Rum Cay touring

We are still in Rum Cay, but have left the marina where we had a slip for the past 4 nights.  We stayed there to hide out from a cold front that brought several days of 20 kt winds, gusting 25, out of the NE. The channel into the marina is shallow, narrow through reefs, and we are hoping for a 6 a.m. departure tomorrow for a 50 mile run to Cat Cay, after the seas settle down a bit further.  So, we left around noon, high tide, and made our way to an anchorage spot outside of the town.  It's a little rolly, but Luke rigged up an "anchor bridle" that points the boat into the swells, so that it pitches instead of rolls, and that helped a lot.  Also, we are close to the BATELCO tower in town, and have much better internet!  So, I thought I'd shoot out a quick blog.

There is new artwork on the shore of the Sumner Point Marina where we took a slip. mmm...

While on Rum, we rented a questionable golf cart that had anemic starts, and running fits, and toured around the island.  It's a bit disconcerting to be 3-4 miles out in the boonies, and have some uncertainty about whether we're riding or walking back. Here is the road to the beach across the island.

Once at the beach, the wind was a-howling and the seas were rough.  There is a substantial coral reef a hundred yards or so off of the shore.  Here are the waves breaking on that reef.

Another endless beach -- made the more interesting with the threatening clouds of the "squalls" associated with the approaching cold front. The small horizontal roof of the golf cart doesn't do much against horizontal wind driven drizzle!

Along the dirt road, we passed the old schoolhouse.  At least I guess that's what it is, a little one-room house with a school bell in the side yard.  Very cute.  There are only 50 inhabitants of Rum Cay now, with very few children.  I don't know where they go to school - haven't seen one.  This building is not in use.

Later we explored another beach and found more antique fishing floats!

Here is a view of some of the many reef surounding Rum. Quite dangerous if you don't have a chart and do visual piloting!

I wanted to put this in the last blog but ran out of everything... as we sailed from Long Island to Calibash Bay, we were escorted by 3 porposes who wanted to play in our bow wake.  They were fascinating.  Here is one from above, just as he broke through the water and gave a little spout.

We'll be relaxing and taking it easy the rest of the day.  It's sunny, warm, and breezy (duh....) and we like it!