Calm. The breeze, the water, our swimmers, the morning. Calm. I love being up in this part of the Abaco chain - the northern reaches of Manjack Island - where there’s so little light pollution, a million stars, and sunsets and sunrises like velvet.

We decided to take advantage of the calm and do a swim around the point to the Atlantic side of the island. Once again our swimmers put their heads down and headed into a mild tidal current, never complaining, stopping to talk about a fish here or a little coral head there. We rounded the corner, and the corner, and the corner….sometimes the point isn’t a point, but more like a rambling wall that doesn’t really make it obvious when you’re around it. We got there, and a long, Atlantic beach stretched down the back side of the island. We cruised along it for another 5 minutes, checking under reefy ledges for species we aren’t seeing in the lagoon side Sea of Abaco. We saw a queen triggerfish - a fish I haven’t seen in years. What could have been a rough swelly swim, was calm and gentle, refreshing and exciting both. The horizon was vast before us. Patty stopped and said, “Every time I do one of these trips, it’s like a baptism. A rebirth. I feel renewed and refreshed, with a new level of confidence in the water and in my life.”

Whoa. That kind of chokes me up, Patty Barba.

Then she said something typically Patty-goofy again and we burst into laughter.

*Dave giving the morning swim briefing.*

We headed back around the corner (and the corner and the corner) and back into the bay, somehow again into the current (change of tide??), and up to our yacht. Dave and Allie had meandered and dawdled and lucky them that they did - they were visited by 4 spotted eagle rays! My favorite fish in the sea. Allie got a few snaps, and I let her know how lucky she was to see such a thing, x 4 no less!

It wouldn’t be a day without a deck dive from Robert and at least one other person. Thanks, Dave!

I did a quick costume change and took our swimmers one at a time in the water for underwater stroke video. The Daves will work with each of them tonight, reviewing their strokes and finding ways they can be more efficient in the water.

Back to Turtle Cay for more water and more walkies, and amazing chicken salad sandwiches for lunch. We’ll be back underweigh in a moment or so, and are headed to a fun diversion en route to our anchorage for the night. I’m headed for 10 or 15 minutes of shut eye, so more after that.

____

Bay of Pigs.

Typical. I trumped up the pigs, and the piglets (“pick me up pick me up pick me up!!!”) and then we swam through three boats to see them ourselves. Apparently full pigs are not as excitable and interesting as hungry pigs, so even though we brought some veggie scraps with us, the pigs were just kind of, yeah, hi, we’re the pigs, oh what, lettuce? Ok. Hi.

Still. Pigs are cool, and cooler in the water.

Celine and the Big Mama.

We crossed back from the pigs across impossibly white sand reflecting impossibly bright sun. I really couldn’t blame the pigs for a little lethargy. It was so bright and hot. I love it. We put up our sails and headed to Treasure Cay where we decided to set ourselves up for a night swim. That meant an afternoon swim was optional and independent, and we had a couple of takers who either swam or paddled to the long white crescent beach that forms the bay.

We stuffed ourselves on chips and bean dip, then stuffed ourselves on some kind of shrimp and grits delicious catastrophe. We’ll need that night swim to absolve ourselves of the sins of the afternoon.

Latin music. Setting sun. Wine. Wine? We are doing a night swim, right?

We shall see….

We did it! Allie and Robert joined me and the Daves and Susan, then Patty on SUP accompaniment. We swam about a half mile, oohed and ahhed at the stars, worked hard to see the bioluminescence, bobbed around for a while and called it a night.

Not bad for a Tuesday.

Heather

Baptism.

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