Over the years we have had some interesting sailing experiences, some of them planned. Today has been one of the special ones.

Our Passage from Frazer’s Hog Cay to the Biminis takes us over the Great Bahama Bank, 70 miles of shallow, turquoise blue, crystal clear water. The weather was benign. We motored out of the narrow channel from our mooring, diverting slightly to take some photos of Tenacious in the early morning sunlight, and then heading along the cays to the North West Light.

It is unimpressive as a structure, but significant in that it marks the end of the deep water North West Passage and the beginning of the shallow bank. The bank is criss-crossed by routes used over the years by the mail boats and freighters and now also by pleasure craft.  We took the well used route to Gun Cay Cut, passing Russel Light, another steel pole with a solar panel and light on top.

It is unusual for us to run for mile after mile with only a couple of metres of water under the keel, making it hard to relax. Too shallow for any swell and today, with an ideal15knts from the south east, just a slight chop. The sun shone, the Aries steered a steady close reaching course and the miles slipped by.

Our objective for the day was the Mackie Shoal. If you are going to anchor for the night in the middle of nowhere then it is best to be away from the main routes and in as shallow water as possible. The small freighters that supply the islands run on autopilot through the night.

During the afternoon a small boat was behaving erratically in front of us. We watched it through the binoculars but it was hard to work out what they were doing and when they then started to head straight for us Kay even suspected piracy. No need to worry they were a couple of young Americans taking turns to dive with a hookah while attached to the boat with a length of rope looking for conch, lobsters, and crawfish. They came alongside and insisted on giving us a bag of crawfish for supper as it was the last day of the season for catching and eating them.

We anchored in our chosen spot, reflected on it being the first time we had anchored with no land or other boats in our 360° view to a distant horizon and then set up the barbeque and got the charcoal going. The split crawfish were soon sizzling after a squeeze of lime and a knob of butter. No need to worry about upsetting anyone with the music from our cockpit speakers. The nearest neighbours are over 40 miles away.

A dogfish took up residence under Moorglade and popped out to claim any tasty bits thrown overboard.

Supper of crawfish and salad followed by pork chop, broccoli and potatoes washed down by a bottle of Californian chardonnay was enjoyed as the sun set.

Total darkness enveloped us as we drank our coffee watching a freighter’s lights pass by some way to the south while  an electric storm lit our northern horizon.

We sailed away from England to have an adventure; this evening reminded us we are having one.

Tenacious at anchor                                                                                The North West Light

The conch fishers come alongside                                                                   Our bag of Crawfish

Anchoring on the Mackie Shoal in about 2.5m                                                  Getting the charcoal lit

Preparing  supper

and eating it - very tasty