More and More Jumentos

From Double Breasted Cay we motored over to Margaret Shoal which is another anchorage and only about a mile away from where we were anchored. First Edition left us to go back to Raccoon Cay where the lobster hunting is better. We spent two days on our own off of Margaret Cay doing lots of kayaking, beach walking and mangrove exploring. We had hoped to find the baby sharks we had seen the other day at low tide in the mangrove and take some pictures but we couldn't find them at high tide. We think that they were either black tip or lemon shark babies and possibly had left for the big ocean. People don't seem to anchor at Margaret because there is more surge but we found it bearable and the worst roll when the tide was changing. Everyone's sense of comfort is different and many people anchor at Hog Cay and seldom move because there is negligible surge there.

From Margaret we headed over to Raccoon Cay for a change and to see a new anchorage. We did some paddling and some snorkelling. The water is so warm (25 C or close to 80 F) and clear that it is great to snorkel even if there is not a lot to see and usually there is something even if it is just sea biscuits on the bottom. I watched a funny worm creature come out of its burrow and clamber up on our fishing reel and try and eat the chicken bait the other day when I was snorkelling by Celebrian. We weren't tending the pole and eventually either the worm or some fishes nibbled off our bait. Our friends on Windswept 4 said that you have to cast and reel in your line but we are lazy fisher people and besides we now need a lesson in doing that. It is a good thing we have friends who are fishermen.

We were joined at Raccon by First Edition and a flotilla of boats that came to help out Becky and Kevin on Mirabelle who had lost their dog. Danny, part border collie, elderly and deaf had run off after some wild goats and been lost. They had been searching for two days already. We joined another dozen or more boats to help search the island. We were both physically and emotionally exhausted after three hours of clambering through thick brush and rock in the heat. Lynn fell on a rock and cut her leg and the inside of her mouth. Gratefully one of their boating friends is a doctor and Bob was able to stitch up her mouth. She will be very sore for the next few days but as she says it could have been worse. Some of the men who are hunters went out in the afternoon to see if they could find any tracks but to no avail. Rob and I both felt so sad as we sailed away from Mirabelle. My heart just ached for Becky as she was so upset about Lynn being hurt and of course not finding her dog. It will be so hard for them to give up searching and leave the island.

We are back in Southside Bay and will have the long trek into town to pick up groceries for both ourselves and First Edition. In addition I hope to get in touch with my mother and post a couple of blog entries.