Winter in the Raggeds
Dolphins!
Flame colors
We celebrated the New Year over a bonfire and dinner by head lamp… sometimes colorful thanks to Susan’s flame sticks.
Since then, we’ve had our fish dinner in foil packs over a beach fire many more times at various beach barbecues..
It is the perfect way to enjoy hogfish, over sliced potatoes and onions with herbs and a dash of hot sauce.
Reach & C_Language
The Ragged Islands are one of our Happy Places and we stayed here for 3 months this winter.
We enjoyed all of our favorite anchorages though the island chain. Each spot has its own charms and stunning views.
January was epic with temperate weather that allowed us to practically live in the water. The fishing and underwater photography were on!
Olympus E-PL2, 60mm macro lens in UW Housing with 2x macro converter wet lens
It wasn’t long after re-acquainting myself with my underwater photography rig that I added a 2x macro converter wet lens to test out.
This lens is attached on the outside of the housing with a lanyard, so it’s removable if need be.
This 2x macro converter adds magnification without changing the focusing distance (7.5”) of my macro lens (as opposed to a diopter, which adds magnification and increases focusing distance).
Goldentail moray eel
The ability to focus to infinity is removed, so this set-up has a limited focusing range now, from 7.5” at the closest to about 24” at the farthest. I need to really concentrate on pre-focusing (on my glove) to avoid auto-focus hunting.
The next challenge is find the subject in the frame and then get close enough not to spook it away.
Although challenging, it is very addictive to photograph in supermacro mode - beyond 1:1 macro of my 60mm lens (120mm full-frame equivalent). This rig is now 2:1 with the wet lens.
The Ragged Islands are an attraction for many like-minded cruisers, so we had a chance to meet up with several friends, some we hadn’t seen in around 10 years (!), plus meet several new friends!
Happy hours on the beach started with a handful of boats. Then the circle grew (literally) over the weeks until it got downright crowded.
Crescent moon
The nice thing around there is that you can choose to anchor remotely for some alone-time and take in the natural beauty…
… or go the the islands known for socializing if you want to see people… that is, unless the weather dictates your anchorage for you!
The other special part of being here is the hospitality of the small settlement in Duncantown. We love seeing Maxine each visit and have mad respect for their rugged way of life in remote islands. Her annual party was a success and Edward made a guest visit.
Weather dictates everything in winter. It can be harsh and windy. We took advantage of a short window to move and sailed off to explore some other Bahama out-islands that we haven’t been to yet... even farther south, to welcome in Spring.
Sunset in the Raggeds