Adventures of the Yacht White Pepper: Allen's Cay Revisited

White Pepper revisited Allen's Cay in the northern Exuma chain, Bahamas, in February 2014 after a hiatus of 6 years. What impressed us were the similarities between the two visits. Sensitive readers may want to review that post from January 2008. I did and was amazed at how casual I was then about a delay of several hours. Also I downplayed how awful that first night at anchor was.

The most impressive similarity was the nights of terror. Allen's Cay was our first landfall in the Bahamas without crew. We were alone in 2008 and very naïve. The anchorage we chose then was too close to the rocks and in too much current. The wind was strong. The anchorage was crowded as always, and I was on short scope. I spent all night awake on anchor watch in a frightful night largely made of my own device. This time in 2014 the terror was all Mother Nature. We knew a front was coming and indeed that is why we chose Allen's Cay. Allen's has excellent protection from the W and SW. This front was predicted to have especially strong W and SW winds ahead of the front. The prefrontal trough often brings squalls along with the W wind. Again there was a crowd of about 18 boats. This time I chose the anchorage more carefully—in deep water with more current but more room. I set the Rocna anchor with all 100 feet of chain and 20 feet of rope. About 2 am a squall blew in at 40 or 45 knots from the W. The Rocna pulled out. I felt the White Pepper drag about 50 feet before resetting and holding firm. Add another one to the legend of the Rocna anchor! I started the motor and used half throttle to face the wind and blinding rain until it ended as suddenly as it stated 20 minutes earlier. About 5 am another squall blew in and sent the White Pepper skittering to the end her tether where she held firm. I was able to get to sleep about 7 am.

All in all, the night was the diciest we have ever spent in the Bahamas. Almost every boat in the anchorage drug. Three ended up on the beach and several were planted in the sandbar that bisects the anchorage. My neighbor went by me so fast I thought he would be swept out the cut into the sea. Fortunately, no one was hurt, and I did not hear of any serious damage.

Other similarities of the two visits are the importunate iguanas. These Iguanas are unique to Allen's Cay and to the Bahamas. They are also spoiled rotten by the tourists. If not fed, they will try to bite.

The austere landscape and amazing emerald tinted crystal clear water are enduring and enchanting. One thing that we did find was a conch hatchery. See the picture below. There is concern recently of overfishing and exporting of conch. There is a real possibility that the conch fishery will collapse in the Bahamas as it has in Florida. At least in Allen's Cay there seem to be plenty of conch.

What is different is the vast experience Jan and I bring to the 2014 visit. What was exotic and intimidating in 2008 is now familiar (squalls excepted). However, this year we are buddy boating with Lucy and Daniel on Gizmo I, a Hunter 37 from Montreal. They are new to cruising. Days that seem merely pleasant or delightful to us are amazing to them. Allen's Cay is their culmination of a 10 year dream and a 1000 mile voyage. It has been wonderful to see the Bahamas again through fresh eyes.

After all the excitement we stayed several more days waiting for a secondary front that did not show up until we had left for Shroud Cay.