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After just about an hour’s cruise from
Bluefield, we arrived on the west side of Garbutt Cay, and
anchored in about 20 feet of water. It was so still, and
the water so calm, that we opted for an early afternoon swim
and a few cold Lighthouse beers.
About the time we were out of the water
and suitably dressed, a catamaran bearing a family of 7 and
a Texas flag where the US flag should be came right up
beside us to anchor for the evening, launching the kids in a
kayak and the parents in the dinghy to go fishing.
We saw a few people on the cay, and as
you can see by the pilings in the photo below, determined
that they had been sent to clear the island and protect its
shoreline. The cruising guide spoke of a few fish camps on
the cays, and apparently this was one of them. We dinghied
over on the off chance we might be able to buy any spare
gasoline they might have, but their spokesman told us that
gas was available on Tobacco Cay, some 7 miles away. When
Ole noticed the size of their knives, we introduced
ourselves, asked for their names, smiled, and used the fumes
in the dinghy’s gas tank to zip smartly back to the boat.
This was perhaps the quietest anchorage
we’ve had so far – with little to no wind and therefore no
current, and both of us slept like rocks.
This morning, we got up at a fairly
civilized 7:30 a.m., read and wrote for a bit, then took the
best shower available on the planet – on the swim step,
after the Texans had left. I think the “glee” factor is
warming up.
We’re leaving this morning, skipping
Tobacco Cay, and heading straight for Southwater Cay, which
is a sand island that lies directly on the barrier reef. In
terms of the mangrove cays, we’ve now been there, done that,
and are looking forward to some good snorkeling.
Here are pictures of Garbutt Cay.
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