Last weekend, Randy’s sister, Tammy, and her husband Scott were in town and staying on Randy’s dad’s boat in Fisherman’s Village. We had planned to meet them in Cayo Costa for the weekend but we had a cold front come through that was projecting 30 mph wind gusts on Saturday. Unfortunately, they decided not to go, but since Randy and I had already provisioned, we took a look at the weather and decided to go anyway…getting off the dock in foul weather beats being on the dock in foul weather any day. Before we left, the storm was actually downgraded and we knew that the winds were going to come out of the northeast which would be blocked by mangroves where we anchor back in the “Hurricane Hole”.

So, on Friday we headed to Cayo Costa and ran through some rain showers. Nothing really exciting, no lightening or thunder, just rain. Randy drove Blue Turtle from below where it was warmer and dryer. At one point the rain became pretty heavy and we could have pushed through it, but there were several boats around us and Randy was afraid of a collision, so we pulled over and dropped anchor until the rain stopped. When we arrived, we set the anchor carefully near the mangroves for protection. Later in the night, the winds picked up and began to howl and continued throughout Saturday. Our anchor held well, we never budged the entire weekend.

Since Corey was on a Disney Cruise with his Mom and brother, it was just Randy and I. Even with the cold, gusty weather, we still had a nice time. We actually ventured out in the dinghy to go to shore a couple of times. We prepared for the worst ride, but somehow Randy got us to shore without getting soaked. It was a miracle! We took this opportunity to hike some of the many trails on the island. The trees and trails blocked most of the wind and the temps had warmed up so the hikes were awesome. Saturday, we hiked down to the Love Canal so Randy could take a look at the waves (he and Corey have surfed there a few times). On Sunday, we actually hiked 8 miles, again to the Love Canal and back and then taking the Quarantine Trail to the north end of the island. Both days were sunny, gorgeous and brisk and we spotted some of the island’s wild pigs rustling through the wooded areas. It was really nice to be outside when most folks were holed up in their homes. We’ve been through a few cold fronts at Cayo Costa and it really is a great anchorage for when the conditions are not so great. It can offer great protection from the wind and with the island so close, plenty to do when it’s too cold for water-based activities.

When Randy and I returned home from Cayo Costa, we tied up to the dock for a couple of hours. His sister and brother-in-law met us at the dock and Randy went to pick up Corey from his mother’s. Once all on board, we headed out to anchor near the Matanzas bridge. We dinghy’ed into shore for dinner and drinks and the next morning, Corey and Scott went out to go fishing. Later that morning, they returned to get Tammy and went to the beach to go shelling and then took Corey for some dinghy surfing. After lunch, it was time to head back to the dock and Tammy and Scott had to leave. It was really great getting to anchor out for the night with out guests and we look forward to seeing them in June for our wedding!