Jumentos, Bahamas

Funny how a couple of weeks just slip away onboard Persephone.  The weather here has been exceptional - for us that means the winds have stayed from an easterly direction and of course the sun is out.  Have you looked at an atlas and found the Ragged islands in the Bahamas?  These small islands offer anchorages with protection from wind and waves from easterly winds but we're exposed to the west.  The last time we were in the Jumentos we appreciated the isolation felt being the only boat anchored in the lee of an undeveloped, uninhabited island, hunting for food on the reefs loaded with fish and lobster.  This year we have joined a group of about 30 boats bopping from one small island to the next down here.  More boaters looking for that off the beaten path experience.  

Upon arrival at Hog Cay we joined a group headed in their dinghies for the 3 mile trip to town.  Duncantown School - enrollment: 9 - was having a fund raiser, a $10 lunch.   Chicken, coleslaw, conch & rice, mac & cheese and more.

If you were sitting at the table near the window, this is the view under the hurricane shutter and out to the ocean.

 The playground.......   

Just behind the playground there are salt flats that are still in use.  The flat land is flooded, it dries out, the salt remains to be harvested.  

A picture of Duncantown.........  
About 60 people reside here.   Most make their living on the water catching fish, lobster,  and conch.  

So, what do we do down here?  Jerry has been out in the dinghy with his buddy Jerry from Bluejacket.

    We've been eating a lot of seafood!

Boats anchored together = lots of visiting; onboard and at the beach.

Pot lucks........

Sing- a-longs.......  

Bocci......

And walks on the beach.

(which require walking sticks)   

and searching for "treasures" - sea glass and sea beans.

The ocean side of the islands are often all coral with a few patches of sand. 

  You can see where the water is shallow in the back of this last picture where the light blue shows up.

Best wishes & thanks to those of you who wrote a few lines of what’s going on at home.  Always love to hear from you.

Karen and Jerry

PS  Every morning we plug in our single-side band radio and listen to a guy in Florida who forecasts the weather from the east coast to the Virgin Islands and beyond for boaters.  Last week, we not only heard the forecast for our region but he also mentioned that the entire east coast had a big weather system that brought ice, snow, wind with record snowfalls to some regions.  Hope you are shoveled out and are enjoying clear skies and warmer temperatures this week!