When asked about Spanish Cay, the answer was ‘don’t bother’. The guide books indicated it was a private island with a very nice marina. A full page add indicated it was open to the boating world, so we choose to check it out despite negative boater comments. There were two boats in the anchorage outside the marina harbor which made it easy to find. We were a little disappointed with the anchorage. We were on the same side of the Sea of Abaco as we were at Powell Cay but the water was much rougher. We hoped it would calm down by nightfall. Now late afternoon, we dinked to the marina, tied up at the dock and checked out the little store, bar/ restaurant and amenities. I was quite impressed.
While I took Peanut for a walk Tom struck up a conversation with two gentlemen who were in the pool. They have been coming here to fish for the last five years. A while later we watched the boat captain clean their catch of the day and feed the scraps to a group of six or seven Bull sharks that gathered under the dock for supper. Watching the sharks fight over the scraps was quite a show and the price of admission was right. i kept Peanut, on a short leash as she wanted to hang over the side and watch the shark show as well.
The restaurant chef was going to prepare the abundance of mahi caught in a variety of ways and we were invited to join the fishermen and their wives for dinner. We declined dinner but agreed to come back for a drink afterwards. Our dingy was tied near the area where the sharks ate dinner so we waited until we were sure they left the area before climbing down the ladder.The thought of becoming dessert in the event one of us slipped on our climb down made for a very slow and careful decent
We returned after dinner and had a great visit. The ride back to the boat in the dark was a little nerve racking, now that I knew there were lots of sharks close by, but soon we were safely back on Laughter. The next morning we completed a few jobs around the boat then headed to shore to use the computer and check out the beach. i made the mistake of asking permission to leave my computer in the marina office while we walked to the beach. We were respectfully told that it is a private island and only guests staying at the marina or in the condos could move around freely. He also explained that anchored boats are welcome to shop in the little store but are not really supposed to use any other part of the facility, including the restaurant/bar. A shame because boaters enjoy gathering at a bar. We sat on the rocking chairs talking with other boaters anyway then moved to a table to get online to pay some bills. We bought a couple of drinks to show that we were patronizing the bar, hoping that would keep the peace a little.
When the fishermen returned from today's trip we walked out to the dock to watch the feeding of the sharks again. We learned that these gentlemen are free divers. no poles and bait, they spear the fish. Tom and i had never heard of free diving before coming to the Abacos, but have since met several free divers. The Abaco’s are a popular spot for free diving.
Because we were not really welcome at the restaurant/bar we left for the boat when all the fish were cleaned. We departed the next morning headed for Allen/Pensacola Cay.
A few tidbits of information: The owner of Spanish Cay is from Texas. He also owns Richmond Yacht company and 11 restaurants. We were told his purchase of Richmond Yachts resulted from a conflict he had with an employee of the yacht company. He had gone to check on the progress of his yacht. He expressed his displeasure that the progress was behind schedule. The employee stated to the buyer that he didn’t know anything about building yachts, that they are often behind schedule and stick to what he knows. The frustration resulted in the buyer buying the company and announcing that timelines would now be met. We were told he is a really nice guy and when he is there he hangs out and cooks at the restaurant for those staying there. The Cay has a landing strip for small aircraft that has been there for years. It was apparently used for drug running at one time. The fishermen that we met fly in on their plane several times a year.
Spanish Cay Marina Pool 
Spanish Cay Marina as we approach the dock
One of several gliders at the marina
One of the Bull sharks being fed
A bull shark going after the fish skins
The fish they speared while free diving the long ugly one with the teeth is a barracuda
Brian holding a hog fish he speared
Laughter is on the left at the Spanish Cay anchorage
The owners Yacht
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