What a great side trip

Our new outboard motor is coming on Monday or Tuesday, so instead of sitting for a week we decided to sail to Conception Island. We provisioned on Monday and left Thompson Bay Long Island on Tuesday for Calabash Bay 25 miles north to the top of Long Island. We had been here before in February with Christine and Don but we didn’t get to shore because they took the dinghy to do some fishing. This time we went to shore to the Santa Maria Resort for lunch and a short walk around grounds. It’s a beautiful resort with great beaches. I have to remember to bring my camera everywhere we go, sorry no pictures.

 Wednesday we left for our favorite place Conception Island, it’s a protected park site and there’s nothing there. Sometimes it seems like we always plan our days when we have to travel against the wind and waves. Conception is only a 20 mile day so against the wind and waves it took 4 hours but it felt like a longer day than that. We arrived at Conception and it was well worth it. It’s a beautiful beach with very clear water.

 

The first day I was busy making a rail mount for the new motor and a little chrome polishing. After that was done it was fun in the sun! Second day was beach day. Frank and Mary Grace took us for a ride in there dinghy to the center of the island along the mangrove rivers . Along the river we passed a large amount of sea turtles and the odd lemon shark. Beautiful clear waters and scenery at this natures reserve.

 The afternoon was snorkeling on one of the reefs. It wasn’t the best reef we have seen but it was a great afternoon. We took a short walk to the other side of the island and decided we would walk and snorkel over on that side tomorrow. We were a little hesitant when we saw some nurse sharks hanging around.

 

 This is the east side of the Island with the dead coral reefs

 

Night time on the island is relaxing. The moon lights up the sand on the beach and you can hear the waves rolling on shore.

 

We decide we will stay here 4 days until Sunday and sail south to Clarence Town and have our motor delivered there instead of going back to Thompson Bay. Clarence Town will be on our way to Mayaquana Island, the last Island to stop before we cross to the Turks and Cacaos.

Here's a picture of Clarence Town from our boat at anchor.

 I have had a request to show how much stuff is on the deck of the boat. So here are a few pictures.

Five diesel cans and four water cans and now with a new motor I will have to buy a gas can.

This is salt from the water spraying on deck just sailing to Conception Island 

 Rust every where. We have to polish the chrome all the time.

 Rust

In the yellow bag is a blow up life raft. The piece of wood I found on the beach to make an engine mount.

 

And now it’s time again for:

So Here’s Interesting Tidbits  SHIT for short 

In the Bahamas we have seen a lot of dead reefs that have a few fish but no color. This is caused from the fishermen. The fisherman would fish for reef fish by filling a balloon with bleach and pushing it in the coral cracks. They would break the balloon and the fish would escape trying to escape the bleach. How sad when you have a great large ocean to fish in. Very apparent  here in the Bahamas. Very disturbing…..

Now that’s some bad S.H.I.T.