Manjack Cay to the Bahama Bank

Next stop was Manjack Cay, a beautiful beach where the dogs could run and splash to their hearts content. There are a few houses on Manjack and one of the owners erected this Tiki Hut swing that Sharon and I enjoyed. There is also an "Art Trail" on the island. A pathway around the south end of the island with various pieces of decorated flotsam and jetsam along the way. The tidal cut between Manjack and Rat Cay is a turtle haven.  We dinghied at a slow pace through there and turtles were swimming in every direction. As the tide changes, the trigger fish and rays appear for their daily feeding on the small fish swept in by the incoming tide. We all ate dinner aboard EXILE and I managed to be able to tune in to The Voice to watch the finals. Pretty amazing since no one resides on the island. We were able to pick up a cell signal to run the modem from a neighboring island I guess. 

The following morning friends of ours, Cindy & Jeff aboard Salty Dog, messaged us and said they were in Powell Cay, just north of where we were so Jeff and I set out to motor by to say hello. After briefly swapping stories, we continued north and met back up with Dan & Sharon  to continue our voyage. 

Allen's Pensacola is the last uninhabited, sandy beach out island that we stopped at before crossing the Little Bahama Bank to start our journey home. It has a protected anchorage, clean bottom and a large tidal area which is a good place to find sand dollars and sea biscuits. The snorkeling is also good there on the southern end of the island and the Atlantic side. Jeff was going to scrub the bottom of EXILE but reconsidered when two sharks started circling the boat looking for any handouts!   

Two sharks kept Jeff from scrubbing the bottom of the boat

Crab under clear water

We anchored for an hour at Mangrove Cay where Jeff thought he saw a beach to let the dogs do their business since  it would be some time before they would get another chance. We'd be anchoring at Memory Rock on the edge of the bank and crossing back to the US in the morning. It wasn't really a beach but rather a mucky sloppy piece of land. The dogs came back with black feet and all had to be cleaned up before we could leave. 

Another two hours and we were on the Bahama bank for the evening. It would be an early morning on Friday.