The anchor was up by 0730 and we were motoring, with some regret, toward Indian Head, leaving Thompson Bay behind. We really enjoyed Long Island and would like to go back some day. Rounding the point we raised the main and jib and brought out the camera. Three other boats were also leaving under sail, so we captured some good shots to share.
Northeast wind filled the sails nicely for our Westward trip. For the first time we were going with the trade winds. At 1026 we slowed to reel in a maceral on the hand line. He was a good size for eating, but we lost him overboard when transferring him into a pot that was too small. Unfortunately, this was after we had fed him some rum to knock him out. Some shark will be enjoying him for dinner rather than us. Although we put the hand line back in the water, we didn’t get any other bites before
reeling it back in at Pigeon Cay where the protected – no fishing zone starts around Georgetown.
Beth made sandwiches for lunch. Shortly thereafter we furled the genoa and headed in through Hog Cay cut at slack tide with a following sea. Much more comfortable than when we left through this same cut a week ago. We reported the good news about conditions to the crew of Born to Cruise who was following about 45 minutes behind us. They had picked up a Canadian Couple that needed a ride to Georgetown to see mutual friends on Jocks Lodge, another boat from NW Creek in New Bern.
As we passed between the reefs into Elizabeth Harbour, the view was a forest of masts. I don’t know how many boats have arrived in the last week, but it took us quite a while to find a spot to anchor. Thinking we had plenty of clearance, we checked with the boats around us to see what kind of scope they had out (that is the length of chain deployed compared to the water depth) and to ask them if they were comfortable with the spacing as a courtesy. The neighbors thought it was fine. It must have
been, because four more boats anchored around us before sunset.
The radio waves were alive again as the constant chatter between boats in all the anchorages reminded us where we were. Three boaters reported that their inflatable dinghies had been vandalized while at Volleyball Beach late this afternoon. All had been punctured; one had ten holes puncturing the tubes around the seams. This is the first case of vandalisim we’ve heard of in the Exumas. With the 15-20 kt winds and lots of chop in the harbor we had decided not to go to the beach this afternoon and are now glad of that decision. Everyone is now tuned into the problem and we hope for no repeats.
Lots of fun events coming up this week with the start of the Georgetown Cruiser’s Regatta. We plan to stay through Friday for Children’s Day and then see what the weather is like for passages north.