Conception

Wednesday, February 15th, we sailed up to Joe’s Sound and anchored off Hog Cay, a beautiful little anchorage w/ about 5 boats visible anchored in the protected anchorage of the little creek and one boat anchored near us. We had a perfect view of the sunset across the water and were rewarded w/a green flash. The night was awesome, seeming more isolated than any place we’ve been, even Great Sale Cay, with absolutely no ambient light other than a couple of the anchor lights from the boats. However, it was rather bouncy w/the strong easterly breeze coming off the low island.

Thursday morning we pulled out the sails and had a great sail up to Cape Santa Maria where we could see the Columbus Monument. Then we turned into the wind and debated turning around. Ken held the boat between 20-25 degrees off our course to prevent too much beating into it, but it still took us 6 hours to go 20 miles. We pulled into the anchorage and dropped the hook amid 5 boats. One of the Dutchmen lines broke. These help flake the m’sail and w/o it, the sail flopped all over in the wind. Not too nice in a bouncy boat.

Conception Island is a National Park w/no fishing, no facilities, and lots of snorkeling. There’s a mangrove swamp in the middle accessible by dinghy at high tide. The northwest corner provides a nice anchorage but no protection in a westerly wind. Early Friday we took a dinghy ride to the mangrove entrance but the tide was ebbing. Reconsidering, we’d do some snorkeling and come back later, preferably w/another boat. After snorkeling amid the protected reefs, Ken snorkeling north of the island and w/me near a reef closer to the beach, we decided not to take the long ride to the swamp. Another trip. That night 15 boats were in the anchorage, including a 120-150’ yacht anchored aways out. It looked like a little city at night w/all the anchor lights.

This picture is off Hog Cay, not Conception where there are no buildings, no facilities, nothing but a low lying island.