2015-6/16 to 6/19 - The crossing to West End, Grand Bahamas then to Double Breasted Cay

Tuesday, 6/16 - A gorgeous morning - sun just coming up. Anchor up @ 0730 - out the Port Everglades cut & into the ocean. We put the booms out but didn't need the 'fish'. Seas were a light chop at our bow, maybe 1-2 ft. The bulbous bow was doing its' job.
I was trolling a Ballyhoo all the way - nothing, Nada. I went into the galley for some reason & the boat slowed down a bit - NOW what's wrong?  Wayne yelled, FISH ON!! I raced out, climbed over the flopper stoppers & grabbed the pole & put it into my fish belt....I could feel him being very sly. Wayne & Laurel said, "I think he's gone" - no way, he's on there. The fight began; He jumped; I held my own; he held his own. Reeling slowly & steadily with constant tension on the line he came towards the boat. Beautiful Dolphin. Our mouths were watering. He jumped again & spit the hook. Everyone on the boat was silent for a moment...then OH SHIT!! 
We arrived at West End, Grand Bahama (Old Bahama Bay Resort) - anchored outside the resort at 4pm.

Customs office was closed.
Check in the next morning was a nightmare...Only the 'master' can go ashore to check in. Last time we docked right in front of the office, this time there were fishing boats lining the entire seawall. The staff directed us to a dock half-way around the marina. Poor Wayne must have taken four trips back & forth. I don't remember filling out all these forms- same information only on a different form. All three of us worked for an hour filling the damn things out. We didn't leave the marina until 1200! We won't check in here again.
 "Appropriately named, West End is strategically perched on the western edge of Little Bahama Bank, making it a convenient port of entry for boaters who have crossed the Gulf Stream & are heading to the Abacos or Berry's".

We headed for Great Sale Cay 40 miles away...took us 7.25 hours but traveling less than our normal 7 knots.

Intermittent rain along the way. Anchored for the night. "This uninhabited island is a favorite anchorage for cruisers making the passage between Florida & the Abacos".
 

Star fish are everywhere & be seen easily from the boat. This was probably in 10' of clear water

6/18  Dawn of another beautiful & hot day, but temps for sleeping have been wonderful. Anchor up at 1045 making way for Double Breasted Cay when we saw a small grouping of rocks called Barracuda Rocks - typical for the Bahamas to be in the middle of nowhere. I said, "that looks like it might be a good place to fish". We anchored - pole & bait ready. Wham - first hit was a yellow tail but too small to keep. But that means there's a mom & dad around ??? Baited the hook & tried again...nibble, nibble- little ones...then Bam! This was not a little one. The dogs were going crazy as usual & under foot trying to be the first to see the big boy. He gave me a good fight but I won in the end. A very nice, 20 inch Mutton Snapper. He looks pretty small in the cooler but he was a nice size & hefty filets.

Fresh fish is on the menu for tonight! I was excited as this is the first fish I caught in a very long time.
The day before, there was talk on the VHF radio that the small anchorage next to Sand Cay  (in the Double Breasted Cays). was full - no room for another boat to anchor. We arrived to check it out.

Double Breasted Cay anchorage

We saw 4 masts & a power cat - plenty of room today.
"An uninhabited group of islands on Little Bahama Bank. A spine of narrow rocky islands runs along the middle of the cays...The ability to read the water is critical in the slough through the middle of the islands to Sand Cay, which carries between 1.5 & 2 meters".  

Anchor down about 3pm. To the beach with the pups.

At low tide, the area to the right of the dinghy becomes a large, sandy beach

 
Met the people on the power cat then talked with Liz, Rick & their dog, Gilligan, on SORCERESS, a 50+ sturdy, wooden sailboat built in the early 60's. Happy hour & tour of this great old boat.                       

                      We stayed & played at Double Breasted another day.

So...where to next? Grand Cay maybe?