Major Cay to Staniel Cay - Single Again

About 10:30 we weighed anchor to do 5 miles to Staniel Cay. The winds were strong from the south and the bay had many shallow and deep areas with the winds I wanted a Goldilock anchorage.  

Ronald from Subduction was anchored and trying to guide us to a good anchorage somewhat beside him.  It was a great anchorage. 

I dinghied Natalia to Staniel YC where we had our goodbyes and she left for the Airport.  

I walked around town and bought some fresh vegetables, butter and a dozen eggs. $39. Walked about 6 km. 

Had a BBQ pork chop at an outside stand. For $18 there was food for 2-3 meals. 

I came back to the boat and chatted with Ronald and his boat was a project boat without a motor. He was anchored too close to the channel and was at the mercy of the current.  I was going to help him at slack tide. 

Ronald had successfully moved the boat and canoed by at 16:40 to say the current subsided and he successfully moved the boat by himself. 

Captain Ron is a young German captain who has a 32-foot project sailboat single-handed without an engine.  He originally sailed a 27-foot boat from Europe to Mexico where it got stolen at gunpoint.  He had quite a 32 project boat and sailed from Mexico lost his mast, limped to Cuba, then to Florida then the Abacos and now in the Exumas.  All without a motor.  He had a canoe for a dinghy. He uses Open Captain for chart plotter but his GPS is now not working - probably corrosion on the USB connection. He has paper charts.  This young man’s got big ambitions.  Now Bellum looks like a super yacht. 

Compass Cay to Major Cay

 A short run of about 5 miles

Stupid mistake.  I was trying to take pictures of mast head and I crashed the drone.  Fortunately she fell on deck.  Broken gimbal. 

Arrived at Major Cay 5 ish, rushed to see the pigs. 

Natalia was eager to prepare the anchor for deployment 15 minute prior to arrival.  I said ‘not yet’ and her response was a sarcastic ‘whatever you say’.  

As previously, the pigs were aggressive.  I beached the dinghy to avoid what happened 3 years ago when we tried to feed the pigs from a dinghy. 

Nice sunset from the beach

Pasta supper.  Natalia was fed up with pork.  Lots of dislike on Bellum provisioning. We had left Miami 17 days ago and did minimal provisioning in Nassau 

Allen Cay to Compass Cay

Nice 5 hour sail on the outside in 8 to 12 knots winds abeam to close reach. 

4 hours motor sailing and 1 hour sailing 

Red route is the outside path

We walked around through some precarious foliage trying to get to Rachel’s bath. Natalia somehow lost on diving fin but found another one. 

We eventually got to Rachel’s bath by dinghy

Highbourne to Allen Cay

 After recovery of the Rocna anchor, we made a short hop of 5 miles to Allen Cay. 

Natalia swam to see the Iguanas on the island while I flew the drone and the. I swam to the island for a short visit. The last time I was here was 15 years ago.  

Supper was pork tenderloin with Basmati rice.