Lynyard Cay, Abacos

25 June 2014

Lynyard Cay is one of the barrier cays that keep the Atlantic Ocean out of the Sea of Abaco.  The North Bar channel enters directly north of it, with Little Harbour Cut to the south of it.  Of the two, North Bar is the preferred route in less than ideal conditions, when there is a heavy swell from the Atlantic.

I anchored off Lynyard Cay yesterday, about a quarter of the way up from the south, offshore just far enough to be safe(er) from the flies and bugs that are apt to venture out in this beautiful calm weather.  I'm anchored a little deeper than normal, in about 23' of water.  The grassy bottom here has numerous small sand spots, one of which I dropped the hook in.  Closer to shore is less grass, more sand.  Had the winds been higher, I probably would have tucked in the spot a little further north, where a channel parallels shore, and leads in behind the sandbar.  I have anchored in that spot before, which breaks any swell.

There are several sandy beaches, nice to walk on, and great to sit in chest deep water to cool off in the evenings!

Last night and tonight, with winds calm to 6 or 7 kts out of the southeast, there isn't any swell to be concerned with, and I am in a gorgeous location.  There are eight boats anchored to the SE of me, as there were last night, though all but two of the boats have changed.  There is one boat tucked in the northern pocket, a different boat than was there last night.

It was a gorgeous day here today.  This morning, I saw the trawler, Stormy, headed north from Little Harbour.  I called him on the VHF, and he came over, anchored nearby, and we visited for awhile, looking at each other's vessels, and trading sea stories.  He has a 10' AB inflatable that may be my inflatable replacement when that time comes.

When he departed, and I did a few more boat chores, Mercy and I went and walked the beach, and then sat in the water, cooling off.  Today was a scorcher.  A man came ashore in a small boat, with two vertebrates of a humpback whale, and he said there were another seventeen to go with those.

He also showed me where a path goes through to the Atlantic.

It was so good to see my friends on the S/V Full Deck, John and Barbara; and on the S/V Simpatico, Scott and Heather; pull into the anchorage here.  Last summer I had so much fun with them for about a month while our paths intermingled for awhile.  

We all took our small boats into Little Harbour, and visited for awhile, while drinking ice cold cokes at Pete's Pub.