Little Farmer's Cay, Exumas, Bahamas

In late January, we packed up and left the wonderful anchorage in Black Point Settlement to head over to Little Farmer's Cay, just a few islands south. Little Farmers offered more protection from the westerlies headed our way, so we dropped anchor and prepared to wait out another Bahamian cold front. We just couldn't catch a break with this year being an "El Nino Year," meaning unpredictable weather patterns and frequent high wind/low temperature fronts. This crazy weather pattern hits every +/- 5 years, and although we wish we'd known about it before setting sail, it wouldn't have stopped us from going on this amazing adventure!

We chose to move Wanderlust and crew to Little Farmer's Cay because the little islands surrounding the anchorage created protection from all sides. Therefore even though the wind was howling, we were able to pack Ruca into the dinghy and head to shore for some exploring.

On Little Farmer's beach, we were happily surprised when we stumbled upon this abandoned shipwreck. Ruca couldn't control her sniffing! She searched every inch of the place, even stopping to point with her paw every once in a while. Plus, there were plenty of coconuts to shred, conch shells to dig for, and crabs to chase - the perfect dog beach!

We hung around the beach as long as possible to let Ruca romp in the sand and run in the brush and try to run out some of her never-ending Boxer dog energy!

In addition to the great beach exploring, the anchorage at Little Farmer's was teeming with conch - one of our absolute favorite Bahamian meals! We could see their pink shells clearly in the water as we rode around in the dinghy, just 5 feet under us, and I couldn't resist! So even though the weather was getting cool with the approaching cold front, I convinced Ben to dive for a couple so we could have a fresh seafood meal!

Ben cleaned them using a hammer to crack the shell in just the right spot (between the second and third ring), then a filet knife to cut the critter from his shell. I'll just tell you these guys are U-G-L-Y, slimy and WEIRD! Not that fun to clean, but they sure are great to eat!

After Ben separated the white meat, the only edible part, I fried them up in coconut oil using the recipe I learned from the Scorpio's cook in Black Point. We served it with a shake of salt and some hot sauce - YUM!

Even though they may be ugly, these little critters sure are tasty!

With exploring done, bellies full, and anchor buried, we hunkered down just in time for Mother Nature to hit us with some +30 kt winds, cold temperatures, and cloudy skies.

Although not usually a ton of fun, cold fronts give us the opportunity to do get some important tasks out of the way, and enjoy a little quiet time.

Ben spent his time working maintenance. There's always an engine or electrical issue to tinker with, and he is also in charge of charting our next routes, and researching our upcoming anchorages. He's recently learned to splice lines, and worked hard creating a new painter for our dinghy, and dock line leash for Ruca. If the weather permits, he tries to get outside to give the boat a good cleaning, polish the metals, organize lockers, and scrub the biminis.

Ruca gets the most restless during cold fronts, as rambunctious Boxer dogs are not meant to be kept for days in a 38' sailboat! We try to keep her entertained by tusslin' in the salon sole, hiding her toys for her to find, playing hide-and-go-seek, or learning new tricks. She'll do just about anything for a spoonful of peanut butter, so learning new tricks is easy if you can stand the slobber!

As for me, I pass the time during cold fronts editing photos for the blog, writing, *trying* to learn Portuguese, reading, trying new recipes, and doing yoga.

Ben and I still enjoy our sunset cocktail together, even if we can't sit outside to watch the sun go down. Sometimes, if there's no internet, we read a book out loud to each other until bedtime, play Gin Rummy, or sing songs while Ben plays the guitar. It is an opportunity to enjoy quality time, talk, and laugh together without any distractions, phones, or computers.

If it weren't for the constant fear of the anchor dragging or a squall hitting us, I might even say that cold fronts can be enjoyable!

About a week passed until finally the winds calmed and the cold front had gone. We jumped at the opportunity to sail south when we saw our weather window, excited for better weather, and the gorgeous beaches in the Southern Exumas.

From Little Farmer's, we were headed on to the infamous George Town, the Cruiser's capital of the Bahamas!

Thanks for Reading,

Quinn, Ben and Ruca

#destinations #Bahamas