SUMMER BREEZE: May 16 - 19, Gillam Bay, No Name Cay and on to Great Guana Cay

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Thursday, May 16

Today we walked over to Gillam Bay from the marina grounds, which is about a 15 minute walk. Boy we were glad to have not missed this little jewel of a beach. It is very long and winding around and we walked quite a bit down to get to an a perfect spot.

There were about 6 people out here in the 4 hours or so we spent there. Got some more sand dollars and sea biscuits. Conchs are hard to find. I keep thinking they must be about extinct since every restaurant serves up conch fritters, chowder, burgers or cracked.
I worry about that!

Sunset from the fly bridge.

Both photos taken at the same time.

Top view is from the aft of Summer Breeze and the bottom is from the bow. So many sunset colors to choose from!

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May 17, Friday

By 8:45, we left Black Sound at Green Turtle Cay traveling to No Name Cay around the corner to play with the pigs, which was 4 miles. They have a beautiful beach!

They come right up to you, not even waiting for us to get off the dock

We spared some precious asparagus and cherry tomatoes which they loved!

This large piggie mistook my finger for an asparagus!

We had the pig beach all to ourselves but as we were leaving, 3 boats with a party of 16 came in.

We could see Whale Cay Passage and noticed all the boat traffic in and out. Our intent was to anchor off Green Turtle Cay and leave early with hopefully milder seas and wind but we made the decision to go now instead of tomorrow. You want to choose the passage day carefully depending on wave height and wind direction. It is a cut between the reefs and cays out to the Atlantic Ocean and 2.15 miles around Whale Cay and back in at Great Guana Cay. Deep draft boats as ours can't go across the Sea of Abaco to Treasure Cay, Marsh Harbor and south without making this passage offshore.

Whale Cay from the ocean side.

The passage was fine! Because of the reefs and deep ocean water changing to shallower in the Sea of Abaco, it can get tricky. The reports said 3-4' seas and winds 12-14k but it was milder than that.

We settled in our anchorage in Fisher Bay at Great Guana Cay by 1 PM, deciding to chill a bit and turn the water maker on for the 1st time. Works great!

In the mean time, we had our FaceTime call with Bella and she is sick again. Last week, it was a double ear and eye infection. She has another vet appt today.
Apparently she ate something from the yard and got really sick and dehydrated. She had to have an IV!

And that is reason #10 zillion why she didn't come on this trip!

Later that afternoon, we dinghied up to shore where Grabbers Beach Bar is for dinner. We met Dennis (owner of Grabbers) and his dog on the dock. He told us stories of recent celebrities visiting them and about the leopard ray that has been around and sure enough, it came along!

View from the dock out to the anchorage. Summer Breeze is out there.

Now THIS is the BEST sunset photo yet!

From Grabbers Beach Bar

On our dinghy ride home, the almost full moon rising behind the beach bar

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May 18, Saturday

Checking the bottom, laundry day, then walk on the beach and Nippers for lunch.

A short walk across Guana Cay to the ocean side. WOW!

Nippers Beach Bar on the ocean

Full moon tonight!

There are some very large boats here. The one below is anchored close to us. Pipe Dreams, a for charter yacht which is 130' and $125,000 - $140,000/week.

See the slide down the side?

Another large yacht is also here, JoPaJu which is only 112' and $59,900/week. Oh, plus expenses, of course.

The sun kissed the sea tonight and we could hear many conchs blowing!

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May 19, Sunday

Sundays are famous at Guana Cay at both beach front bars/restaurants but mostly at Nippers. We met up with several other cruisers we had met and are also anchored in Fishers Bay. Nippers is famous for the Sunday pig roast but we didn't see anyone eating!