The wind direction was changing so it was time for us to move along and seek protection in the next anchorage at Hoffman’s Cay. Several other cats were leaving that morning so we figured they must know something we didn’t. Turns out we all ended up at Hoffman’s Cay together.
The sail was a short 28 miles around Great Stirrup Cay (where the cruise ships come in) and directly down the coastline. We led the way up until the very end with B4checkout breezed past us to guide us into the anchorage.
The cut coming into the anchorage was a little nerve rattling. The water is very shallow in this anchorage in places so you have to watch the depth closely. We would end up running aground trying to turn around to get positioned in the anchorage. It wasn’t too bad just the front onto a shifting sandbar.
This experience is nerve racking. Being in close quarters with each other and the dogs is nerve racking. Being unsure about what you are doing is nerve racking. As I looked in the mirror this morning I could not help but notice the extra gray hairs coming in and some deeper wrinkles. While the blue water, blue skies and beaches are awesome, there is a ton of stress to this. Couple that with I may be faced with finding a new way to earn an income. All of it takes a toll on you and there are days that only tears seem to make it all better.
The high note is we have met incredible people to share this journey with. The sundowners, dinners on board, and beach trips are a nice trade off. So beach it is! I had a small window on Friday to be able to hop off the boat to explore for a bit. So we jumped in the dinghy with the dogs and followed B4checkout in their dinghy over to the Blue Hole. We have seen this before on videos we have watched from other cruisers so we had an idea for what it was all about. I do not like heights and you will never see me jump from anything.
This blue hole, located in the southern Berry Islands, is about 600 feet wide and has a cliff that hangs 20 feet above the water. Those who jump into it from the cliff speak of an adrenaline rush as they venture into its mysterious depths. Its only living inhabitants are said to be oysters.
The dogs enjoyed their beach time and are getting more comfortable being in the water.
The sunrises and sunsets here at Hoffman Cay are pretty awesome! We have definitely enjoyed our stay here. While at the beach we met another couple with their kids who were from Monticello, AR. The world is not as big as it seems and there are so many people out there who have come to realize there is a whole world out there to be discovered and enjoyed. We are all out here just trying to piece it all together.