Crossing To Great Harbour Cay

Royal Island to Great Harbour Cay  |  10.8 Hours  |  75 Miles  

Our alarm went off at 5:45 this morning so that we could get a jump on what would be a long travel day. Our anchor was up by 6:30 and we exited the Royal Island anchorage by dawn's early light. I watched the sun rise off of our stern. Before breakfast we had cut between the Eggs -- Egg Island to the east and the smaller and aptly named Little Egg Island (pictured) to the west. Soon thereafter we lost cell service, set a waypoint across the Northeast Channel for Great Stirrup Cay in the Berry Islands, and surfed on an active following sea for eight hours. Gradually the a faint shadow of a cruise ship became more defined and cell service returned. Its always good to hear the ding of incoming texts and emails. Our waypoint was just off the bow of Norwegian Sky, at their private Bahamas port of call. Immediately past the anchored cruise ship we came to another private, cruise line-owned island. The sign announcing "Perfect Day" was small against the waterpark towers.   

The towers appeared small compared to the Royal Caribbean Anthem of the Seas. Their private island is known as Coco Cay. We made a sharp turn around the cruise ship activity and headed south, keeping good distance from the sunken barge with heavy equipment protruding from the water. We still had plenty of daylight so we thought we'd give Bullock Harbor a quick look on the off chance there was room for us. The entrance is a bit nerve-wracking, but I was on the bow keeping lookout as we made the sharp left turn at the sign.

The blind entrance is actually wider than several cuts we've already been through this year and is cut straight through the rock. We went in, saw the anchorage was full, turned around, and came back outside.

We anchored just outside the cut with several other boats. Following dinner, we started watching a fun movie recommended by Rebekah earlier in the afternoon. A bonus of anchoring on the outside was an unobstructed view of the sunset. It started out pretty good, and finished with a burst of color. We will explore tomorrow and find out how we can check out of the country when everything will be closed for the Easter weekend.