We had an easy two day journey from the Abacos down to Eleuthera with some delightful downwind sailing. Always great when we can travel faster with the wind than we can with the engine!
Eleuthera was just a stop over enroute to Cat Island. We did pass right by the area of Anne’s attack a year ago. It was sobering to see the area and remember that frightening event. SO grateful to have survived that experience! No dog bites this year, but we did get attacked by no-see-ums one night, suffering dozens of bites since they slipped through the screens and bit without awakening us. After a few days transiting Eleuthera, we had an easy motor down to Cat Island.
Cat Island is a little off the beaten path in the central Bahamas, and we were delighted to get there. We spent about a week exploring the island from various anchorages, allowing the wind to dictate the most comfortable spots to overnight. We found delicious seafood at small roadside restaurants, took some lovely beach strolls, and explored creeks with small sharks, rays and turtles.
On one of our creek explorations, Jim managed to suck too much sand into the dinghy outboard — always a risk in shallow areas. Jim got to do a field repair! Stressful to be managing small parts of an engine (the bolts especially) over the water. It was very satisfying when the repair went to plan and our dinghy was back in action. We even got to use the syringe from our medical kit to push water through the system, forcing the sand out.
One highlight of Cat Island was our visit to the Hermitage. At 206 feet, it sits on the highest point in the Bahamas. Having grown up in the Bahamas, Father Jerome returned in 1939 from Australia to build a solitary monastery. He was a trained architect and had already built many churches. This was his final project, and he hauled limestone and cement up the hill for the entire project. He lived here in solitude until 1956 and is buried beneath the floor of the chapel. For quite a while, we had the place to ourselves to explore.
We enjoyed the chance to spend a bit of time exploring Cat Island with its beautiful beaches and friendly people. This period of calm and beauty has stood in contrast with the unrest happening in our hometown. Hearing from friends in Minneapolis makes us reflect on the values of Minnesota and our community. Although we are grateful to enjoy the Bahamas, we are also proud to call ourselves Minnesotans.