Marsh Harbor

Makai pulled into Marsh Harbor, dropped anchor, went to the grocery store and listened to the weather.  Another front was coming but we would be all right for the night at anchor however we needed to check into getting a slip in a marina due to the high winds expected.  We made reservations at Marsh Harbor Marina  for the next morning taking advantage of their current special of 65 cents a foot for dockage.  Water and electric was an added extra.  After getting settled, we walked the docks and visited with our friends Muffin and Will from "Antares" and Sue and Ian on "Kokopelli".  Being on the north side of the harbor opposite from downtown, you either take the dingy, walk, or ride a bike about 2 miles into town. Great exercise especially since it is not all flat...there are actually hills --- hills large enough that Ed and I had to actually walk the bike up! 
 On Wednesday nights, the marina restaurant (Jib Room) has their famous rib night. Dinner included bbq ribs, potato salad, cole slaw, baked beans and a dinner roll. Our dinner was great with ribs that were tender and great tasting. The entertainment was a rake and scrape band and a limbo dancer.  What fun we had under the stars even if it was a bit chilly!

 On Saturday night we may try the steak dinner with a one pound steak. That night a front has brought thunderstorms and winds gusting up to 40 knots.  We did have a night of rocking and rolling as the waves came in.  Captain Ed was out in the rain at 3 am adjusting the lines as the tide was exceptionally high. 


Marsh Harbor is the largest town in the Abacos, having over 5000 residents,  one of the largest grocery stores in the islands complete with fresh meats and a small deli department.  There are several marinas, a hardware store, several restaurants, marine store, laundromat,  churches and an airport.  The anchorage in the harbor is large, well protected and good holding in mostly 6 to 8 feet of water. Alot of cruisers make this their home for 3-4 months as everything you need is right here!

Passage to the Abacos

After we bid our farewells to Leroy, Ole' Pot and the gang at the Spanish Wells marina, Makai was free from her slip and heading to Royal Island for an overnight stay in anticipation of the crossing to the Abacos.  Despite the rumors of major construction of condos, Jack Nicholas golf course, marina and hotel on Royal Island, we felt the need to check it out and look over the anchorage.  As we pulled into the anchorage area we saw 3 other sailboats were already at anchor and then we noticed all the heavy equipment, construction trailers and vehicles running around.  We wanted a nice quiet evening and this was not going to the place for that, so onward we went.  Egg Island is only a short distance so we decided that would be our destination.  We dropped anchor close to shore with nothing around but the deep blue sea and beautiful blue sky. After a nice quiet relaxing night we awoke to Chris Parker with the weather at 6:30 am.  Forecast was for very light north winds and little chop on the waters.  The anchor was up at 6:45 am and we were on our way to the Abacos.  Little Egg Island cut was no problem other than watching out for coral heads.  With light winds of about 10 knots coming directly at us and gentle swells of six feet or so, we had to motor the 50 plus mile trip maintaining of speed of 6 1/2 knots making the trip in 8 hours.  Surprisingly as we traveled through the Northeast Providence Channel and Atlantic Ocean we only encountered 4 freighters and 3 other sailboats passing us by heading the other direction.  At 2:30 p.m. Eva yelled "Land Ho" as the island came into view.   Within an hour or so, we were approaching the Little Harbor Channel/Cut and Lynard Cay. This area can get really rough under some weather conditions but today was great. We picked our spot and anchored for the evening with 12 other boats in the vicinity.  We will stay in the Abaco Island chain (northern Bahamas) for the remainder of our voyage, before heading to the states. The Abaco Islands is a beautiful destination for cruisers. It is situated in the northern region of Bahamas and consist the big islands of Little Abaco and Great Abaco. Among Abacos' smaller but popular cruiser havens include Great Guana Cay, Treasure Cay, Sandy Point, Moore's Island, Green Turtle Cay, Hopetown and Man-o'-War Cay. 
Not far from the eastern coast of Florida, these beautiful islands are easy to reach as a final destination with mostly protected waters.  These islands are also considered to be one of the best places for inexperienced or first time cruisers. They are both close to the U.S. mainland, and full of plenty of ports and easy-to-find sites. And, of course, the ocean in this part of the Caribbean is usually always sunny and warm, however this year the weather has been somewhat different as in the U.S.. Cold fronts have been marching in one after the other causing cooler then normal temperatures and much higher winds of 30-40 + knots with squalls blowing to 70 knots as reported in some areas. A good anchor and chain setup is required. There are also many marinas to tie up in a blow and some mooring balls in various locations.  Our main anchor is a Mason Supreme with 220 feet of 5/16 chain and an additional 180 feet of 5/8 line.  We have found this anchor for our needs to be highly effective in the Bahamas and way better then a  Delta, or Bruce as we used before.  We do carry a Bruce side by side to the Manson Supreme http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVoYc0dL124     and a Fortress as an emergency 3rd anchor if needed.

  

Spanish Wells

Makai left the mooring ball at Hatchet Bay and had an enjoyable motoring trip to Spanish Wells via Current Cut between Eleuthera Island and Current Island.  Current cut can have some strong currents at maximum flood or ebb so checking the tide tables is a help.  The cut is wide and very deep making the passage easy and safe.  The winds for the entire day were very light and the water was almost flat.  We are staying at Spanish Wells Yacht Haven Marina ($1.50 foot, $5 day elect., 15 cents gal. water, $5 internet) for a few days while we enjoy this island as we did last year.


Spanish Wells is noted for fishing and produces 72% of the nations annual production of spiny lobster that is exported worldwide.  The settlement also has the most well-built, well-cared for, brightly colored homes with real grass, flower beds of english roses and fruit trees all meticulously cared for by the owners who are mainly English and American.  There are very few Bahamians who actually live on the island.


With a population of  1,500, they have 3 churches, a medical clinic, an all age school, a government building with post office and customs, 3 grocery stores, 8 restaurants and few gas stations. An assortment of variety stores are trying to make a go of it.  There is only 1 marina and 8 mooring balls in the harbor.  You may choose to anchor outside the harbor, but the holding is only fair and you are not protected from the winds in all directions.   The island is "dry," so don't expect a beer or glass of wine with your dinner unless you purchase it on one of the other islands.  


 From noon to 1:30pm  all the businesses close down for lunch.  They also are closed for half a day on Wednesdays and all day on Sundays  so you better plan you're shopping!  There are few cars - most people get around with their golf carts.

Being an island of fresh fish, we decided on fresh lobster tails for dinner.  Ed made the most delicious seductive dinner imaginable.  Lobster Tail Thermidor with fresh broccoli and sliced lemon for a hint of citrus.  The wine of choice was a bottle of Black Tower Riesling 2007.

   

 There happens to be a Florida Manatee who lost his way in the harbor  with residents feeding them all kinds of food from lettuce to peanuts right next to a fuel dock. The food was floating on the water with some fuel that spilled with the manatee eating.  This is not a normal place for them to be and not the diet they are used to.  If this animal does not leave the area he most probably will not live a long life from eating handouts from the residents.  

And who ever thought you would see ring neck pheasants in the Bahamas??? 

They are well cared for but they clip the wings so they can't fly off!

Governor's Habor

Makai didn't have the opportunity to anchor in Governor's Harbor due to the weather, but while at Hatchet Bay, we decided to go and visit while we were still so close.  One mode of transportation in the islands is hitchhiking since there is no public transportation...so, Ed put out his thumb and before you know it, we had a ride with a nice young girl who was on her way to work in Governor's Harbor which is about 25 miles south of our location.  She talked about living and working on the island and her plans to one day visit the states.  We arrived at our "drop off point" and she suggested several great places for lunch.  Governor's Harbor is one of the largest settlements in Eleuthera and has some of the highest hills!  

We started by first looking over the anchorage area but not a boat in sight due to the weather and direction of the winds. Then we walked through the settlement cemetery which dated back to the early 1800s and the church beside it.  The Government building as in other settlements, houses the customs, post office, magistrate, and several other agencies with the police station and fire station next door.  There are several small clothing stores where you can purchase souvenir tee shirts but not much more.  For lunch we chose a deli that our "driver" recommended.        

 Our order was a genoa salami sub that came with french fries. You rarely see luncheon meats on the island so this was a true find!  We then proceed up what they call Balteco hill to get a view of the sound and the Atlantic.  Breathtaking!!!  And it seems to be the prime location for the larger more expensive homes.  There is an old vacant Club Med, but the walk to it was a little further than what we were game for that particular day.  We had a great time sightseeing, but as the day wore on, we decided that we needed to find a way back to our boat or we would be walking until dark.  We walked for a few minutes to get to the edge of the settlement and then decided it was time for Ed to do his magic again with his thumb and as soon as it was out, a small pickup truck stopped. We both looked at each other and said - let's go for it and we climbed into the bed of the truck!  We laughed so hard as the wind blew in our faces and we watched the clouds go by!

 Everyday is an adventure never knowing who you will meet or where you will end up!  The islanders here are as on other Bahamian Islands very hospitable.  It is always a "good morning" and "are you enjoying our Island"?  People here are always willing to help and as on some other islands, have never seen a small dog like our RyLee.  We are asked by many... is that a dog?  We feel that any small dog like RyLee running loose here might end up on the grill for dinner.  Governor's Harbour is a place not to be missed by any cruising boat.

Alice Town/Hatchet Bay

Weather is so unpredictable!  One day you have squalls and wind of 40 knots and the next day, when you want the wind to fill your sails --- you have none!  After 3 days of high winds and storms we were able to leave Rock Sound and head to Governor's Harbor, but en-route decided to go to Alicetown/Hatchet Bay for the next front that is to arrive.  Hatchet Bay is considered one of the safest harbors in the islands. 

 The entrance into a land locked lake was man made by cutting into the limestone cliffs.  There are 12 government installed mooring balls, 2 of which were empty so we grabbed the line of one and tied Makai onto it, dropped the dingy from the davits into the water and took Rylee for his much needed walk.  Onshore we met Kathy and Bill from "Hale Kai" who informed us as to the location of the grocery store, laundry, bread making house, and internet cafe.  They have been here on a mooring ball for 2 months so know the area very well.  We also met up with Sue and Earl from "My Bonnie" who were with us on a mooring ball back in November in Vero Beach, FL.  They had left before us and were hoping to be in Puerto Rico by now, but have had numerous engine problems which have kept them in the area.

The following day, after we did 3 loads of laundry and followed up with a great lunch at the Water's Edge, we took our evening walk.  As we walked down one street we noticed a large group of people standing around.  When we got closer there was a black hearse and many plastic flowers for a funeral at the house (fresh flowers are unavailable).  Here on the smaller islands, there are no funeral homes so you have the choice of being laid out in your home or your church. Families usually don't use fancy expensive caskets, but plain Bahamian made wooden boxes. Retail caskets have to be shipped in from Nassau.  The families of the deceased hold a wake the evening before the funeral and another get together after the graveside burial.  Mourners commemorate the deceased by celebrating.


The island of Eleuthera is very green and lush and at one time was home to chicken farms and cows grazing in the pastures.  Now, there are only remnants of what once was.  The same fate applied to the cotton fields - gone with only wanderers left.  We during a walk had an encounter with a few white cows walking the side of the road.  They stopped as we approached and we noticed their horns (looked almost like a Bull), so we just let them be and we retreated to safer pastures.

The school children attend an all age school with outside doors to each small classroom.  There are no large budgets for schools on the islands and it shows in the building construction.  The students are so very polite and must wear uniforms to classes.  

Rock Sound. Eleuthera

The local neighborhood

Rylee and Eva taking a walk...

 Blue Hole Park

 The grocery/variety store St. Anne's Catholic School

Rock Sound. Eleuthera

We pulled up anchor from Little San Salvadore/Half Moon Bay shortly after 7:15 am and within minutes saw another cruise ship heading our way with more guests to enjoy the island, but with a sailboat and the weather changing it was time for us to find some protection and we headed to Rock Sound.  As we left the anchorage sea conditions were 6 feet on top of 8-10 foot rollers (unlike the weather forecast) making it a brisk ride to our new destination with 18-20 knot winds behind us.  Sailing with the wind and seas behind you is the way to go and it sometimes can make you believe sea conditions are not as bad as they are. It is always a good idea to turn around and see what kind of wind and waves you are really sailing in. We knew we would only have to deal with these conditions for 2-3 hours with the open Atlantic between the islands and then we would have some protection from the "Whales Tail" section of Eleuthera.  The waves and wind did calm down but not by much.  We tried to stay ahead of the squalls but did encounter one giving us some rain (a free boat-wash) and winds gusting up to 25 knots. 
 The flying fish were having a great time flying from one wave to another.  Rylee on the other had was literally sick as a dog.  He was very anxious as we rocked from side to side.  The anchorage at Rock sound is quite large and can hold a number of boats but to our surprise, we have the anchorage to ourselves!  Have no idea where the boats are, but they aren't here which is nice for a change.

Little San Salvadore/Half Moon Bay

Sometimes things just don't go as you had planned. Our trip to Little San Salvador Island as an example.  We left Cat Island and had a wonderful day on the Exuma sound with full sails hoisted.  As we approached our destination, Little San Salvador we noticed a cruise ship. We weren't alarmed as this flat sandy 5 mile long island was purchased in 1997 by Holland America Cruise Lines and renamed it Half Moon Bay.  We also noticed two other sailboats, Dream Seeker and Osprey at anchor.  So we pulled in closed to them and further from the cruise ship and dropped anchor.  The ships make this a day stop from 8 am to 4 p.m. and hundreds of people get off the ship to enjoy a day in paradise with activities such as horse back riding, parasailing, kayaking, feeding and touching the stingray, purchasing souvenirs from the straw market or just enjoy the beautiful beach.  We put the dingy in the water and proceeded to take Rylee for a walk on shore.  We took a short walk and figured we would wait for tomorrow where we would enjoy the beach and the island with the cruise ship gone.  That wasn't to be!  After a night of waves splashing against the sides of the boat and rocking all night, Ed checked the weather and felt that we needed to move on.  We normally have a choice of when we move but the weather conditions had changed and were only to get worse.  The island has no protection in anything but east winds. It's only anchorage is on the west side which faces miles of open water on the Exuma Sound and its East side is no place to travel to as it is littered with coral heads and reefs.  Our day of enjoying the white sandy beach and exploring the island suddenly came to an abrupt stop! But there's always next year.