Once upon a time (in the 70’s), an enterprising man named Carlos Leder decided to go into business in the Bahamas. He bought a little island named Normans Cay and built himself an airstrip. He began an “import” business from various places south into the United States of America. However, he forgot to check with the DEA to see if they minded. They did mind. With a little friendly persuasion from the DEA, Mr. Leder decided to leave the Bahamas.

As he was leaving, one of his planes did not quite make the runway (see what happens if you try to fly and land a plane without running lights?)

The plane is now sitting in 4 feet of water and is morphing into a lovely coral reef. There’s various pieces like wings in the surrounding water which make a splendid playground for the pretty coloured fish.

There’s not much on the island now. The remants of Lederland are there to see, there’s a well at the top of a hill, the water is fine for washing, but drinking it isn’t advisable. According to a fishing boat captain we met, the dock is safe to tie up to, but watch where you step.

The best thing about the island is MacDuff’s. MacDuff maintains the airstrip and has built himself a small paradise. He’s got a couple of cabins for rent and the bar. The combination of airstrip and cabins makes MacDuff’s a most popular destination with flyboys. The fact that he has the only cheeseburgers for many islands around makes him a most popular destination with cruisers.

The anchorage is a great spot to spend a couple of days just hanging out, swinging on the hook. Up at the north end, there’s a series of tidal pools. This is the ‘conch nursery’. There are thousands of baby conch just waiting to grow up and be fritters. And in a storm, the holding is good. But that’s another story.