Hog Cay to Raccoon Cay

At last the wind direction changed from north east to east and calmed down just a tad. By this time every cruiser was wondering what the weather was doing because the direction and speed of the wind is very different from what it normally is in April. It felt as though we are constantly seeking shelter from the next blow.

It was amazing to raise the sails and set out to a new destination. We didn’t plan on going far, since we still enjoyed the Ragged Islands and felt that there was still too much to see and do before really moving on. The first Cay that provided the shelter we needed for the next couple of days was Raccoon Cay which is a bout 10nm to the north of Hog Cay.

We anchored in Spanish Well Bay, went ashore and didn’t find any viable hiking routes. There were some inland ponds and a beacon of sorts on the hilltop. The brush was extremely thick and we didn’t feel the need to hike up the hill that badly-:) Again there were goats in abundance and they came onto the beach very regularly to graze, but we still couldn’t figure out what it was that they were eating amongst the flotsam.

House Bay with Pimlico Cay in the distance was just picture perfect. The waters crystal clear (as usual) and the ocean calm and relaxed with just a few lazy waves washing gently against the powder white beach.

We ran into a couple that we met the year before in Hog Cay and they were also just soaking in the beauty and tranquility of the surroundings as well as cleaning a few conchs for their trip the next day to Georgetown where they were supposed to meet some friends.

At the end of the bay were an old ruin which have been “decorated” with graffiti, so we walked up to inspect it and found wonderful views from the ruins. It reminded of some sort of fort to protect the entrance from the ocean via Man of War Cay since it is a deep water cut and unfriendly ships might have been able to enter the bay and then the Cays from the Atlantic ocean. On the south side of the Cay was another beautiful bay called Little Kiln Bay and we walked the length of that beach, before dipping into the lukewarm water and enjoying the calm, clear water. How refreshing to just fall down and soak in the absolutely gorgeous nature before just getting up and moving on again – absolute freedom!

The next day I caught a huge barracuda from the dingy, but after battling it for quite some time, it eventually (luckily) broke the line and got away. We snorkeled around the coral heads and saw many small fish, sea fans, soft corals and almost moss-like growth on the rocks. It was very pleasant but no fireworks. After exploring every bay and beach, we decided it was time to move on again.