After getting to White Cay (maybe more commonly called Hoffmans Cay, which is the larger Cay right here as well), we were ready to finally stop and relax a while. We had 5 other kid boats with us here, all part of the Berry Christmas group. Our first night in we got together for a fire on the beach which was really nice.
We initially anchored in the inner bay right in front of the lovely beach at White Cay. But our holding didn't seem super secure, and as it got windier and much more rolly with the swell coming in around White Cay, we decided to pick up anchor in the morning and move further in. This ended up being a good idea, and it was much calmer at the other anchorage.
I'm writing this a week later, and I don't entirely remember the exact days events, but I'll make note of a bunch of them here in point form:
- wired in a connection for a second folding solar panel, we can have 200 watts of panels on the foredeck now
- wonderful Christmas Eve dinner and presents on the boat, Aria got a new swing for on the boat, and a polorid printer for her new phone
- Christmas beach day with everyone and an exciting present for all the kids to open and play with on the beach
- really wonderful Christmas potluck dinner with everyone on Sprout (the boat), which is a very lovely (and large!) catamaran. It felt much less crowded than our boat, and there were 12 adults and 13 kids!
- we went with our friends to the Blue Hole on Hoffmans Cay and enjoyed an afternoon jumping and swimming in the hole
- wrapped our anchor rode around a large rock during a wind change, and with a bit of help managed to get it off, and re-anchored nearby but away from the rock
- snorkelling and some time on the beach, got the dingy out for a short sail
- anther fire on the beach and learned how to clean a conk, a very interesting creature
- wonderful dinner on our friends boat Atlas with conk fritters!
- installed another 50 watt fixed panel that sits on top of our starlink when we aren't using it, to provide even a bit more solar generation
- hermit crab races on the beach
- water top off from our friends here with water makers (thanks!)
This ended up being a great Christmas, and a wonderful break for us to just relax and settle in for a bit. But it's been a while now, and we do need to think about re-provisioning some, as we haven't been tied up anywhere or to a store in nearly a couple of weeks. And the winds are finally changing around and it's looking good for us to head out and head east finally. Lots more places to explore so I think it's finally time to move on.
