Blog #8 Shipwrecks and Practicing Sailing

We started yesterday with a morning snorkel session by our anchor spot. We first took the dingy to part of an island covered in mangroves where we saw sea slugs, tons of sea cucumbers, and new big fish. Then we took the dingy over to a small shipwreck for the most amazing swim. We saw lion fish, turtles, needlefish, and a huge school of fish with countless small silverfish and larger yellow fish. This was the most exciting snorkel so far. It was really amazing to see so many different types of animals in such a small area, especially around an interesting surface like an old ship. After snorkeling, we relaxed for a bit and then set up the boat to sail. We set up the mainsail and the screecher because of the more gentle winds. After practicing all of our sailing maneuvers successfully, Amelia and I made California rolls before Vince made us cracked conch for dinner.

Today we spent most of our day sailing, as we had our longest sail yet. Over about 4 hours we traveled a little over 40 miles from Allans Pensacola to Double Breasted Cay. This was a great chance to see what sailing is like besides just the setting up and taking down of sails. We took turns watching out for shallow areas, changes in winds, other boats, fishing traps, and other obstacles to our sailing. The waters were choppier since we were in deeper water, but it still made for a peaceful ride. We arrived at Double Breasted Cay and then took the dingy out for a long exploration of the small islands and rocks that make up the cay. We saw some different sea life and then later stumbled upon a tiny sand bar outside of a small lagoon. There we ended up hanging out with some rays and more sharks for a while until we had to eventually go back the boat for dinner time. Amelia and I made a great dinner tonight consisting of some grilled lamb chops and eggplants. It put an end to a great and adventurous day.