Allans Pensacola Cay (23 - 24 January)

Although Allans-Pensacola Cay has a nice beach and is the site of a former missile tracking station, what makes it special is the tree. I don’t know how long the tree has been there, but for years, cruisers have been leaving relics at the tree. Over time, it became one of the “must sees” for cruisers in the Abacos. In an effort to maintain the tradition, we piled into John’s dink and headed towards shore. We dismounted at what a canvass-plastic structure that someone had called “Allen Cay Hilton.” There were some cooking utensils, a bunch of nails, a clothes line with clothes pins, a roll of toilet paper, a knife and a fishing net. I guess those are the essentials for survival in the Abacos. Anyway, we started up a trail behind the Hilton and while the trail never disappeared, it kind of faded away. On our way back, John thought he saw a little trail and wanted to try it out, Ann wanted to go back to the beach and I wanted to try a trail I saw up the beach a little so we all went our own was. Although I found a cool network of trails (where did they come from, I still wonder), it was John who found the tree. He took me back and I left a laminated card for Traveling Soul.

Traveling Soul's laminated card on the TREE. I wonder
whether it will last through the next hurricane.

We went to look at our anchor through John’s glass bottom bucket, it did not look as solidly set as it did the evening before. Nevertheless, the weather was good, the winds were calm and it was fine. Life is good. Again I thought about going swimming, but again I chickened out. If it were just a little warmer … J

Another picture of the TREE. Hey, what do you expect, there
was nothing here BUT the tree.

ANN’S NOTES: Another dinghy adventure to Allans Cay … the ride over was beautiful… getting out of the dinghy not so much. First I wore the wrong shoes ... so I had to take them off and walk in yucky sea grass onto a sandy beach ... just an FYI ... Ann and sand do not mix well. Than we explored this very dense island for a “tree”… in wet, sandy feet inside boat shoes…NOT a fun time for me. Michael and John went on exploring and I went back to the make shift fishing camp. The island was rather sad to see ... all sorts of human trash ... plastic bottles, broken glass bottles … just stuff … some left behind ... some washed up by the tide and water. Again I just sat watched nature ... lizards running around and a little hermit crab that I wanted to keep as a pet ... Michael said NO…I just miss my cat Chardonay … to end on a good note ... the island was at one time beautiful and that spirit does shine through. The pile of beautiful conch shells told me so.

Look closely and you can see Ann's hermit crab - her pet - NOT