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Ciganka's High Adventure
We are slowly sailing through the southern Bahamas. Enjoy the view!
We have posted my writings of our adventures on the "Video & Update" link on the homepage.
Ciganka anchored snuggly in Luperon Harbor, Dominican Republic.
My next picture postings will be of our time in the Dominican Republic. Stay tuned 
Thomas enjoying some quiet fishing time 
A beautiful white egret 
Anchored off of Double Breasted Cays 
Thomas telling a riddle to the older kids in the school to see if they could figure out the answer. They got it! 
They were so much fun to hang out with. Thank you for making us feel so welcome and part of the family! 
I think they enjoyed the cake. At least it got very quiet! 
We brought in a chocolate cake and chocolate icing with colorful sprinkles on top to share with the school. 
Ophelia teaching her kids 
The school master, Robert, with his wonderful wife, Ophelia and their youngest child Rene.
Robert teaches the older students and Ophelia teaches the younger kids. Rene is taken care of and loved by everyone! 
Pieces of an old wooden boat we found on a beach 
We are always looking for a bag or suitcase of money that had washed up on shore. This one was just full of sand. Darn! 
Some of the trails through the island have been marked with plastic in the trees and bushes so you can find your way through. It is very helpful 
The ocean side of Hog Island 
Thomas enjoying the view 
These flowers were very fragrant 
There is quite a variety of flowers and plant life in this desert environment 
This is a big termite nest built around the trunk of a tree 
Some cool cliffs on Hog Cay 
I am always amazed at the clarity of the water 
I am just going to hang my feet over the dingy's edge and enjoy the ride! 
Captain Thomas is ready to take you for a ride to see the back side (not the ocean side) of Hog Cay 
Taken from one of the peaks on Hog Cay 
A picture taken from a peak on Hog Cay looking at the ocean side of the island 
This is what I look like ready for an island hike. Pretty cute huh??!*!? 
This was our view anchored off of Hog Cay. We loved it here! 
Hog Cay - We anchored close to the second anchor symbol from the right. But we anchored closer to the beach. 
These are our friends, Kervin and Alfez, from Duncan Town,. They stopped by to show us their morning catch. 
I told Kervin I could find him a wife with this picture! 
Everyone just called him 
Maxine and her husband and Alfez cleaning grunt they caught fishing.
These fish will be frozen and then put on the mail boat to be sent to market in Nassau. Alfez was incredible. You would see him all over the island helping different people and being productive. 
Charlene and Alice in front of the Town office.
Charlene was like the welcoming commitee, tourist director, town treasurer, information booth, and town organizer all rolled up into one very cool lady. Alice was in charge of the post office, she had a small grocery store, and her family owned part of the salt pond so I bought my Ragged Island salt from her. We ended up being good friends and had some nice talks. 
A nice picture of Alice and her husband. 
This picture shows the channel of water we take with the dingy to get to Duncan Town.
The water is so shallow around Duncan Town that they had to dredge a channel so that dinghies and small skifts can get to the town dock. 
A look at the center of Duncan Town - population 60! 
Cleaning his catch of the day at the cleaning station at the town dock.
When they are done cleaning their fish they clean the spot so it is spick and span for the next guy. 
Some beautiful big grouper that was caught in a fish trap 
This chart shows Ragged Island where Duncan Town is located. 
Enjoying a hike on the south end of Racoon Cay 
Ciganka anchored off of Nairn Cay. It was a protected anchorage in a NW wind during a cold front. 
Thomas in exploring mode 
Cool picture huh? 
Serenity 
I am not sure what this is? That is why I took a picture of it. 
There are herds of goats on all the islands. They are pretty darn big and look very healthy. We were amazed on these desert islands that they could get enough water. But I guess they do. 
The sand on this island was so white and fine. There were some pretty high sand dunes to climb 
We are anchored off of Johnson Cay 
Chart showing the south end of Racoon Cay, Nairn Cay and Johnson Cay. We explored all these islands 
Enjoy the view with me! 
A century plant growing it way through the surrounding tree 
The bottom of my shoe came unglued so we had to tied it on my foot! 
I relaxed under the shade tree while Thomas went cave exploring. That is not my thing as some of you know my phobia with bats! 
As you can tell I really like this plant! 
The design on the century plant leaves. Pretty cool! 
A century plant growing through the tangled branches of a tree. 
Then the big stalk of the plant falls over and the whole plant dies. New plants start from the dropped seeds. Life goes on. 
It takes 80 to 100 years for a century plant to bloom. It grows a big long stalk, flowers, produces seeds, and then dies. 
The great white explorer standing by a very big lignum vitae tree 
One of the caves on Nurse Cay 
Do you see the shark cruising by in the water? 
What a gorgeous view! 
The great sailing ship Ciganka! 
The sole of my shoe came unglued while hiking. We ended up tying it together around my ankle. It worked.
We'll get out the contact cement back on Ciganka for the repair. 
Oh yeah - that is one nice lobster......and delicious too!
The fish, lobster, and conch was plentiful. So we fished and ate a lot of wonderful seafood! 
Bright red hermit crab 
We were amazed how many big lignum vitae trees were growing on the islands. This wood is so dense that it sinks in water. It is an extremely hard wood.
Last year we redid all our blocks on Ciganka with this wood. We got the wood in the Dominican Republic. 
The water on the left side of the picture is the pond in the interior of the island. The water on the right side is the Bahamas bank side of the island.
The ponds are salt water so they are "fed" from the ocean 
An osprey in its well made nest. We could see scraps of plastic and torn clothing in the nest.
It didn't like us getting too close. 
The south end of Flamingo Cay 
Can you see the shark? 
We came up on a shark cruising in such shallow water that his dorsal fin was sticking way out of the water. 
The inside of the cave in our dinghy 
Some small holes in the ceiling of the cave 
A small hole in the ceiling of the cave 
Most of the interior of the cave was very shallow water 
I love the lighting on the water in this picture 
Thomas checking out the ceiling of the cave. He loves caves! 
No bats in this cave....thank goodness! 
Very cool! 
A picture from inside the cave 
We have never seen a seashell like this before. But it was still alive so we left it right where we found it. 
Oh look at this little seashell 
This is the floor of the back part of the cave. It is fossilized conch shells. 
Fossilized conch shells 
This picture would make a great jigsaw puzzle 
There is a hole in the ceilingof the cave we climbed through to get outside. I took this picture from the top of the outside of the cave. 
This is the shallow salt water pond on the island 
On the right side of the picture is a salt water pond in the interior. On the left is the Bahamas Banks side of the island. 
This is an opening from the over head of the cave. We climbed through it. 
The opening from the inside of the cave 
The back end of the cave. You can see an opening to the outside. 
A lot of different colors to the ceiling of this cave. 
The back end of the cave. We pulled the dingy up to the dry part of the floor. 
Getting ready to go in the cave with the dinghy. 
The entrance of the cave 
There is a cave on this island. Are you ready to explore it with us? Come on! 
Full moon 
Full moon 
These next pictures show our time at Flamingo Cay. This was an incredible island. We loved it here. 
Anchored off of Water Cay 
The ocean side coastline of Water Cay 
Ciganka sittling comfortably at her first anchorage in the Jumento Cays - which is Water Cay. It feels great to be here!! 
Looking from a beach on Water Cay. Isn't this water amazing?? 
Our first island in the Jumento Cays 
What a way to start your day! 
An early (well not SO early) walk on Sandy Cay 
With coffee in hand we took off in the dingy for Sandy Cay 
They left early in the morning and I never had time to find out how to get these pictures to them 
These photos have not been 
A beautiful boat came into our anchorage and I got these amazing sunset pictures! 
The absolutely amazing turquiose blue of the Exuma's water! It almost glows in the dark! 
We are anchored off of Big Major Spot, Exumas, Bahamas 
This shows the north end of the Exuma Cays. We anchored at Allen's Cay. 
It was blowing about 25 knots but the seas on the Bahamas Bank didn't get very big because the water is pretty shallow. 
Thomas looks pretty happy to be under way again! 
Linda is enjoying the ride! 
Sailing from the north end of Eleuthera to the north end of the Exumas 
Our sunset at anchor at Royal Harbour, Eleuthera. Incredible! 
Remember this is NOT a Boy Scout charter! Cheers 
Captain Thomas seeing what is on the horizon! 
My 50th Birthday cake! Yikees! 
A birthday celebration for Kim and I - I turned 50 the next day. The first day of our voyage sailing 
Thomas & Linda cruising and hiking through the Jumento Cays on Ciganka!
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