Back in the Ragged's

 We made it down to the Ragged Islands in time for the Valentines Party.  It is one of our favorite places.

Our last two days in Blackpoint included a grand opening party for the new deck at Loorraine's Cafe.  We partied with a group of friends and met many other cruisers including JoDanna who is from Thief River Falls MN, just twenty miles from where I grew up in northwestern MN.  February 1st, Wednesday, we pulled anchor and made a short trip back up to Stanial Cay to top off the water and fuel.  We will be moving into a remote area and will not have access to either of these.  First we needed to be at Little Farmers Cay for the Five F's Festival.  We had a nice sail and dropped anchor off of Ty's Club which will be party central for the festival.  The Five F's (First Friday in February Family Festival) is an annual regatta of the Class C Bahamian Sloops.  It had been canceled the last three years so everyone was ready for a party. The boats and crews come from many islands and are accomplished sailors.  The boats are built in the tradition of the Bahamian fishing sloops and have a big sail requiring the crew to hike out on boards in order to keep the boat upright in the winds.  It is very entertaining.

The party started on Thursday with a Cruisers race that took place just off our stern which gave us an excellent opportunity to cheer on our favorites.  That was followed up by a party at the Yacht Club, yes, this little island has a yacht club.  The next morning the fleet arrived, some sailed in, some were towed and some were on the the supply boat.  The race is unique in that instead of the typical pre-race maneuvering these boats are anchored at the start line and at the whistle they haul in the anchor, once the anchor is on deck the sail can be raised and the race is on, Usually with a lot of confusion and bumping of boats and sails as they try to separate themselves from the confusion.  We take the dinghy to watch the start and then follow the fleet around the course which goes through the anchorage.  The finish line was just in front of Ty's so the crowd is able to watch.  There was another race in the afternoon.  There were about a hundred boat in several anchorages which means there were a lot of people for this small island and town.  It is the major event of the year so the restaurants and vendors are making the most of it.  It was a good time, the beer was cold, the food was good and we visited and met a lot of good people, locals and cruisers alike.  By Monday we were one of only ten boats still here.  We took the day off since the winds would not be favorable for the trip to the remote Jumentos.

Tuesday morning we pulled anchor as the sun was coming up and started off.  First we were motoring with almost no wind, slowly the winds built and we hoisted the sails and sailed while watching the skies as the dark clouds moved in.  Just as the winds switched from six knots to twenty we dropped the mainsail to keep the boat under control.  Once the front had passed we raised the sail and continued on under full sail.  Eventually the winds settled to around fifteen knots we dropped the main again and continued sailing with the headsail and the mizzen.  Our destination was Flamingo Key in the Jumentos and we expected to arrive around 9:00 pm, well after dark.  Since everything was going well we decided to continue on during the night.  About an hour after the sun set a big full moon rose in the east and we had plenty of light to sail on.  We arrived at our destination of Hog Island in the Ragged's about 2:00 am and dropped anchor off from the other boats.  In the morning we moved in closer to shore and have been here since.

It's been windy but the island blocks most of it and the shelter hut we hang out at is well protected so we seldom notice it.  One of the big drawbacks of the area is that there are very few places to go to get protection from west winds.  We had a blow forecast that called for the winds clocking from SW to W to NW then back to NE.  Most of the boats moved off to find protection but we chose to stay and ride it out.  The winds didn't blow from the SW very long before they made a fast switch to NW and blew in the 20's for most of the day causing the seas to get rough.  It wasn't any worse then some anchorages we have been in and the next day it was back to the NE and being blocked by the island.  The cruisers that come to the area and especially Hog Island have built a network of trails on the island and hiking across to the ocean beaches is a popular activity.  Once on the beach we start the search for sea beans and other interesting debris. Unfortunately the beaches have a lot of debris washed up on them with most of it plastic.  Evenings are spent with the cruisers gathering at the tiki hut for sundowners and to watch the sun go down watching for the elusive "green flash".  There are a number of other impromptu activities such as musicians bringing in their instruments and basket weaving classes.  I am on my third basket since arriving.

Saturday, the 18th was the day of the party.  Maxine, who runs the small grocery store on Ragged Island hosts a party for the cruisers and locals.  Sun shades are raised around the hut, people bring chairs, tables are set up and the food is brought over.  The food is precooked but heated over the firepit until time to eat.  I won't go into all of the food available but it is all typical Bahamian cuisine finished off with deserts the cruisers make and bring in.  After the meal there is an auction where we auction off items that the cruisers have donated with the funds going to the school on Ragged Island.  It was damaged extensively in a hurricane several years ago and they are hoping to reopen next year, if they can hire a teacher.  The auction has been going on for a number of years and it is one of the ways the cruisers are repaying the locals for their hospitality as we visit their islands. 

Sunday morning it was interesting to watch the boats head out of the harbor going in the various directions and by Monday half of them were gone. It's Tuesday and we are down to fifteen boats.  The Ragged's and Jumentos are remote islands and the cruising guides warn you of the fact you must be self sufficient.  There is one small settlement on Ragged Island but fuel, water, parts and provisions are not available.  This is one of the reasons we love it down here, it is easy to get away to another close by island and be totally alone with nature.

We have been in the Bahamas for three months and were able to extend our cruising permit for another 100 days.  We plan on visiting several of the island in the area, combing beaches and relaxing before moving back up to the Central Bahamas and the Outer Islands before it is time to work our way back to the States.