Shroud Cay

Heading north, we stopped for a couple of nights at Shroud’s Cay.  This turned out to be an excellent anchorage with lots of interesting things to do.

First stop- a dinghy ride to Hawksbill Cay to find the Russell Ruins, a Loyalist settlement from just after the American Revolutionary War.

The first cove we visited did not lead to the ruins.  However, we did have a nice hike across the island to cool off on the other side in the surf.  The second cove yielded the correct trail, also an old paddleboard that had seen better days.  I tried standing up on it, but was quickly dunked to Joe and Ethan’s amusement.  Still, this paddleboard became great fun in the hands of a 5 year old boy.  A dinghy paddle assisted in his fun. 

The ruins were very interesting, and we highly recommend this as an ashore activity.  Wear plenty of DEET though as the mosquitoes and biting bugs were fierce.  You have to hike up a steep hill and explore once you reach the settlement.  We discovered several buildings, a well, walls, and evidence of old conch shells.  Prickly pear cactus is abundant, so wear hard soled shoes (you can guess why I say this).  The view from the settlement is also stunning.

Later in the day at high tide, we took the mangrove tour on Shroud’s Cay.  This was another fun outing for Joe, Ethan and I.    Not sure if we took the right path, as there are several.  The path we did take emerged next to a beach, so we spent the next hour beachcombing and playing in the water.  You can only stay about an hour, otherwise you run the risk of getting stuck as the tide goes out.  I leave you with more images of our day: