Exploring Rudder Cay

Thursday 13 Feb, BHS day 45, from Musha Cay to Rudder Cay: Snorkel, dinghy trips and hikes to visit the interesting cave and wonderful beaches on Rudder Cay.

Once we settled in bed with earplugs on we slept like babies, despite Cloudy’s very bouncy dance anchored off of Musha Cay.
We have breakfast in our beautiful and peaceful surroundings, with no dramas this morning at the tide change. Well, not till after breakfast.
After 8.30am Cloudy starts going in circles. She swings to the tide and that is a little worrying, as we didn’t survey depth in the area she is now circling in. We change bridle on the bow to have it holding the chain from the end of the bow sprit in an effort to stop the chain pulling on the hull. We really don’t like wind against tide situations while on anchor or moored. It’s always problematic.
When Ian sees our commotion on the deck, he pops out in the cockpit and we have a giggle about the bounciness last night. They weren’t crazy about it either. We also learn that Pearl (Pete and Tracy) passed by at 7.15am, on their way back to Staniel Cay. We were sound asleep as they passed by.

Before we depart we have a quick flight of the drone to capture this wonderful little island. Then, by 10am, the anchor is up and we exit through Cave Cut into the deeper water. Captain Glen takes the lead through the cut. We joke that Ian is a lot more conservative while taking navigation risks on the shallows, hence Mahina still has all her paint on the bottom. We are well passed that point… ! ( meaning we have no paint left on the bottom of our keel).

Once into the deep water we have a fairly bumpy ride as we motor SE for 2.5 miles dead into the wind. Waves are spraying our decks as Cloudy bounces over them. Along the eastern side of Rudder Cay there are beautiful long beaches, with dunes and green vegetation in the background. Apparently, David Copperfield also owns Rudder Cay.
As we enter Rudder Cut, we let Mahina take the lead as we proceed again in shallow water, up the western side of Rudder Cay. We anchor in front of a perfect palmed beach next to a huge cave. So very picturesque. And we can see why Pete and Tracy told us this was their favorite place.

After a coffee on board with Ian and Michelle we set off in our dinghies to explore. First stop is to snorkel the sunken piano. Yes, a grand piano on the seabed, complete with seat and mermaid! Unfortunately, we left it a bit late and the tidal current is already running fairly strongly. But Oana does manage to capture me diving down, sitting on the seat and pretending to play piano.
From the piano we take the dinghies into the cave. It is a perfectly shaped cave which has a lovely sandy bottom that will be completely exposed at low tide. We decide to come back then, when it will be more spectacular.

After some lunch we set off prepared to walk the trails on the island. Just passed the cave there is a very protected beach and that’s where we anchor the dinghies. There are “private” signs on the beach but as no one actually lives on the island we are sure they are just there for litigation purposes. Basically, as usual, we ignore them!
Initially, the path is just a sandy trail but it soon turns into what would have been a fully hard-topped road. First trail takes us to a stunning beach in the eastern windward side. Yet another pristine and completely deserted beach. The next trail takes us up to an old ruin where a house had once stood. Before we see the ruin we see the remains of a swimming pool. As for the house, or whatever it was, only the flooring is left. Everything else is demolished. This place surely has a tail to tell. Was the owner a drugs baron and the police demolished his house? (I know, we watch too many movies…when we can!) Or was it hit by a hurricane? All very odd.

Back at the beach we sit with a beer on the sand for a while before heading back to the boats. It’s so peaceful here. Barely a sound, no wind in this protected cove and lovely bird song coming from the island. Once in a while little lizards with very curled tails pop out from under the bushes, look curiously at us and then go back to their hiding places. This could be paradise. Maybe it is?

On the way back to Cloudy we stop off at the cave again. By now the sandy beach inside it is high and dry and the setting sun is shining in. It’s quite the place, never seen a cave like this. If we had been told it was built for a film set, we would have believed it. And we spend a fair bit of time there enjoying the place and taking pictures from all angles.
Back on board we fly the drone for the third time today, this time to capture the evening scene as the low sun shines golden rays over the anchorage and beaches beyond.

Our evening is relaxed. Copying over the many drone and GoPro images then editing some more videos. For some reason, the way we are doing it now (or rather the way Oana is doing it) seems much more relaxing than last year. That said, we are up to 900 clips for the Exumas – quite a daunting number!