Bahamas, Part 4: The Ragged Islands
We speared a lot of fish ... then one fought back
Today marks two months since we left the United States for the Bahamas and just over five months since we moved aboard Osprey full time. Time on the boat seems to move quickly and slowly all at once — a sensation Michael and I discuss quite frequently.
Recently, we were reflecting on the passage of time and were surprised that we weren’t feeling sad about entering the back half of our season in the Bahamas. We’ve made incredible memories here — and will continue to do so for several more weeks. At the same time, we’re beginning to look ahead with excitement toward the next chapter of our journey, which will take us to New England, Maine, and potentially even farther north.
But sharing those plans is for another time.
For now, we want to tell you about one of our very favorite chapters of this Bahamas adventure: our time in the Ragged Islands.
Route Overview
Tuesday, February 3 – Saturday, February 7: Thompson Bay, Long Island
Sunday, February 8: Water Cay, Ragged Islands
Monday, February 9 – Friday, February 13: Flamingo Cay, Ragged Islands
Saturday, February 14 – Wednesday, February 18: Buena Vista Cay, Ragged Islands
Thursday, February 19: Water Cay, Ragged Islands
Preparing for Remote Cruising Grounds
We left off our last post waiting in Thompson Bay, Long Island, for the sea state to calm after one of the biggest blows we’ve seen in the Bahamas. We planned to depart for the Raggeds early the first week of February and spent that Monday restocking groceries and fuel. With Osprey ready, we set our sights on a Tuesday departure.
Then we remembered… we needed to renew our fishing license.
We absolutely wanted to fish in the Raggeds — and to do so legally. Little did we know that this small task would send us on a tour of Long Island and delay our departure by nearly a week.
There’s an online portal called Click2Clear that manages many administrative processes for cruising boats in the Bahamas. We used it to clear into the country in December. It’s also supposed to facilitate monthly fishing license renewals. I won’t bore you with the details, but an IT glitch forced us to either pay three times the normal fee or forgo renewal altogether. The workaround? Visit an official customs office. The closest one was at the airport on the northern end of Long Island.
There’s no public transportation on Long Island, and Uber isn’t really a thing in the Bahamas. So we rented a car. While we had it, we figured we’d tackle laundry and explore a bit.
Big rental chains don’t operate on Long Island. Our car came from a small family-run business — and they even dropped it at the dinghy dock for us. When we told the owner we were driving all the way to the airport to visit customs, he laughed.
“Well, if I’d known that, I would’ve told Tony to drive down here and meet you! You didn’t have to go all the way up there!”
Lesson learned: when visiting small islands, tell the locals your plans. They probably know a better way.
The owner also warned us about the rough roads and “even worse” drivers on the north end — plus, you drive on the left. I was slightly nervous. Michael handled it all with ease. After a 35-minute drive, we left the airport with a renewed fishing license and insider advice on how to avoid the Click2Clear glitch next month.
Next stop: Ms. Higgs’ laundromat. Ms. Higgs kindly offered to switch our laundry to the dryer and fold it when it was done, freeing us up to explore more of the island.
We had lunch at a beachside restaurant at the southern tip and walked one of the most beautiful beaches we’ve seen in the Bahamas. We ran into friends from S/V Nikola, a German family sailing toward Panama with plans to cross the canal and the South Pacific before returning to Germany in time for kindergarten. Cruising dreams come in all shapes and sizes.
With our fishing license finally in hand, we were ready for the Raggeds.
But… another northern blow was forecast.
So we stayed put.
During that unexpected extension, we reconnected with S/V Blue Heeler, whom we’d first met at the Annapolis Boat Show during a Sailing Totem meetup. Their two boys adored Maisie and kept asking to take her on beach walks. Apparently, Thompson Bay is the place to meet friends who love walking your dog.
We spent another day exploring a really cool cave on the island. I wasn’t sure what Maisie would think of a cave, but I’m pretty sure if we let her, she would live there permanently. She loved exploring the nooks and crannies, and I’m sure it was full of all sorts of delicious doggie smells!
By the time the seas calmed again, we were looking at a Sunday departure. While we’d lost time in the Raggeds, we were grateful for the unexpected days exploring Long Island.
The Hunter and the Gatherer
By the second week of February, we were more than ready to leave northern blows and busy anchorages behind and head for truly remote cruising grounds.
We departed Thompson Bay on Super Bowl Sunday in glassy calm water. Steady winds carried us into the Raggeds under idyllic conditions, despite a lingering cold front keeping the temperatures cooler than expected.
Our first stop was Water Cay. Stunningly beautiful. Also… very rolly.
After taking Maisie ashore, we settled in to watch the Super Bowl. Thanks to our Starlink, projector, and pop-up screen, we have a great setup for relaxing inside and watching TV or movies. However, due to the rolly water in the anchorage, we ended up having to tie several extra support lines for our projector screen to keep it from falling over while we watched the big game. But honestly, we cannot complain — how cool is it that we were in a super remote anchorage and could still watch the Super Bowl?
Due to the roll in the anchorage, we decided to move the next day. Before we did, we enjoyed a lovely hike to the other side of the island. We saw loads of cactus, saltwater ponds, ospreys, and a mountain made of discarded conch shells. Unfortunately, we didn’t bring our phones or camera on the hike, so I can’t share how beautiful it was. But I think not having a camera was part of the magic.
From there, we hopped to Flamingo Cay, where we settled into a rhythm:
Morning coffee in the cockpit.
Beach walk with Maisie.
Snorkeling and spearfishing.
Another shore visit with Maisie.
Sunset in the cockpit.
Dinner — often whatever Michael caught that day.
The Raggeds are famous for abundant sea life: fish, turtles, rays… and sharks.
I’ll admit I was nervous about snorkeling and spearfishing in shark-frequented waters, especially just the two of us. Thankfully, we reconnected with S/V Jojo, whom we’d met in George Town. Jojo has serious spearfishing experience and a methodical shark-watch system — dinghy close, constant scanning, quick exits when needed. Having them join us nearly every day made exploring both joyful and reassuring.
And then there was Brian.
Brian is the resident bull shark of Flamingo Cay. Enormous. Morning and evening, he cruised the anchorage looking for scraps. Local fishermen clean their catches nearby, and Brian has learned exactly where dinner appears.
If you visit Flamingo Cay: do not swim in the anchorage. Brian is far too accustomed to food coming off boats.
Sharks aside, the turtles were extraordinary. One day, just as we were about to call it quits, Michael convinced us to check one last spot. There, under a coral head, was the largest loggerhead turtle any of us had ever seen — easily seven feet across — resting with three enormous remora attached.
When it finally stirred and glided away, it felt almost sacred. One of the most magical wildlife encounters I’ve ever experienced.
Little House on the Water
From Flamingo, we moved to Buena Vista Cay. By then, Michael and I felt confident spearfishing as a team.
I discovered a small coconut grove and harvested coconuts for fresh water and meat. It felt deeply satisfying to live off the land — and sea.
Growing up, my favorite show was Little House on the Prairie. In the Raggeds, I often imagined myself as Caroline Ingalls and Michael as Charles. Our own little house on the water.
And what a joy it was to prepare dinner from our fresh catches! For anyone who is curious, here are the dinners we had — and all but two of them were straight from the sea:
Lobster, lionfish, and coconut rice
Hogfish with zucchini and rice
Baked lobster with potatoes and zucchini
Friday pizza (tradition!)
Triggerfish and snapper with bean and tomato salad
Chicken stir fry (no catch that day)
Creamy lobster pasta
Coconut lobster curry
Hogfish with potatoes and yellow squash
Sea life wasn’t the only wildlife we enjoyed in the Raggeds. I was surprised by how many birds we heard and saw. I think the last time I’d heard more birdsong was when we anchored in the Waccamaw River in South Carolina. In addition to my enjoyment of the birds, Maisie had a close encounter with a herd of wild goats, which is likely seared into her doggie memory for eternity.
Several years ago, a man named Edward built a homestead on Buena Vista Cay. I don’t know much about him or the homestead, other than that a hurricane destroyed his home and he was forced to move off the island. We heard he left some goats behind, which still call the island home.
Knowing there were goats on the island, we kept a close eye on Maisie while we were ashore. However, one day I brought her to the beach by myself while Michael worked on boat chores, and, distracted by harvesting coconuts, I let my eye off her. A second later, I heard what sounded like a woman screaming. The sound was very confusing because we were the only people in the anchorage and no one lived on the island. Then it occurred to me — it was not a woman. It was a goat.
I turned around just in time to see a pack of about six goats running through the brush — clearly running away from something. I frantically called Maisie’s name and began searching for her. A minute later, I saw her white fur rustling behind a bush. I dashed over and found her herding a small black goat against a tree. She looked like she was having the time of her life — the goat, not so much
I firmly called Maisie to my side, and eventually she obeyed, leaving her would-be goat friend to run into the brush after its family. As the goat ran away, I couldn’t help but notice its neck was wet. Maisie must have been playing one of her favorite games, called “Got your neck,” with that poor goat.
Not my proudest dog-mom moment.
“A Barracuda Ate My Dinghy”
Cruising wisdom says never have a schedule, and until this point Michael and I were able to have a fully unscheduled cruising life. However, we had guests coming to George Town in just a few days, so it was time to say farewell to the Ragged Islands.
To our delight, our friends on S/V Water Wings would be making a pit stop in Water Cay on their way farther south into the Caribbean, so we were able to meet them for dinner that evening.
We sailed on the “outside” that day, meaning we were in the open ocean and could troll our fishing line. We’d trolled a few times before and even got a nibble as we crossed from Eleuthera to the Exumas in January, but we had never caught a fish. As we dropped the line in the water that day, however, I had a really good feeling.
Close to the end of the day, the wind was dying, so we decided to pull in the sails and motor the final mile or so to Water Cay. Just as we turned on the engine, I heard the familiar whir of the fishing line and yelled“Fish on!”
Michael masterfully reeled it in, and we eventually saw the dazzling yellow and green of a mahi! We were so nervous we might lose it, but I grabbed the gaff and handed it to Michael so he could pull the fish aboard. We got her into the cockpit and immediately started cleaning her. Maisie was very interested in what was going on, so I focused on keeping her out of the way, lest she put her curious nose between the fillet knife and the fish.
We got over 2.5 pounds of meat off the mahi, plus she was pregnant, so we got the roe too! We were thrilled to show up at Water Wings with fresh mahi to contribute to dinner.
It was lovely catching up with Water Wings, whom we met at a Thanksgiving potluck in Brunswick, Georgia, and with whom we enjoyed several Pizza Fridays between then and leaving Florida. It’s a tough call which is better — Pizza Friday or Fresh Mahi Thursday! But the mahi wasn’t the only fish that was going to make our reunion memorable.
Water Wings is an absolutely gorgeous boat. One especially enchanting feature is the underwater lights that allow you to see what’s happening beneath the boat at night. Knowing how much underwater life there is in the Raggeds, all four of us were excited to see what the water looked like illuminated after dark. Little did we know that the underwater lights were going to create a lot of magic — and one huge headache.
As soon as the lights flipped on, we heard a huge BANG. We all looked around, confused and unable to identify the sound. Then Kevin hushed us and quickly ran over to our dinghy. Somehow, he could hear the air leaking out just as the rest of us saw a giant barracuda swimming away from it.
When the lights turned on, the barracuda was either spooked or thought our dinghy was a fish dinner — and it attacked hard. Surprisingly, as we watched our dinghy slowly deflate, our spirits didn’t follow suit too badly. We knew we could patch the hole and inflate it once we arrived back in George Town the next day. And we would have a really excellent story to tell in the future!
Fresh fish with friends and a story to tell weren’t the only things that sent us out of the Raggeds in style.
A Starlink rocket had been rescheduled to launch that evening, and the booster would be returning to the waters just off the Exuma Islands. With Water Wings, we stood on deck watching the night sky. Despite some clouds, we were able to see the booster return and the Starlink satellites streak across the sky. The only light pollution in the Ragged Islands that night came from our own anchor lights. Other than Cape Canaveral itself, I could not think of a better place to watch a rocket launch.
Regrouping in George Town
From the Raggeds, we headed back to George Town. We had guests flying in for a visit, a dinghy to repair, and some good friends to catch up with.
Stay tuned to hear more about our return to George Town and how we plan to spend our final weeks in the Bahamas.
Until then, cheers!
— Jen, Michael, and Maisie
Love reading about your adventures!
Seeing the barracuda bite cracked me up 🤣 that’s just nuts! Loved reading this!!!