Tuesday we didn’t go ashore at all because the sea was really rough in the channel between us and Georgetown so we stayed on board and did boat jobs and made water. A lazy day all round – but were excited to find out that our package had arrived – wow! Can’t believe it…..
Wednesday morning – up early – and crossed the channel to be at Forbes by 9.00 am to pick up our UPS package. Yay – we can move on now…… We went to the Redboone Café for internet as we needed to pay some bills, activate the cards, and generally catch up. We had a toasted breakfast sandwich which was a strange concoction – hot egg, melted cheese, hot ham with lettuce, fresh tomato and mustard. But surprisingly tasty and great coffee! All done we headed to the bank for some more drinking vouchers – then into the supermarket for bread and diet coke, liquor store for more beer and to the petrol station for a top up of petrol. Final job was to get our propane gas tank filled – which had run out whilst I was cooking dinner the night before… As we were finishing up we bumped into Kirk and Chrissy from Ocean Quest – the last time we had seen them was in January at the Beans Pirate Show in Virgin Gorda – and we weren’t expecting to see them as they make their way home to Maine so it was a lovely surprise.
Arrangements made to get together we went back to Morphie for a few hours before heading to the Chat ‘N’ Chill beach for sundowners. Was a very buggy afternoon so we decamped back to Ocean Quest for two more beers….. Their boat is a custom UK-built boat that was set up for a circumnavigation by the previous owner – and it is beautiful – we were very envious of the work room and the large engine compartment!
We had a few drinks while the skies grew ominously dark around us and the rumblings of thunder could be heard quite a few miles away. We were just thinking about returning to Morphie when the storm picked up, the wind howled at over 35 knots, and the heavens opened with both fork and sheet lightning all around us.
So we stayed put for a little while longer while Kirk and Chrissy kept us royally entertained and hydrated. Needless to say, I was quite nervous about Morphie bouncing around out in front of us on her own and didn’t enjoy the lightning show at all! After a while the rain subsided so we made a run for it. We got back just in time for the heavens to open again – we got soaked putting dink up on his davits – and settled back on board. The storm continued for almost five hours before we finally retired for the night. Was not a restful one that’s for sure!
Thursday morning and we waved goodbye to Kirk and Chrissy. Was great to have caught up with them, albeit briefly. We have decided to leave Georgetown on Friday and have been checking out tides, currents, distances and options….. In the meantime we did some hand washing and made some water…. We couldn’t be bothered to go ashore having got all our clothes salt free from the constant running back and forth to town and thought about going to the beach for the final afternoon. Of course, the weather had a different idea. As we just got the clothes dry and down below the heavens opened and it poured, giving us a white out view across the bay. Decision made then! 
We had a lazy afternoon, had dinner, and were just chilling in the cockpit waiting for the sun to go down when the sky darkened ominously and the thunderstorm show started again in earnest. Really do not like this!!!! After a few hours of the show we headed down to bed.
Up Friday morning very early to listen to the weather forecaster Chris Parker on the SSB radio – just to check to make sure that our chosen anchorage is safe from a wind perspective. Most anchorages here do not offer protection from all wind angles so it is important to know what is going on before setting ourselves a final destination. Looking good so we picked up anchor – said goodbye to Georgetown – and headed out on the dog leg passage towards the Conch Cay Cut to take us back out into the Exuma Sound.
It is important to time these movements as most cuts have strong currents with the ebb and flow of the tides – and we were pleased to arrive just after high water at the Cut, so we had a very slight current running with us. As we were going over a number of contours in the sea bed Richard decided to try fishing again……so the lure was out behind us. We safely navigated the cut and headed off towards Adderly Cut which would take us into our destination behind Lee Stocking Island for the night. The sea was flat flat calm, there wasn’t a breath of wind, so we ended up motoring the whole way. Then – woo hoo – we have a bite and Richard is excited. Another Mahi Mahi? Maybe a small tuna? Of course not, it was another barracuda. Photo opportunity taken and we returned him to fight another day…..
We arrived at Adderly Cut just in time for low slack water and as we made our way through we passed Adderly Cay which has a stone beacon on top of it. We are not sure of the historic significance of these beacons – presumably they are ancient maritime markers – but they are pretty sizeable.
We round the point of Lee Stocking Island and picked up a free mooring ball finishing this 29 mile run. This area is a Marine Research Centre and we were hoping for some good snorkelling – unfortunately the wind picked up almost immediately we were settled while the sky gave us some great cloud shows.
Later on it rained again for most of the evening / night but thankfully minus the thunderstorms.
Saturday morning and we listen to Chris Parker again – there is some real ugly weather forecast to come our way – so we need to find a place to tuck into and hunker down. Lee Stocking Island isn’t really the right place sadly so we have decided to move on again – this time to Black Point on Great Guana Cay, another 29 mile sail away. We dropped the mooring ball – admiring the cloud formations and the beautiful coloured water behind us – and worked our way out the dog leg to the cut at high tide.
The wind had moved north but that was fine – we had 60 degrees to the wind – so up go the sails….. and we are enjoying a lovely sail. The skies were leaden with clouds and the sea lost its blue hue for a grey colour….. the squalls started and the wind backed….. directly onto our nose.
So almost 10 miles away from our destination we are beating into an increasingly nasty sea – was not pleasant…. Oh well – never mind. We arrived at the transit to the Dotham cut – and turned with the sea onto our side – was a bit like being in a washing machine. Oh well….
We navigated safely through the cut and spotted a dead yacht washed up on the shore – always a sober reminder of the power of the ocean. 
But we motored through – thankful that we had still managed to get here at slack water – and came through into the beautiful azure flat calm sea behind the island. Yay! The bay is wide open with loads of room so we dropped anchor into sand and relaxed for a little while. We eventually went ashore – wandered down the main road of the settlement – and admired the views out to the anchorage.
We spoke to a few people – purchased a fresh loaf of bread – and ended up in DeShamon restaurant where we had a very late lunch and a couple of beers. Back on board we enjoyed a spectacular sunset before having an early night.
This morning – Sunday – and the winds are howling already with the occasional rain shower and the sky looks laden again.
The worst of it is supposed to come through Monday / Tuesday so we are hoping to go exploring later today if the weather holds….. We’ll probably sit here now until this front has moved away from us but we are in a safe place with loads of swinging room and chain out so don’t worry folks!
Bye for now
Jan