Our string of nice weather kept up, so we kept moving. A Gulf Stream crossing weather window was opening up in just a few days, and we didn’t want to miss it. We crossed the Great Bahama Bank from Andros over to Gun Cay, just south of Bimini—a long, uneventful day.
We pulled into Honeymoon Harbor just in time for a swim and some dinner. The anchorage was more exposed than I would have thought it was going to be, but I figured it was calm out and if the wind picked up the next day we could move. Should have listened to my inner voice that had been telling me we should leave. By 3 a.m. we were rolling in a big cross swell with the wind piping up—and not little rolling, but the kind that you think everything in the boat is going to end up on the floor. Despite the reefs we decided to move in the dark, and just follow the same path out that we took in, using the electronic charts. We saved our sanity, when we anchored half an hour later just on the east side of Gun Cay.
The next day we found pretty much the coolest kid playground ever—a lighthouse and a lighthouse keepers home. Lowe set up shop in the lighthouse, and Ouest made herself at home in the house. They then spent the rest of the day walking back and forth to have imaginary meals with each other.
The next day they couldn’t wait to show everything to Ali. I warned them, “Mama might not like all of this stuff. Like the fact that your house has no floor, just rickety beams, Ouest. Or that the lighthouse floor is covered in bird bones, Lowe. I’m just making sure you are aware that there could be some blowback once Mama sees this.” They didn’t care. They were too stoked by the majesty of having this place entirely to ourselves.
On our third and final day, on our way to the lighthouse, the dinghy motor died, and repeatedly overheated. We couldn’t make it. Tears flowed.
10 Comments on “Gun Cay”
The photo of the lighthouse through the opening in the wall. Oh my. Fabulous.
I love your gorgeous boat. That photo of Ali up top did it for me!!! Happy travels and happy life!!!
Don’t cry Pat…I am sure you can fix the dingy motor.
Heh . . . good one, Martha. 😉
haha, you got me. 🙂
Amazing!
Those drone shots of the lighthouse with the palm trees are fantastic!
Moms are like that! hhmmph, can’t even imagine NOT liking a fort, hut, house playground with ALL of the “good” stuff! ha. just magical!
How many miles do you figure you have put on this power boat since you’ve had it? Would you recommend power over sail for someone just getting started? Pat, I feel where you stand head and shoulders above must that dream of the freedom of your life is your being able to mechanically fix most things that go wrong yourself. That is a huge factor. Good luck and I look forward to your next post.
I love this little island. I spent a couple weeks here back in June 2001 waiting for a weather window to head east over the bank to Chub Cay. I felt just like your kids! My girlfriend & i ran naked all over the island with no one else ever coming by. Had the whole place as our private island! Then one day, a go-fast boat from Miami with 2 jet skis in tow showed up and anchored in the harbor. They started blaring club music and made more noise than i ever thought 5 people could make. We dinghied back to the boat, pulled anchor, and decided to brave storms & wind on the nose & headed east. ??♂️?