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Jumpin’ Jumentos! – Flamingo Cay Bight

Flamingo Cay bight- very protected from SE winds. You can barely see two sails off in the distance

Flamingo Cay bight- very protected from SE winds. You can barely see two sails off in the distance

Tuesday morning the “weather service deprived” vessel s/v Ortolan did a no-no; we asked another boat for a weather update. This is a request for that morning’s Chris Parker report on SSB which is heard on different frequencies at early morning hours such as 6:30 or 7am.  I won’t go into our convoluted and sorry tale of SSB receiver shenanigans two years ago, but let’s say that we aren’t without it for lack of trying, really, really hard.

We knew when we came down that we’d need to make this request once or twice and hoped that we wouldn’t be banished from the community because we needed a weather report. Fortunately, catamarans are well represented in the Jumentos and well, maybe a fellow cat would look more kindly on our request.

Umm, now who could that be since we didn’t really know any of the boats anchored at Water Cay. How about the cat in kilts, Sam the Skull?  We’d spoken briefly already and in this world that’s a great start. Of course he gave us the update. Of course he wanted to know if we were a Seawind. Of course we had to say we were a Maine Cat 41- but that’s ok. We agreed to meet up again in George Town and “talk catamarans.”

The forecast contained a few more days of basically SE 10-14, perfect for one or two more days and then return to Elizabeth Harbor. We are dangerously close to being in a condition of “heading north” given that we have gone as far south as we will go. Technically, once we leave the Jumentos we are heading back, but let’s blur the lines and not use those words just yet.

Vessel and crew enjoyed a pleasant sail 14nm to Flamingo Cay. Flamingo is shorter but fatter than Water Cay with an ample deep notch or bight at its north end; great place to anchor when the wind lacks a northerly component. S/v Free Bird had the choice spot right off the beach and we anchored a respectful distance away. Joanne and John greeted us via kayak and gave us the low-down on paths and snorkeling. I can’t be positive but I think Free Bird helped us back in Oct 2010 during our first lock experience at the Great Bridge Lock.

Getting ourselves ready and the dinghy launched seemed to take forever, but we wasted no time in getting ourselves to the beach.

The rest of this plane was in the water nearby but not much remained

The rest of this plane was in the water nearby but not much remained

Shells were in short supply but I picked up a huge purple sea fan; a perfect land-home decoration or a strainer in a pinch 🙂

The largest sea fan I've seen and being purple I had to have it

The largest sea fan I’ve seen and being purple I had to have it (note you can see bottom in 12ft of water)

A path of sorts- most of it requiring a youthful dose of balance on wobbly iron-shore boulders over to the ocean side where we were surprised to find shrub and grass-covered rolling hills. Maybe not equal to what you are picturing in your mind, but for the Bahamas, a reasonable facsimile.

I nearly ruined my sandals for this view

I nearly ruined my sandals for this view

Over at the west end of the beach was a path over to the anchorage and beach on the Cay’s west side. Free Bird told us we find several large ponds with red shrimp along the way. Apparently red shrimp are the diet of the pink flamingos who no longer reside on Flamingo Cay… or so my research indicates.

Paths are usually marked in a similar fashion; with sandals, cairns or plastic bottles and floats hung from branches

Paths are usually marked in a similar fashion; with sandals, cairns or plastic bottles and floats hung from branches

This path was well marked with cairns and flip flops

This path was well-marked with cairns and flip-flops

 

The ocean-fed red shrimp holes- the distant one was loaded, not so much the others

The ocean-fed red shrimp holes- the distant one was loaded, not so much the others

 

The sun did not co-operate for a decent photo of the red shrimp

The sun did not co-operate for a decent photo of the red shrimp

By afternoon we’d packed in beach and path walking twice, snorkeling (aka lobster hunting and where Russ was chased by a menacing barracuda) and make tentative plans with Free Bird to hunt for lobsters near the southern tip of Flamingo Cay. The wind picked up a bit which brought the nearby ocean waters in for an uncomfortable swell, so we opted to move over to the Two Palms anchorage on the west side, figuring the swell would be less. Stay tuned and find out.

 

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Beaches, Bars, Beans and Ballads

at conceptionFirst off- Happy 2014 everyone and may this be a happy, healthy and fun-filled year for all! Welcome! to our newest followers and thanks to all our fans who are along for the ride, for your silent support and your comments- knowing our blog isn’t just space dust makes it all worthwhile 🙂

While the title might make you wonder if we have channeled Jimmy Buffett, let me assure you this is not the case; it simply captures much of our escapades during the nine days since our surf & surf fest. While the 30nm trip to Long Island may be the seafood zone for the fishermen aboard, the beaches are my zone for beachcombing; primarily sea beans. Benj searched with gusto while I became the stooped old lady at the beach with my stick and bags. Two beaches in one day may have been a bit much for the guys but afterward I treated them to a quick stop at the local grocery where they could help pick up edible food, not just beach floaties.

The next day Benj and I headed to our third and last nearby beach- unfortunately with no photo taking device. We walked by several goats; we on the side of the road; they further into the bushes. In one clearing stood mama goat with her young kid along with a few hens pecking away. At electrical pole 108 we turned onto the path that leads to the beach; it was longer than I remembered, with an ever-changing terrain (none difficult) and Benj spotted a bird’s nest; the kind with the entrance near the bottom so that you fly up into this tiny cave of twigs. At the end of the path was the beach and better yet, a tall coconut palm with a few obviously recent drops.  The beachcomber turned right, the coconut crusader turned left with the day’s catch and proceeded to spend an unknown but huge amount of time prying the outer husk off the coconut inside, then cracking the nut open. This time should be known as The Stone Age, where the only tools are the jagged rocks at the north tip of the curved beach- and your hands and feet. This nut was not going to yield easily but once it was removed from the outer husk, then opening it was mandatory. Bashing it against the rocks did way more damage to the rocks than the coconut, so Benj pitched it against the side wall of a rocky cliff and boy did that rifle crack sound get my attention. The milk and a section got lost in the process but we brought the rest (that we didn’t eat then) back with us.

First found coconut-someone worked very hard to crack this nut

First found coconut-someone worked very hard to crack this nut

We strongly considered a trip to the northern Jumentos but that got nixed when the weather made other plans. Our backup plan was to sail out to Conception for a one night stay, fishing the way out and back where we’d be crossing many contour lines near the northern tip of Long Island at Cape Santa Maria. Our staging anchorage for the trip from Thompson Bay to Conception is Hog Cay; beautiful beach with clear water, lousy name. Last year tons of sunrise tellins littered the beach; not so much this year. The guys hunted unsuccessfully for those elusive lobsters but returned with two lionfish fillets; a present from Pat (the unofficial mayor of Joe’s Sound) who lives on his houseboat and is a skilled fisherman. I pan sautéed them in butter with a light dredge in flour as recommended by Pat. They were lovely and delicious as fish sandwiches; mild, white and a hint of sweet.

We became well acquainted with the old tune, “Da fish ain’t bitin’ today”; on the way to Conception we sailed an extra 9 nm just to fish and not a nibble we did get. Even on the way back- nadda – which was just as well; the swells were, ahem, generous and we were all happy to get into the lee of Long Island. On the return trip from Conception we stopped overnight at Hog Cay and the first order of business was to fix a problem with the port side toilet- ah that would be the guest toilet. More on that fun event later 🙂

The guys amused themselves on the beach while I beach combed at Conception

The guys amused themselves on the beach while I beach combed at Conception

Columbus monument (on right) on the north tip of Long Island

Columbus monument (on right) on the north tip of Long Island

Headed back to Thompson Bay the next day, roughly 22 nms of motoring into the wind and waves and making water. Although the average depth for the entire trip was 11ft we put those lines in any way.  Snagged two herring (maybe a Sand Diver)?

I think he's way too small for our big bucket

I think he’s way too small for our big bucket

One, Benj filleted and ate for lunch the next day and the other he cut up for bait. I did laundry at Long Island Breeze; more my area of expertise than filleting fish.

We reserved a rental car with Stanley Pinder for Saturday. He would drive the car down to LIB and pick us up. Friday night I was more than ready for someone else to prepare dinner and wash those dishes so we went in to the Breeze for a delicious meal of sautéed snapper (local), mashed potatoes and grilled veggies. Dessert too. With sunset still way too early, we were in by 6pm and the only ones in yet. Our younger family member suggested we eat at the bar; so we did. Michael was a fountain of Long Island knowledge and gave us all sorts of tips and places to stop at on our island tour the next day.