A partly/mostly cloudy morning, perfect for cruising! Of course, this was after a rather restless night for me, since I woke up at 1:45 a.m., thinking something sounded different. While the wind had died off a bit, the boat had swung around some so we were lying a bit differently from earlier, which was a bit disconcerting in the dark. As I tried to get my bearings, I got totally freaked out by the fact that we were so much closer to the megayacht off our stern than we were before!! I knew we weren’t that close before, so I double-checked the bearings to Highborne Cay, to the boats I recognized around us, (nothing different) and double-checked the radar and chart-plotter (which showed we hadn’t moved) yet...there was that boat. I couldn’t figure out how we could have come so close to it! Turns out, we weren’t dragging at all and the anchor was set safely...it was a new boat that had come in to anchor after dark, and dropped anchor right behind us! Oh well...better to be safe than sorry!

The cruise to Staniel Cay was fabulous --- totally uneventful!! We took the rhumbline south outside of the various cays and sand shoals, and arrived around 1:30. Anchor down and set at 1:45 at Big Major’s Spot, alongside and among...more megayachts. We are feeling downright puny in these anchorages! Our neighbor here is Odessa, a 52-meter ship which has more toys than many Bahamian resorts: small sailing cat boat, jet skis, surf boards....goodness, they even have an elevator!! It literally keeps rising out of the flybridge from time to time, and people then walk out...Ron and I thought we were hallucinating before we realized what it was. And here I thought the Exumas would be more secluded, with just sail boats and small trawler-type cruisers. Silly me!

Ron and I took a short cruise to check out the marina and town front of Staniel Cay...but didn’t find easy dinghy dockage available, as even the gas dock was sort of blocked by the plethora of large yachts at the pier. So, we just cruised around, scoping out the settlement and anchorages. We'll have to return with our computers if we are to get internet access, as it is non-existent elsewhere. After we returned to Equinox, while we were cleaning Tingum, who should arrive, but Karuna! We’d been hailing them sporadically all day since they said they’d be down here, but had no response. Turns out they were sailing down by Little Farmer Cay and only on impulse decided to come to Staniel. How fun to have them show up! Impromptu dinner together shall follow...!