Cruuuuuuunch! I looked at Tucker, “Oh boy, that wasn’t good.” When we rent a car, Logan is usually the driver. The driver’s seat is on the right side and you drive on the left down here on the islands. A small adjustment, but you’d be surprised how unnatural it feels. But with only one pot hole filled road to navigate, Tucker and I set out on an adventure together.

We were out running errands the day before upping anchor to sail across the Exuma Sound to the Exumas. One of those errands was refueling our rental car and filling two jerry cans with diesel (our tanks were getting too low for comfort and ten gallons would be a nice cushion). After a really fun 20 minute drive swerving to avoid those potholes and oncoming cars, we were proud of ourselves for arriving unscathed….for about 10 seconds. As I pulled up to the pump, I misjudged our distance and put our front bumper right into the stone barrier – remember I’m on the right side of the car, our gas cap on the left. The attendant came out laughing at our “fender bender” and helped us with our fuel needs. After inspecting the damage, ensuring nothing was rubbing on the tire, we squared up and continued our journey…albeit with slightly more caution. More embarrassment and more adventure than we had bargained for.

The previous four days on Cat Island were less embarrassing and full of fun. Our main reason for visiting the quiet island (home to only 1500 people) was to check Tucker’s box of hiking to the summit of highest point in the entire country. Mount Alvernia, or The Hermitage, towers above the rest of the country at a whopping 206 feet above sea level. We put on real shoes for the challenge! Once you climb the hand carved stone staircase, you are rewarded with a stunning view and a quaint chapel gives off some pretty magical vibes. Hike Mount Alvernia – check!

Next we followed signs down gravel roads to a place called the Healing Pond. We had been told it was an experience similar to the Dead Sea. A high salinity content makes you super buoyant – sounds fun! We all changed into our suits on the side of the road and plunged into the salty healing waters. It. was. awesome. The buoyancy made it feel like a zero gravity experience. You could hold your body vertical and your head just floated above the surface. Or float on your back with arms and legs up out of the water. Another fun family memory made.

Yesterday we sailed downwind for 10 hours across the Exuma Sound and navigated our way through a new cut. Dotham Cut is deep, but narrow and still had an unsettling amount of current as we pushed through an hour before slack tide. We anchored just inside the cut at Blackpoint. Last year we anchored in this same harbor and I was writing about how we had just completed our first solo passage out on the ocean. This year, a longer passage felt like business as usual. A good time to reflect on how far we have come as a family of sailors and cruisers. Pretty groovy.