March 8, 2022
Two nights was enough at Old Bahama Bay (although it was a nice and quiet little spot) and Monday morning after Jinhee had a call that she simply couldn’t miss, we took a slow and easy path to Mangrove Cay. Only about 24nm away, the hard part was crossing from the ocean onto the Grand Bahama Bank at Indian Rock. The entrance has no less than 7.5 feet of water at high tide, and no more than 10 feet. We need just about 6, so there was some clenching of buttocks during the two miles or so to get onto the bank. That is where the water opens right up to 12 feet deep and you can unclench. (Humour is intended there!)
We made it to Mangrove Cay without any issues (did I mention that our water pump doesn’t pump water without being goaded manually?), and anchored just off of the island. This is a tiny island in the middle of nowhere (North of Freeport if you are looking on a map) and there is nothing to see and nobody around. It was a bit windy but we enjoyed the peace and quiet. It is also an unusual stop for either of us because there is no sign of internet capability anywhere. It was a quiet night and we slept a LOT.
With big plans to anchor this evening near ‘Double Breasted Rocks’, just east of Grand Cay, we headed north east, but on arrival deemed the wind to be too strong and the anchorage too narrow for safety so we headed back south to Great Sale Cay and put down anchor for the night.
We snorkeled to the small beach which was given a 1/10 on the scale of beach awesomeness, and swam back to the boat just as quickly. This spot does have some internet access, and so this post is possible.
I was able to get the drone in the air as well today so without further ado . . . some photos.
After my issues with the fouled prop, we purchased a new toy. A battery powered diving apparatus that allows us to go down 30′ below the surface. This is our first use and we practiced on the surface to see how everything works. Pretty cool and takes up a lot less room than a dive tank. Next time I foul a prop, I will be able to get under the boat!
Now for dinner, wine and a good book! Oh and priming a pump to get the dishes done.
