After a not very restful night at Flamingo Cay we raised the anchor just after 7 to make our way south as far as Buenavista Cay. George had to close the hatches during a squall last night. At 4 am waves started slapping against the hull and the boat started rocking. We both thought it was due to the wake of a large boat moving very fast. The rocking never stopped, though, so it wasn't caused by a wake. The wind had shifted to the SE and waves were rolling in from the south.
After leaving the anchorage we had quite a wild ride sailing for the first hour. The wind was in the mid-teens, we were close hauled and heeled over at 20 degrees. That may not sound like much but when you are sitting on the boat it feels like a lot. After the squalls to our east passed by the wind dropped. We had to change course further into the wind so we dropped our sails and motored the rest of the way. There is a 20 mile stretch north of Nurse Cay that is either completely open to the Atlantic Ocean or protected by a few very small islands or reefs. The swell from the ocean can get quite large and hit the boat on the beam. It was definitely a bumpy ride through there, but I know it could be much worse. After our poor night's sleep, the wild sailing and bumpy ride north of Nurse Cay we decided to anchor at Buenavista Cay rather than going all the way to Ragged Island. We ate lunch then put the dinghy in the water to check out the reefs for snorkeling and take a short walk on the beach.
After leaving the anchorage we had quite a wild ride sailing for the first hour. The wind was in the mid-teens, we were close hauled and heeled over at 20 degrees. That may not sound like much but when you are sitting on the boat it feels like a lot. After the squalls to our east passed by the wind dropped. We had to change course further into the wind so we dropped our sails and motored the rest of the way. There is a 20 mile stretch north of Nurse Cay that is either completely open to the Atlantic Ocean or protected by a few very small islands or reefs. The swell from the ocean can get quite large and hit the boat on the beam. It was definitely a bumpy ride through there, but I know it could be much worse. After our poor night's sleep, the wild sailing and bumpy ride north of Nurse Cay we decided to anchor at Buenavista Cay rather than going all the way to Ragged Island. We ate lunch then put the dinghy in the water to check out the reefs for snorkeling and take a short walk on the beach.
So awesome!!! Definitely worth it!!!
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