After our friends, Kaye and Leo left, we stayed another night in Salt Pond before heading north to Cape Santa Maria (again). On the way, we took this picture. After all this time in the Bahamas, we continue to be amazed by the beauty of the water and the sky.
We anchored just south of the Cape, near the Columbus Monument (again) with a plan to head to Rum Cay in the morning. After we left the protection of the anchorage and got out into the Atlantic, we realized that getting to Rum Cay was not going to be easy. The wind was just off the bow and the seas were running 7-8 feet. After some discussion, chart work and more discussion, Laurie said, "We need to be flexible. Let's go with what the wind is giving us and head for Cat Island. Rum will be there for another time." We turned to the north and enjoyed a wonderful close reach to the south tip of Cat Island.
After the sails were set, Dan deployed the fishing lines and we trolled the entire way. We hooked four Mahi Mahi. There are no pictures to post because we lost all four. We were very disappointed not to have fish for dinner and to put in the freezer, but the excitement of hooking and fighting four fish made the time fly by.
We continued up the west coast of Cat Island and dropped anchor at the settlement of New Bight.
New Bight is the site of Father Jerome's (John Cecil Hawes) Hermitage. Father Jerome was first an architect and later an Anglican Priest. He came to the Bahamas in 1908 following a hurricane which devastated the islands. He designed and built many hurricane proof churches which are still standing today.
Father Jerome built the Hermitage atop Comer Hill in 1937. At 206 feet, this is the highest spot in the Bahamas.
As we climbed the stone staircase, we passed Fathers Jerome's "Stations of Christ."
Father Jerome lived here in solitude until his death in 1956.
He apparently didn't have a lot of dinner guests, because there is only one chair in the place.
Walking from the boat to the grocery store we passed many ruins of Loyalist plantations. The Loyalists came to the islands at the time of the American Revolution, bringing with them slaves to work the plantations. When slavery was abolished, the plantations were no longer sustainable and the Loyalists left the island, leaving behind the newly freed slaves.
In the afternoon, we stopped by Duke's Deck for cold beer and Rum Punch. As Duke made conch salads, the bartender entertained us with stories and then showed us how to play the saw. The saw is part of a musical style called Rake and Scrape, which is very popular in the Bahamas.
We each took a turn, but were not invited back to play with the band that night.
After two nights at New Bight, we moved a few miles up the coast to Fernandez Bay.
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Location:Fernandez Bay, Cat Island, Bahamas
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