Thursday, March 29th to Saturday, March 31st

Spring has arrived in earnest here in Abaco.  The weather forecast for the next few days calls for settled conditions with winds of 10 knots or less from the south.   When there is insufficient wind to sail, it is time to get in the water.

[caption id="attachment_3387" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Cutter Loose amphibious assault team"][/caption]

The anchor is up in Marsh Harbor and Cutter Loose is bound for an anchorage in (get this) Aunt Pat’s Bay just north of Tilloo Cut.  Over the next few days, we meet up with buddy boats Island Spirit and Dragon’s Toy to explore underwater coral reefs.  Thursday’s activities include snorkeling in and around Tilloo Cut and shelling in the shallows at Tahiti beach.   On Friday, we sail south to Sandy Cay near North Bar Channel.  Sandy Cay Reef is located within the Pelican Cays Land and Sea National Park, a protected area where fishing is prohibited.  Cutter Loose is anchored on the west side of the Cay.  We attach the dinghy to a small boat mooring on the east side of Sandy Cay that has been placed near the reef.  At midday, the ocean swell is about one foot, the tide is slack and the sun is high in the sky, illuminating the reef…as good as it gets for snorkeling.

[caption id="attachment_3388" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Yellowtail snapper"][/caption]

Once in the water, we are greeted by a school of colorful yellow tail snapper roughly 12 inches in length patrolling the 8 foot depths just to the east of the reef.  The reef itself is home to brownish-orange elk horn coral as well as an abundance of other coral formations.  Smaller reef fish, including grunts, parrot fish and squirrel fish meander through the underwater menagerie of colors and textures.   It is as if we are floating on the surface of a giant saltwater aquarium. 

[caption id="attachment_3391" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Angel fish"][/caption]

On Saturday, we return to Tilloo Cut where we snorkel in and around Tavern Cay.  Here we enjoy watching the antics of angel fish swimming at a 45 degree angle, keeping one wary eye on the snorkelers floating above while keeping the other eye on potential sources of nutrients below.  By mid-afternoon, the sky becomes overcast while wind speed increases and shifts to the west, a signal that it is time to pack up the snorkel gear and move Cutter Loose to a more protected location.

[caption id="attachment_3389" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Elkhorn coral"][/caption]

Just four miles north is the familiar Hopetown lighthouse, guiding us into this protected harbor.  To our delight, there is an abundance of available moorings in the inner harbor when we arrive at 4 PM.  Despite the increasing cloud cover, a peaceful night’s rest here is virtually guaranteed.