BITTER GUANA CAY
Early on the morning of the 16th of February we sailed to Bitter Guana Cay, which is a fairly isolated island with beautiful large cliffs and caves. Bitter Guana Cay is also a protected haven for the endangered iguana.

We anchored near "Otra Mondo" and "Dark and Stormy". One other boat was there... I did not see the name I believe they were from New Zealand.

At about 5 pm there was no wind in the anchorage causing boats to drift up on their anchors. Otra Mondo got her rode wrapped around her keel. Paul caught it in time to avoid problems with the prop and before multiple wraps got involved.

Don from Dark and Stormy, shot a grouper and a triggerfish while he was snorkeling. He and Mary along with Paul and LeAnne from "Otra Mondo" came over to "Shibumi" for a fish fry. Paul really hooked-up the dish with his special sauces. What a tasty meal. I'm not much of a fisherman, but after eating the meal that Paul put together my interest in fishing increase many fold. Mary brought baked beans. Jill made fried apples.

The wind was calm and the water was like glass. The moon shown through to the bottom making the boats look like they were suspended in mid- air. Temperataure was mild... sunset viberant... but no green flash. Clouds, low on the horizon, blocked the flash.

ON TO GEORGETOWN
It was early on the morning of Friday the 18th when "Dark and Stormy" and "Otra Mondo" traveled with us out of the Galliot Cut into the very deep Exuma Sound. Parts of the sound are 8000 feet deep. That's pretty deep in a 44 foot sailboat. The six and a half hour trip to Georgetown was pretty easy, though. We had to motorsail in very light and variable wind.

Otra Mondo caught a five pound dorado on the way. Jill and I put out two hand-held fishing lines, trolling for tonight's that night's dinner. Inspite of our efforts, Shibumi and Dark and Stormy went catchless.

It is a 32 mile trip to Elizabeth Harbor in Georgetown. We arrived in Elizabeth Harbor at 2:15 pm. Shibumi anchored off of Monument Beach aka Hamburger Beach. Otra Mondo and D&S went further into the harbor looking for more room in the crowded anchorage.

Anchored near Shibumi were several boats that were familiar to us: Brass Dragon, Stargazer, Breathless, Water Music, Benjamin Edwards, Calaloo, Sumac, Moonshadow, and Into the Mystic.

After getting settled in, Jill and I took the mile and a half long dinghy ride into Victoria Lake. Victoria Lake is the dinghy entrance to the town of Georgetown. We have been receiving messages for the past week that we had a package waiting for us at Exuma Markets. Exuma Markets is the mail delivery point for the cruisers in the harbor. The package was indeed our mail, forwarded to us by St. Brenndan's Isle. We were so far behind on mail that we were still getting Christmas Cards. That night we had spaghetti and Italian sausage for dinner aboard Shibumi and enjoyed a nice quiet night at home.