Thursday February 16, 2012 Sand, Sharks and Blue Holes

Anchorage at Devils and Hoffman Cays


Another little Beach Walker



 At 7:30am we re-anchored to 25 36.812 x 77 44.005 in 7.5-6.5 ft at pretty close to low tide. We bounced off the bottom a couple times and got stuck a couple times. Forward, reverse, neutral, pivot, forward, reverse, leave it in forward and plow a little through the sand. We did get free though and reanchored with an hour to spare before the low, low tide. Mary Clare radioed to see if we’d drug through the night and we filled her in about bouncing off the bottom (she’d been there and done that before too). After setting the hook, we finished our coffee to the sound of a sea bird chattering as it skimmed the water for its breakfast. It was actually pleasant to sit and listen to our wind generator humming along while having our coffee. The isolator that Wayne put on it makes all the difference in the world. I can hear it, just barely, in the back ground. It’s no longer a foreground noise that makes me grit my teeth.

Looking at my dodger window with the sun on it was blinding at times. Our boat is covered in salt crystals (we could use a fresh water rinse) and as the light refracts off the little crystals it’s like watching a twinkling display of dancing lights. I wiped some off on my finger to examine them more closely, then to taste them. Imagine that, salt crystals that taste like salt, captured from the water that we travel through… The taste reminded me that I was hungry so I went below to make a lazy omelet for breakfast.

For me a lazy omelet is basically chopping up onion, peppers and throwing them in a pan with sausage bits, then cracking open the eggs into the pan after the previous stuff has browned up and whisking them all together. Throw some cheese on top and wella! A lazy omelet…served up with some orange slices.

After breakfast it was time to get the dinghy down and see if we could get it running for a trip over to the blue hole. After several tries, it finally started up… hmmmm…then we (Azaya and us) dinghied over to WindQuest and Mad Dash to see if they’d like to join us for dinner over at Azaya to share in the lovely, but unknown, fish that we’d caught before we continued on to the beach and to the blue hole. We’re pretty sure it’s a Jack – that’s the closest we could come to matching it up.


The first Shark that came by us - not the one that headed right at me.

We found several conch shells, and lobster shells but none alive on our beach walk. There were a couple of beautiful red star fish and some lovely coral and sponges. We were about knee to groin deep wading in the water and Axel spotted a dark shadow swimming by him. Shark… It kept going though out around the tip of the island before I could get a picture. About 10 minutes later another one approached us. It was a dark bluish black and as it approached me and did a pass I could see its beady little eye. It decided to investigate me further and started heading right for me, speeding up, as I pointed my camera at it. It occurred to me that it was coming at me to fast, so I kicked out and yelled at it, ready to pound it on its snout. I guess my noisy attack mode toward it made it decide that I wasn’t an easy meal, definitely not prey, maybe a predator, so it took off at a fast clip. So much for a great picture, but at least I wasn’t its lunch… 

Axel, Mary, Me and Wayne on Little Canada AKA New Alaska

It was kinda neat to return and watch the little sand bar we’d dubbed little Canada last year sink back under the water as the tide rose. We dubbed it Alaska this year and exclaimed how global warming was claiming it as it disappeared below the waves (laughing). We hiked over to the blue hole and the cave then returned back to the beach to wander before heading back to the boats and getting ready for dinner aboard Azaya. Today actually felt like a decompression day for me and it feels like I’m back into cruising mode again in the Bahamas. It’s good to be able to shake off all the stress and leave it elsewhere. 

Dean's Blue Hole

I brought some spinach dip (sour cream, mayo, spinach, onion powder, water chestnuts) and dipping vegis along with a mango salsa (Sam’s Club – not as good as mine) over to Azaya’s and Axel and Mary had grilled the fish and made a salad. Carol & Jim brought a cheesy, vegi rice dish that was marvelous and Kathleen and Eric (Mad Dash) brought homemade chocolate chip/pecan cookies. We still don’t know what the fish was (I’m still thinking it’s a jack of some sort) but it was a delicious white meat that was sweet and firm… grilled and seasoned with lime – Mary and Axel did great justice to it. It was a wonderful meal and the company delightful. We matched up the constellations with Axel’s I-Phone and just enjoyed the evening and fellowship of the other sailors. Kathleen had taken some pictures of our anchorage from the top of her mast (Mad Dash) and had put together a slide show that she shared with us on her I-Pad. It was wonderfully set to the music of a group of talented singers – I wish I could remember the group’s name, unfortunately I can’t. It was so lovely to see the anchorage and our boats from the mast view of Mad Dash! They told us all to stop by in the morning for coffee and a tour of their boat but I believe we’re leaving in the morning for Frazer’s Hog Cay. I do hope we meet up with them again though!


Kolibrie, Mad Dash, Wind Quest and Azaya for Sundowners