We cut through St Lucie Inlet at 8 a.m. Wednesday morning in three to four footers headed for a West End check in. The seas leveled out a bit after a couple hours and we were able to get our Sea Ray 370 Express Cruiser up around 22 knots putting us at Old Bahama Bay Marina just after noon.
After 118 gallons of the finest $5 diesel later, we were headed to Carter Cay Resort and Fish Camp where we were warmly greeted by two of the dozen or so Bahamian fishermen eager to trade abundant lobster tails and conch for a coke bottle full of Bacardi Select. A fair trade all around. Commodities trading is somewhat different on the Abaco Exchange.
For the next two days we had mutton snapper over for dinner, being that they frequent the many channels that cut east and west through the small cays and rocky patches of iron shore north of Carter, Joes and Strangers Cays.
Friday morning we meandered north trolling about three miles out, jigging the bottom between 80 and 120 feet. That’s about a half mile outside of the reef line and far enough below and away from those long skinny marauders with all the teeth. A couple yellow fin groupers were nice enough to come aboard and we were set for a couple more days of local fare. A couple rock hinds wanted to join us but were sent home instead.
We enjoyed Rosie’s little eclectic piece of waterfront paradise for a couple days diving the reef outside and the numerous coral heads to the south and east of Grand Cay. The mutton were too quick for our pole spears and the lobsters were out to lunch with someone else.
We commiserated over fresh fish sandwiches for lunch on the hook off Sandy Cay at Double Breasted. We were finally able to find the courage to take on the 90 miles of one foot seas and head home about mid-day on Sunday.
The mutton and grouper are safe again, for now.