We left Staniel in what feels like was a previous lifetime, but in actual fact was… maybe five days ago? Wowza! The days are long and packed, and we pivot between activities so frequently they often seem to multiple within themselves.
Our first stop was Galliot Cay after a really nice afternoon sail on the bank. Our plan was to leave quite early that morning and make it further south to Rudder Cay, but one of our own needed some engine help, and the engineer among us was dispatched to work, while the rest of waited and enjoyed an easy morning aboard and wifi enough to ‘get to school’ for the girls and to ‘get to work’ for us.
We hadn’t been to Galliot before, and as soon as the anchor was set, we threw our snorkel gear into the dinghy and went for a nice drift snorkel around a nearby island. Not a ton to see fish-wise, but the coral was abundant, which is always a promising and comforting sight.
The next morning we decided to head out quite early to get offshore for our long southbound day, and were immediately deterred by the steep seas banging around in the cut; the tidal current meeting the wind made for an experience that was too much for Chickadee, and most importantly the dinghy, clanging around in the davits with excessive force from the drops. (Not to mention my piping hot, full first cup of coffee that was thrown from the cockpit table and sloshed on every surface nearby. Boo hiss.) We turned around and headed south on the bank side, and planned to wait for slack water to attempt a different cut. Rudder Cay it was after all!
We dropped anchor, had breakfast, and by that time one of our buddy boats had appeared, so we had some play time with them before our noontime, slack water departure. We snorkeled at David Copperfield’s sunken ‘mermaid playing a piano sculpture’ (he owns nearby Musha Cay, and likely sunk the piano next door to avoid throngs of curious snorkelers in his ‘front yard’), and again around a small island bluff that was rife with activity. Shortly after our arrival we had a warning from fellow snorkelers about an increasingly aggressive reef shark. (We didn’t stay long enough to learn more!)
A couple of long days ‘on the outside’ later, a beautiful and quiet anchorage in between, and once again a big zilch on the mahi front, we made it to Georgetown. I find this place bittersweet in a lot of ways. Sweet because the kids have multiple avenues in which to meet new friends- beachside gatherings, tree swings, beach volleyball courts, or just poking around the neighborhood (anchorage), bitter because it’s likely our southernmost point before we turn around to head slowly for the barn. (I say likely because once again we find ourselves poised and eager to find a window to get out to Conception Island for a night or two, but don’t yet know if it’ll be possible.) Sweet because the grocery store here is abundant with a wide variety of produce and cheeses (mmm, CHEEEESE), but overwhelming because there are SO many boats here. I love meeting new people, and of course there is a very common thread here to pull us all together, but ultimately for me, it’s a lot, and I look forward to the cozy stillness of the boat even more each day that passes.
We have gotten off the boat, however, and spent one of our days here in the ‘big city’. We busied ourselves with our various shore-based tasks while the kids named the local wildlife on the dinghy dock (the turtles were social, the pufferfish, less so, which is probably for the best). We then hit the straw market for some braids and gifts, had a delicious lunch ashore, and came back to Chat N’ Chill, the afternoon boater hangout.
The rhythms are familiar and relaxed but full of activity; the girls have spent hours stringing boats to boats to boats off the stern for balancing/gaming/who knows what kind of entertainment, we’ve hiked to the Monument and found our name in the sand below, hit up a kid’s birthday party on Flip Flop Beach, explored the ocean side beach, and read with our toes in the sand. Throw in schooling, work, hours of FaceTiming friends for the girls, the constant boat tidying tasks required, cooking delicious meals, sharing others with friends, the books that we’re all devouring, and it’s hard to believe that we’re only awake for 16 hours a day. (And it’s no wonder we crash earlier here than any land-based sleep routines.)
We’re gearing up to spend a lazy lunchtime at the Peace & Plenty beach bar/restaurant, where I’ll gladly sit in a lounge chair and read the day away while the kids bounce on the floating trampoline that may or may not be a huge draw for our group. (The ‘bar’ part is helpful, too.) Happy Sunday, all!
