Little Farmer's Cay

Little Farmer's Cay is south of Blackpoint (on Great Guana Cay) so we backtracked about nine miles. Because we were a little concerned about the shallow route leading into Farmer's Cay, we by-passed this beautiful area after we left Cave Cay. Nancy and Jim on Solitaire know the area, so they offered to lead us and three other boats into Little Farmer's Cay. Our planned departure time insured that our arrival would be at mid-tide, so with adequate water under our keels, we all made it safely in and were soon on mooring balls.

Jim and Nancy know many of the 54 residents and our especially close to Terry and Ernestine, who own and operate the exceptional Ocean Cabin Restaurant and Bar. Terry and Ernestine also own six of the mooring balls and cottages for rent. They are the main promoters of this small cay that is largely undeveloped and maintains an independent, self-sufficient lifestyle.

Once we there, we were quickly hooked on the island, its residents, and the residents (four houses) on Big Farmer Cay.

In addition to our group of five boats, other cruisers arrived over the next several days. Eating at Ocean Cabin always included many of the cruisers. Lunch one day happened to be on my birthday. Selections included Grouper Fingers, Chicken, and Conch Burgers -plus a little birthday cake.

Lobster was the main event for a large gathering one evening. Earnestine and Charlene remove the tail from the shell, marinate the tail, replace it in the shell and bake it until it is pure perfection. The addition of Bahamian side dishes and wine completed the meal.

One fun excursion was a trip by dingy to Oven Rock Cave, a 90 foot land cave on Great Guana Cay that has a natural swimming pool and limestone 'art gallery' plus many interesting stalactites. Jeff and Tessa (s/v Inamorata), Nancy, and I enjoyed a swim in the cool, clear water while Jim and Larry took pictures. Before we left the area, we walked to the ocean side for a little beach exploring.

Saturday was a fun and fundraiser day for Little Farmer's All Age School. The twelve students in the school, all the cruisers, and residents from Little Farmer's and Farmer's Cay celebrated the day with great food, fun games and activities, plus plenty of socializing. Larry enjoyed a fried Hog Snapper while I had Roti and Curry Chicken; both dishes were new to us, but, of course, delicious. Grilled like a tortilla, Roti is thicker and contains shortening or lard. The Hermit Crab races offered us a chance to place bets on our choice(s) for win, place, and show. The crabs that were trying to climb out of the bucket before the race started were often not the ones who took off for the finish line once the bucket was turned over and the race began. A fun day celebrating the importance of education!

Jeffery and Aiden (plus others) spear fish and catch lobster and conch for a living. We were thrilled to purchase eight lobster, two grouper, and three hog snapper that Jeffery had recently caught, cleaned, and frozen. Jim and Nancy filled their freezer with lobster from Aiden. Lobster season ended March 31, so we timed our purchases well.