Mar. 30 Judy came by to play cards and tell us she had found a helper for the island.

Mar. 31 No Agenda had a big “Jimmy Buffet” party with about 20 people from the anchorage and lots of good food.

April 1-2 My leg got gradually better and I was able to kayak with Suzie and swim a little. John took Judy to the airport for her flight back to the States.

April 3 We had met a fun couple at the Buffet party and we invited them to go with us south to Black Point for pizza and to explore a new beach on Bitter Guana cay. He is Swiss and she is American and this is their first time cruising in the Bahamas. Our first stop was the north end of Bitter guana cay to see the iguanas nd feed them grapes. Gail was scared of them so Hans did all the feeding.  We then all walked around Black Point a bit and the went for a good pizza at Deshamon’s restaurant. After our leisurely lunch, we went back north to the new beach(to us) on the southern end of Bitter Guana cay. We walked and shelled a bit and had the place all to ourselves. The wind was calm enough so we could go out through a small cut and into the ocean side. As we went, we passed an osprey sitting up high on a big rock eating a fish. We could get quite close before he flew off. The water color on the ocean side was many shades of turquoise depending on the depth. Our new friends really liked the excursion and invited us back to their power catamaran for fudgey brownies and some red wine made with a hint of chocolate! This was a new taste sensation for us.

Nice rock on Bitter Guana cay with osprey nest at left

April 4 The weather was so nice and calm again that John and I decided togo exploring north this time. We took the dinghy to the west side of several cays and took photos of some big orange starfish. Then we anchored off of a big sandbar and had great luck collecting sand dollars and some other shells. Then we circumnavigated the cay nearby and worked our way home. It was nice being just out with John on our own exploring and enjoying the “neighborhood”.

nice big starfish

April 5 Now the wind had decided to come from the dreaded SW so the anchorage was very choppy. The mail boat came in and we had to go in and get some groceries. Luckily, we could go between the Majors (islands) over to Staniel without getting soaked. Mission accomplished and back to the mother ship safely.

April. 6 Our last official guests arrived on the morning flight. Wray and Sherry, the builders of our boat, were thrilled to be back in paradise. The wind was still from the W so we took them to Judy’s main beach that faces N and we were protected mostly from the wind and definitely from the chop. They enjoyed splashing in the turquoise water and siting on the beach and reading. John got to talk more to Judy’s new young caretaker and I read and swam.  It was a nice afternoon in the Bahamas!

April. 7 Overnight the wind switched to the NE which made the anchorage much calmer. We all went into Staniel for a community fund raising picnic. They were trying to raise money for a school field trip to the Abacos. There are only 13 students in the small school and they don’t get to go very far so it is educational to show them the different parts of their own country.  After lunch, Wray and I swam to the beach and John brought Sherry there. We all read and chatted and then rushed back to Windermere to get ready for the arrival of Joyant for cocktails and dinner. Joyant is owned by Tom and Dorothy Wadlow who we know from Mystic! they had just come back from Europe via the Caribbean and are on their way back home like us. We all had a delicious seafood pasta and good carrots made by Sherry before we headed to the beach for a bond fire with the gang. Susan from No Agenda brought smor’s makings. Many of us indulged and they brought back many childhood memories!

Dinner with Joyant and Wray and Sherry

April 8 Happy Easter! The wind was still howling from the NE so the men decided to work on our stereo system that wasn’t working right and do some other trouble shooting. Sherry and I read and stayed out of the way. We had our Easter ham dinner and played more cards. 

our techie, Wray, at work

April 9 Around lunchtime, our friend, Wolfie flew down with his Brazilian wife, Monica and his daughter and her boyfriend. We all had lunch at SCYC and then loaded into the dinghy to go snorkeling at Thunderball. When we got there, the boyfriend said he didn’t know how to swim very well! They current was running so we helped him go into the grotto and explore and come back out. Then we all piled into the dinghy again and went to the Fowl Cay cut for everyone to “fly” over the deep cut and look at all the fish. Back on the mother ship. Wray, Sherry, and the daughter jumped off the swim platform on the flying bridge which they loved. John took the gang back to the airport while Sherry and I got dinner ready.

feathery thingys in Thunderball

April 10 The wind was down so John took us to snorkel the Fowl Cay cut once more in better conditions. Wray and Sherry were happy to see a lion fish and I found a big King Helmet shell. It was alive so I put it back after showing it to them. Then John took the three of us out to Sandy Cay for a picnic and some beach combing. We had the place all to ourselves and Wray brought some Jimmy Buffet music to complete the atmosphere.

King Helmet

sunset over the Big Majors anchorage

April.11 John took  the guys to Staniel to look for conchs in the conch pile on the south side of the town.  I took Wray and Sherry snorkeling in the anchorage and we saw a Flying Gunard! This fish is very strange looking and not common. I didn’t have my camera but I am going back to see if I can find it again to get a photo. After that, Wray and I sat in the water and cleaned his new conchs while Sherry stared out at the beautiful scene in the anchorage. Back on the boat, they cleaned up and we had lunch before John took them to the airport. Now, we just enjoyed getting our boat back, played Biriba (John got an all time high score!!!) and having dinner and a movie.