Perfect Ending

5.21.11

Grand Cays have been a perfect ending to this trip. Having been previously burned out on squalls, wind and weather in general, these islands were just what the doctor ordered. We spent our first morning relaxing in the calm weather and then, at high tide, took Koa in to Sandy Cay. This is a small island in the middle of Double Breasted that, at low tide, is completely surrounded by dry land. So, at high tide, the water for about 50yards in any direction is no more than 3feet. By this time, Koa is an expert off-leash beach dog. We played fetch with him for an hour and then swam with him in the shallows. As we walked around the small island, he would prance ahead a bit and then stop and wait for us to catch up.
We circumnavigated the small islands of Double Breasted and, since the wind was nonexistent, were even able to beach our dinghy on an ocean side beach - with no waves to be found. It was flat calm and perfectly serene.
The following day, we moved to Grand Cays a few miles to the West to restock on supplies and stage for our big crossing. The weather was once again gorgeous and we dinghied Koa over to Wells Bay where we were treated to crystal clear waters and a white sand beach that stretched for miles - all to ourselves! We soaked in the last few hours of paradise and then headed back to the boat to get her ready for the voyage.
We enjoyed a wonderful dinner in the cockpit while we watched our last sunset in the Bahamas. Although the rest of the Abacos had been less than endearing, these last few islands, combined with the perfectly settled weather had renewed our love for the Bahamas and given us enough rest and relaxation to be ready for our trip back to the USA. We are sad to be leaving such tranquility, and yet ready to be back to the conveniences of the States.