It wasn’t the best day to move but with the opportunity to sail we decided to leave and head north, it actually takes over and hour to get out of the shallows into the Exuma sound and set the sails, the wind was light but we just went with Genoa and mizzen. The sea was a bit rolly for Freddie but he managed well and even got the fishing line out - there was a bite, but it took half the lure and got away 🫣. The wind was a little fickle and it rained / drizzled a few times, a couple of times we put the engine on as the wind dropped and the sails began to flog on the swell but each time the wind then promptly increased enough to sail again after a few minutes. 

We had decided to go to an anchorage we haven’t stopped at before but did anchor nearby in 2012 and used the same cut in from the sound to the shallows, we were trying to find shelter from the strong westerly winds forcast for the 25th, and chose to anchor between Normans Pond Cay and Leaf Cay, Normans Pond Cay should provide shelter from the strongest winds but we will be exposed a bit from SE as the wind clocks round from E to S then W.

We were the only boat in the anchorage when we arrived and anchored not too far from Leaf Island. It continued to rain and drizzle for most of the day so we stayed on board - Freddie tried his hand at fishing from the boat for a while but didn't have any bites - you are probably getting the idea Freddie's top reason to visit us was to fish as much as possible 🤣.

Leat Cay is a haven for the Bahamian pink Iguana which of course I wanted to see and feed my vegetable scraps to and Freddie wanting to have a look at fishing from the shore the following day so we took the opportunity to go ashore before the strong winds arrive.

By the time the weather arrived there were 6 or 7 boats anchored in the area, a catamaran was a little close but we didn't think they posed a problem until we were dealing with up to 41 knots and Innamorata being a deep draft boat was sailing around on the wind and current while the catamaran just hung on the wind, consequently if Steve hadn’t moved so fast there would have been a collision, the idiots on the cat just stood there holding a tiny fender,  we had engine running and were in reverse for the evasive action, since they anchored after us we told them to move! They picked their anchor up not far from us and then proceeded to drift towards where we were while the helm looked the other way - we both screamed at them and finally he powered away narrowly missing our bow, he could so easily have got our anchor chain wrapped around a propeller and appeared to have absolute no clue as to how reckless and dangerous he was 😡, for the whole incident they didn't even have their radio on or if they did they didn't answer it, what a twat - although I may have called him something else as he went by 🤭! With them moved we were able to relax and wait for the weather to improve!