Exploration and A Stormy Return

Day Five in Our Adventure in the Bahamas

On Thursday we motored out toward Carter’s Cay, a few hours away. However, after reading what material we had about the place, elected to turn around and return to Great Sale Cay after a short distance. We chose a different anchorage this time, on the southwest side of the island, which protected us from the eastern wind that was blowing. Immediately upon dropping anchor, we went for a swim to cool off, and Mom cut the remaining resin out of Aaron’s hair.

Aaron and I took the dinghy and explored the cay. One sinuous path led to a concrete stairway that terminated in brush at the bottom and a shady platform at the top. On the platform was a stone obelisk with a large jar at its foot. We opened the jar, and found that it contained scrawled messages from those who had come before us, generally including their names, names of their vessels, and where they were from. We were disappointed to find the oldest one as being from 1999, but left our own message that directed anyone who read it to send us their money and their women. Our e-mail address was provided.

We slept well and woke up Friday morning to discover that Aaron’s favorite shorts had blown overboard during the night. I snorkeled on a search and recovery mission, and was fortunate enough to see them waving gently in the underwater currents some 30 feet from our boat. We weighed anchor and sailed for Florida.

Near nine o’clock Friday night, thunderclouds rolled in and surrounded us. Strokes of lightning came almost every second from all quarters in an astonishing display of natural power. As we cowered away from all things metal, the wind rose and rain started pelting our brave vessel. After about an hour or two, we passed through the worst of the storm, leaving it flashing in our wake.

We came in to the Fort Pierce Inlet about 8 a.m. Saturday morning, refueled and refreshed our water tanks, then anchored.

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