We have two days of light and variable winds ahead of us then come Thursday we'll be hiding out from the wind again. So we take things easy. We go to the grocery store which is quite good here and we're tempted to stay for another night but around midday we shake off the lethargy and decide to sail to Baker's Bay and take the dinghy around the top of the island to the dive sites. Well it seemed a good idea at the time. Here's Baker's Bay looking toward the top of the island.
There is a marina but they've just decided it's only open to members and those who stay for at least two nights, i.e. no riff raff. We anchor. The rather ambitious plan was to take the dinghy round to the Atlantic side where there are reefs and dive buoys. It takes about forty minutes to motor round including having to run between two rocks with waves breaking on either side. We're about to turn around and come back but Syd spots a dive buoy over by the barrier reef. We tie up to the buoy and I jump in (Syd has chosen not to snorkel and is wearing slacks and has a book to read). After a short while (Syd claims it was 30 seconds) I'm climbing back into the dinghy saying "I hate barracuda". I'd reached the reef and ran into a gang of three of them.
I really couldn't just give up after the effort to come all that way so I go back in. Over to the reef again. I swim over the shallower parts in the hope the barracudas don't swim there. I come round a corner and there is the gang of three. I do a 180 trying to look casual rather than panicky. The next corner I run into another. He eyes me steadily swims a little closer while I put my head up to look for the dinghy. Syd is standing in the dinghy and waving his arms. I head for the dinghy with one eye on the barracuda. It's swimming along in the same direction. I notice it has a hook wedged in it's mouth. OK so he's had a really bad day and now looks like a punk with a nose piercing. I swim steadily back to the dinghy and haul myself out hoping nothing attacks my legs as I struggle to get in. Syd says he was really worried about me as something about 6' long and about a foot in diameter swam around the dinghy twice about 3' underneath it. At this point we decide that is enough adrenaline for one day and head back to the boat, with visions of a nice hot cup of tea.
This bay defeats all attempts at connecting to the internet but I find I have a note from Phil which I presumably got before leaving Treasure Cay. It contains the sad news that our friend Martin Trotter died of cancer this morning at 11:30am. A kind, thoughtful and generous man with a great mind. I had hoped he would be able to come on this trip but he'd said no he had to look after his chickens which I think meant he knew he wouldn't be able to do it. We ate dinner on deck as the sun went down and toasted Martin our absent friend. We'll always remember you fondly until there are none of us left to remember.
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