Sunken Ships and Friendships – Sailing Munjack Cay

Nikki Wynn

Jan 5, 2017 — 5 min read

Other than our friends that sailed across the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas with us, we haven’t met any other cruisers yet. It’s just been the two of us and the blissfully quiet, uninhabited islands of the Abacos.

So, sailing up to Munjack Cay and seeing a handful of boats all bobbing about was a welcome sight. Little did we know, this is a serious cruising hangout hotspot!

To say that we enjoyed getting to know the fellow boaters at Munjack would be an understatement. Between the hospitality of our neighbors and the beauty of our neighborhood, it felt like paradise. Beautiful sunsets, shipwrecks to explore and a bounty of lobster to be found.

snorkeling wrecks at munjack cay bahamas

Getting to Know Our Fellow Cruisers

Our first encounter was with Philip and Theresa of s/v Sea Ya who we had seen briefly in passing at Powell Cay. But it wasn’t until here that we finally got to know them. Their story in a nut shell is one where the sweet Georgia school teacher meets a nice South African man…only to learn they both had dreams of being live-aboard sailors. They are two years in and loving the lifestyle. Their only debacle…Theresa misses her family a little more than expected while Philip is itching to sail around the world to visit his homeland.

Then there was Nancy of s/v Innovation who we were very excited to see flying towards us in her Dinghy like a gladiator in a chariot. She had sent us a Facebook message saying she was in the area and excited to meet us. She asked us to hail her on the radio as we sailed closer to Green Turtle. Naturally, as soon as she noticed us dropping the hook, she buzzed right over announcing that she was the “island welcome committee” and she left us with fresh Key Limes and Starfruit from the island. Nancy is one crazy solo sailing mama jamma. We instantly fell in love with her exuberant personality. If Nancy is around, you best believe you are in for a good time. She is from Georgia, currently building a house on Manjack and living on her sailboat while she works.

Gee (nickname Scotch) was our next introduction. He is a lovely French Canadian man who has what can only be described as the camper van of the sea (you’ll see it in the next video). He retired from the military and now spends a few weeks here and there enjoying the beauty of the Bahamas working on his little lady m/v Tonka. I don’t know what it is about people from the north, but we’ve never met a Canadian we didn’t like.

There are a few other characters that have popped in here and there and others we haven’t gotten the chance to know yet. But the sense of community here is undeniable. I didn’t realize I was missing human interaction and that sense of community until we came here. There were daily radio calls and knocks on the side of the boat.

“Going into Green Turtle, got any trash you want me to take? Need anything from the store?” “There’s a blow coming, we’re all tucking into the north if you want to come, there’s plenty of room?” “Going for a swim along the rocks if you want to join in.” “Lobster hunting at 2pm on the Atlantic side.” “Sundowners on the beach today.”

The generosity is indescribable and seems like humanity at its best. You don’t need to know each other. You are in a boat, which means you have similarities. Period. It doesn’t matter what kind of boat, you are a peer, therefore a part of the group. Included and looked after by those surrounding you. It’s a beautiful thing.

We certainly felt there was a community with RVing as well and loved being a part of it. However, there is something slightly different about the cruising community on the water. The need for genuine interaction seems greater…therefore the effort invested by our sailing peers feels greater.

Maybe it’s my newbie sailor that’s busting at the seems for all these beautiful people who so quickly call me friend. Maybe this is the way it really is all the time. I don’t know yet but for now, I’m taking it for what it is and hoping I am being half as kind to my neighbors as they are to me.

Sailing Report

To see our full map with interactive pins, click here: gonewiththewynns.com/map

Nautical Miles Sailed: 11 miles from Powell Cay to Munjack Cay
Dates: November 17 – 23, 2016
Anchorage: If you’re searching the charts it’s listed as Manjack, Munjack and Nunjack.
Cell & WiFi: Our BTC signal was in and out here but worked most of the time, especially with our booster on.

Gear Used In This Video

Hammerhead Free-Dive Mask With Camera Mount: http://amzn.to/2d5C6SB
Hammerhead Free-Dive J Snorkel: http://amzn.to/2cjh3dV
Wet Suits – We’ve had our dive suits and fins for over 8 years, and they’re still holding up decently.
iPad Pro using Garmin Bluecharts App (and Active Captain): http://amzn.to/2d9Oopf
Predict Wind App: bit.ly/PredictWindIridium
iPad Mount at Helm: http://amzn.to/2fT84PG
Mantus Anchor: https://www.gonewiththewynns.com/product/mantus-anchor
Portable Floating VHF Radio: http://amzn.to/2hwEoK7
Hawaiian Sling Spear: http://amzn.to/2hIBfHb
Fisher Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Boards: gonewiththewynns.com/product/fisher-boards-blowfish