Stomping Grounds
Calm waters
It was great to be back in our favorite islands for some quality time. It had been two years since we’ve been in the Ragged Islands and we were ready to make up for a lost season last year. We were also happy to catch up with many of our fellow cruising buddies.
Our first visit was from John & Barbara on s/v Sam the Skull over a perfect sunset. We quickly caught up and then made some cunning plans for exploring, fishing and beach walking.
Paddle boarding
Mark & Barbara even had a paddle board in the calm weather.
We had bought two inflatable, used paddle boards last summer to see if we liked using them.
Unfortunately, one of them blew out as soon as it was blown up. Oh well…
Next, m/v Como No (formerly Magic) anchored nearby on its maiden voyage. Will and Rita had daughter Sonya visiting for the month and we stretched our legs each morning over several miles of beach.
m/v Como No
We had an interesting experience on one of our walks when the dinghy went on walkabout. Sonya and I swam for it, but soon realized that this is NEVER a good idea, since it was moving with the wind at least as fast as we could swim!
Fortunately, it was blowing into the anchorage and our shouts soon brought Mark to the rescue for a tow. Turns out that the anchor was still on the beach, with a knot gone loose, which explains why it wasn’t resetting in the sand.
Dinghy rescue
Soon thereafter, Elpis caught up with us… just in time for Laura’s birthday!
We celebrated with my favorite lobster pasta in tomato cream sauce and chocolate cake.
Like us, they were ready to finally put some of the boat projects aside to slow down and chill.
Mark, Dustin and Laura made quick work of catching dinners from the sea.
The weather stayed fairly moderate for a while for plenty of fishing, swimming and more hikes.
I was photographing, birding, snorkeling and hiking each day for my daily dose of nature. I was happy to find several duck families on one of the salt ponds in the area, as well as a few warblers and sandpipers… and goats, of course.
The more abundant bird life on another salt pond was all dried up, although I was happy to find a couple of clapper rails and plovers that I had historically found here.
Ironically, I was able to spot an oystercatcher on the shore while snorkeling.
Having been away from any for supplies for a a couple of months, I went into cruiser cooking mode making homemade yogurt, granola, bread, pizzas, you name it.
Missing bagels? Easy, just mix, boil and bake them!
Craving hamburger & sweet potato fries?? Yep, you can make it all from scratch!!
Kefir grains
I got some kefir grains from fellow cruisers Fred and Ingrid on s/v Gizmo and love the flavor for yogurt.
They are crazy little microbiological complexes that proliferate and ferment milk into a tart yogurt, perfect with granola and blueberries (stocked up in the freezer).
A few observations on the Raggeds after being absent for a while… the sea life did seem to be depleted from years’ past. We arrived later in the season (January) and noticed that lobster and conch were not very abundant. Fish in particular were much less abundant, including lion fish (this is at least a good thing). It’s uncertain whether the apparent change is coming from fishing or environmental pressures.
The sailing has been wonderful. With steady winds and smooth waters on the banks, we love to set off upwind to the next island, tacking close-hauled, loving the new sails and daggerboards.
Sailing close-hauled
Lastly, the anchorages were much more crowded than in the past decade. This is not normally an issue, since you can move if you want some privacy and move back into the crowds if you are feeling social. However, it can be an issue in cold fronts with limited protected anchorage space for west winds, for example. Overall, we prefer remote cruising to be uncrowded, natural/wild and laid back.
Windward beach
By this time, Clark and Michelle on m/v Roam had been in the area and we were able to get together for Michelle’s birthday… and another chocolate cake (with ice cream)!! Soon, we started scheming up more plans to visit some new islands.
Planning session
Mark and I have been wanting to explore some of the Bahamas out-islands over the years, yet weather and other circumstances hadn’t cooperated in the past. We were ready to do some exploring, so Elpis, Roam and Reach set off, heading east…
Elpis, Roam & Reach