to Kingston. What a fantastic time we had! Fantastic sailing, great snorkelling, hiking, fishing, hunting and we had amazing weather right up until the last couple of days so we can't complain about that.

end

Southward to Raggeds...40nm north of Cuba coastline

 Southward to Raggeds...40nm north of Cuba coastline

21 March 2023 | Jimento Cays and Ragged Island

Paul and Laurie Jones | Perfect...mostly

We spent a great week anchored in Thompson Bay, Long Island. The winds were howling but we were tucked in very close to shore and seemed to enjoy a completely different climate than the boats anchored out in the bay.

We enjoyed our happy hours at the Sou’ side Bar while chatting to owners, Vanessa and Tyrone, and sipping an ice cold Kalik. We met several friendly locals who were quick to introduce themselves and join the conversations.

The island has a great grocery store and hardware store both of which are easy walks from the dingy dock. Beside the grocery is a liquor store which has added a tiny bar on the side. They host happy hour events on Wednesday and Friday evenings at which time they serve two beers for $6, along with snacks and free shots. Needless to say, everyone attends, it is a great place to meet other cruisers and island residents. At one such event we met Roy and Louise from Ottawa who are building their winter home on the island. They invited us along with Jos and Erica from Endless Summer to join them the next evening at their home.

We rented a car with Jos and Erica to do some land exploring. I called it our wild life tour as we saw two wild boar, goats including two very tiny ones (umbilical cords still attached) and two pink flamingos! Tyrone from the Sou’ side bar had told us there were wild boars on the island but “you never see them”.

On Feb 12 we had a breezy departure from Long Island and a salty sail as we headed for Water Cay in the Jumentos. Bob and Diane, s/v Two of a Kind, arrived from Georgetown shortly after we dropped the anchor. We made plans to travel together the next day as far as Raccoon Cay.

We knew there was a high probability the anchorage was going to become pretty uncomfortable early the next morning as the wind was forecasted to switch to the west. There is no west protection at the Water Cay anchorage so we planned for an early departure. What we didn’t plan for was the squall that rocked our world at 04:00 just to get things going. The sun couldn’t come up quick enough for us to get the heck out of there. Anchors up and we were gone out the Water Cay cut to the ocean side as soon as it was light enough to see. No morning coffee, it was simply too rough! We anchored around 15:00 in Man o War Bay at Raccoon Cay right behind old friends on s/v Persephone, called out greetings to Jerry and Karen but we were pretty tired and did not plan to go to shore that afternoon.

The next morning we did some beachcombing with Bob and Diane before departing for Hog Cay Yacht Club, in the Ragged Islands. What a difference a day makes……we enjoyed a gentle sail to Hog Cay. We arrived to find about twenty or so boats in the anchorage. We were happy to see some of the usual gang and looked forward to reconnecting with them at the daily get togethers at the hut on the beach. As the week went on many more boats arrived and by Friday the count was 47. All were here to attend Maxine’s Valentine’s day party. Maxine owns the grocery store in Duncan Town on Ragged Island. Maxine along with some other local residents prepare food including curried goat, fried grouper, Bahamian mac n cheese, rice dishes and salad which they transport to Hog Cay to share with the cruising sailboats. Prior to the buffet style lunch, appetizers of conch fritters were served. I mean mounds and mounds of conch fritters! They were so good! After the lunch there is an auction where items donated by the cruising sailboats are auctioned off to the highest bidder. The money raised from the auction goes to support the local school. The Duncan Town school was destroyed by hurricane a few years ago and the new school is scheduled to open later this year. This year the auction raised $2300 for the school!

With so many boats in the anchorage we’ve found there are a few musicians. The jam sessions have been large, fun and taken me outside my comfort zone but in a good way. Our jam band included guitars, harmonicas, ukeleles, tambourines, shakers and even a trombone player!

Our friends Rick and Susan s/v C Language are here! Rick loves hunting as much as Paul does and Susan loves hiking as much as I do! We’ve slipped into the usual routine of the boys heading out in search of lobsters and Susan and I in search of beach treasure! Some of these hikes have turned into full day shifts of 8 or more hours. That usually finishes me off for the evening! Several of the cruisers maintain the trails on the island and have made new trail loops so it’s a hiker’s dream with lots of variety.

Cindy from m/v Bookend has taken it upon herself to teach Majong to several of us. I had never heard of the game before and thought I’d give it a try. Day one I was completely lost. The 2nd day I thought, ok it’s a little better but not sure it’s my thing. The 3rd lesson I thought, ok I get it now, still not sure it’s my thing but it was much more enjoyable. 4th time now I get it but not sure I could ever teach anyone else to play and I don’t even want to see how thick the instruction book is for that game!

We’ve done two bucket brigade laundry sessions since we’ve been here. There was no laundry at Long Island so it’s been a long time since we’ve done laundry! I can see why man invented the washing machine. But hey you do what you gotta do. As for the drying, well, there is lots of deck space to run clothesline around and no shortage of wind and sun to get that job done.

Maxine has been kind enough to bring groceries to Hog Cay to sell, saving us the dinghy trip to Duncan Town. We were able to purchase potatoes, onions, eggs, romaine lettuce and limes. She has also taken bread orders which will be a real treat later today when she delivers that fresh homemade bread.

We had planned to head north to Georgetown but a front was approaching so we took the decision to stay a little longer and moved a little further south to a very special anchorage in between Big Ragged and Little Ragged Island. We needed high tide to get in and out. There was plenty of room once inside the anchorage.

Our friends Greg and Glenda m/v Paradigm Shift (formerly s/v Ti Amo) arrived and kindly brought us some groceries and a few other items! s/v Bright Ayes and River Rat also arrived in the anchorage.

Bright Ayes got everyone playing early morning Bacci Ball, 08:30, just to get the days started! We had several pretty hot sunny days so playing early in the morning was a good idea!

Paradigm Shift hosted a really fun game night with the crews from Bright Ayes, River Rat and 2Outrageous. We had 2 game tables of Rummikub going. One for the boys and one for the girls. Lots of laughs!

After 38 days spent in the Ragged Islands it was finally time to head north to Georgetown! We had one long day of very salty sporty sailing, followed by a poor nights sleep in a rolly anchorage at Water Cay, followed by another long day of much more enjoyable sailing to finally arrive at Georgetown, Exuma.

We will spend a week here turning our two person 2 Outrageous into a four person boat. Our friends Ken and Janet Reid are flying in on March 26 to join us for a couple of weeks. I’m sure there will be some adventures to write about as we sail from the bottom of the Exuma chain north to the Abacos……

SHARKS aka “The Men in Grey Suits”

We and particularly me spend a lot of time in the water. I am most always on the prowl for food while Laurie enjoys the gentler aspect of snorkeling on pretty reefs in the sunlight with calm water and crystal (Gin) clear water. As such, many people ask us about sharks.

Firstly, there are sharks in the Bahamas, lots of sharks, many varieties, actually I believe all the sharks hang here with the exception of the Great White….

Nurse sharks abound and are friendly relatively harmless. We see them often and are of no concern.

This year I have had a few sightings of the more “real” variety. (Bull, Black Tip, White tip, Hammerhead) a.k.a “Sharky Sharks” These guys rarely if ever “attack” but I can assure you they can be intimidating to say the least. And they are plenty capable. Most always I spot them when hunting on the outer reefs, in cloudy and sometimes turbulent water.

The last couple of weeks down here have provided some up close and personal experiences for me in witnessing both “normal” and “abnormal” shark behaviour…

My fishing partner (Darcy from SV New Ambition…Saskatoon) and I had spent a couple of hours looking for prey in some challenging conditions when we decided to go to a spot I knew that would be calmer and clearer to check it out. Had not been there this season. We rolled out of the dingy into a crystal clear aquarium bustling with all manner of fish. I was just getting sorted out to start looking into the cracks and cervices for the elusive lobsta. I turned my head and saw one of the boys. Side profile about 30 feet away, minding his own business…or so I thought. (All of this happened over the course of a couple of minutes) Just as I was starting to backpedal towards my chum and dingy, the shark turned and began to swim directly at me! Well, that is not normal behaviour I thought. I had to gently poke him with my spear and redirect him away from me. It worked and off he went….for about 10 seconds when he turned again and repeated the drill! Now it was getting interesting. In true Canadian fashion, (don’t have to outrun the bear, just have to outrun you) I passed off the shark to my buddy while I got into the dingy. Darcy also had to fend the shark off and quickly jump into the dingy. Unnerving to say the least. The culprit we determined to be either a White tip reef shark (bad) or an Oceanic White Tip (worse) approximately 5 to 7 feet. Not sure what his intentions were but if it was to get us out of his house….it worked.

Over the next few days in various locations we saw Black Tip, Bull and Lemon sharks, all behaving normally, as in just kinda hanging out.

In the end, we are in the shark’s home, they are always around even if you cannot see them, and up close and personal encounters are rare and actual attacks almost unheard of.