Cat Island

We left Conception Saturday, Feb 18th. With the wind directly behind us, we furled the m’sail but still made good time w/the NW current. Before we left, Ken was able to fix that Dutchmen line, having just enough extra to do the job, w/me holding a bucket under the attachments while he removed the screws and nuts on the bouncing boat.

We saw 2 boats sailing out of The Bight at Cat Island, but none anchored near New Bight. I reminded Ken Diane (s/v Pearl) said it was very quiet, but we didn’t expect to be the only boat. Later a catamaran came in and left early the next day. We could see The Hermitage in the distance.

We’re here to sit out the front, rather than sit it out at Conception, and to go to a clinic to check an eye infection Ken has. And to visit The Hermitage, a stone house built in the 1940s by Father Jerome that sits on Mt. Alvernia, the highest hill in the Bahamas. We walked to The Hermitage Sunday and were picked up by a group of Bahamians. All of us hiked to the top and we got a guided tour from one of the group. Father Jerome must have been a tiny man. The place is austere w/one tiny room where he studied and prayed, another tiny room where he did his cooking, another teensy room w/a table, an outside alcove w/a built in soapdish for a shower, then a separate building w/his tiny (about 2’ by 5’) bed. But the view! makes up for it. Very interesting