Raccoon Cay, Jumentos Cays

In April 2016 we leave Flamingo Cay and sail past several small cays in beautifully clear, coral laden waters. Winds are great and we sail with the wind, 36 nautical miles in 7 hours, averaging 5 knots. We don't see other boats, the world is ours! We sail past Buena Vista where we see a man working under a tree - we meet him, Edward, at the local bar in Duncan Town, but for now we are amazed someone is living on this deserted island in the small chain of Jumentos Cays.  He was quite a character. He lost his boat when his son didn't secure it once in Nassau, and he now commutes whenever he can, whenever someone stops by and gives him a lift. Amazing.

Sailing past a string of islands in clear coral laden water

We capture this picture of a resident on 'uninhabited' Buena Vista Cay

We anchor alone for 2 nights on this deserted island, and find a blue hole, small goat tracks, mushroom rocks, sandy beaches, a fisherwoman with a Nassau grouper, conch, predator shark, all on Raccoon Cay.  The sky is blue with a few puffy white clouds, it's paradise. We watch the 1/2 moon transit the sky.

Raccoon Cay is long with white sandy beaches and lush trailless hills of green. We hear goats, see their tracks, but never see them. We plan to stay one day, but it stretches to 2 as we find so much to explore and the weather forecasts are favorable for staying, and we will still be able to sail south safely to Ragged Islands, our next destination. The forecast is perfect for the next 7 days - calm, 10 knots NE, no lows, no fronts. It's a freeing feeling to go or stay - sailing open ended.

Sailing into the anchorage of Raccoon Cay
Note the white sandy beach and lush green hills

We hiked along the beach - it's paradise

Low tide exposes this mushroom rock

Open sand area inland reveals goats tracks

Very small goat tracks
We saw tracks and heard goat calls, but never saw the small goats

Blue hole near Beacon Hill on Raccoon Cay

D instructs on cleaning conch - the tools, the technique
Two sharks appear as D cleans the conch on the shore

Fishers Maxine and Daniel give us this Nassau grouper
We meet Maxine later in Duncan Town

D makes boneless grouper filets to grill 

Grilled grouper and rice with sauteed mushrooms, celery, onion, and pine nuts