This morning at high tide we moved from our sheltered inlet near the airstrip. Our goal was to move to a spot between
Big and Little Major Spot to ride out the western and northwestern winds in a less hemmed in spot. We motored around the
south end of Staniel Cay into strong winds and waves. However, we hadn't filled our ballast tanks and we were tossed
about like a cork on the water, with the waves hitting us at our sides. (Not sure how much less we would have been
tossed had we filled them.) We quickly opted for a small creek that runs from the town dock to Isles General Store. It
was full of small anchored motor boats and we pulled all the way to the head of the creek to stay out of their way. We
spent the day anchored there, and much of it high and dry as the tide ran out. It poured rain for a short while in the
morning, and we took advantage of it to sit out in the cockpit and rinse the salt from our hair. Garth took a full
shower complete with Dr. Bronner's soap. Isabel and Rose spent 5 hours doing 2 hours worth of schoolwork. (Rose swabbed
the deck during that time...amazing how appealing that activity became.) Finally, we were free to roam town. Before we
left, someone came to inform us that we would have to move when the tide came back up. The sun had come out, but the
wind was blowing fiercely at the docks of the Staniel Cay Yacht Club (where we stopped to fill two small gas cans). We
weren't looking forward to leaving our little hidey hole to go back out into the waves.
We got back to the boat around 4:00, as the tide was coming up. I (Lilly) made a quick dinner -- chicken coated in
pancake batter (quicky version of chicken fingers). They were passable. Around 5:00 we were high enough to move on. We
filled the ballast tanks this time. The short passage out and around Staniel to reach the anchorage between the two
Majors was much better than the morning trip. Isabel navigated letting us know where we were by GPS. The wind had
quieted and the waves were tolerable. We've found a lovely beach on Little Major Spot, a private island. We hope they
don't mind our intrusion. We're anchored a bit off the beach, so we're technically not tresspassing. The channel between
the Majors is packed with boats waiting out the fronts, so we have lots of neighbors, but no one tucked in near the
beach, like us. Night is falling. The wind is picking up again. We lucked out getting our calmer window.
Tomorrow, we hope to snorkel Thunderball again. And revisit Big Major Spot to see the pigs again and meet the goats,
which we hear live in caves and are more shy than the pigs.
We think we identified the mystery mullosc as a Triton's Trumpet. What a magnificent creature.
