Hope Town Harbour, Abacos, Bahamas

Saturday, March 27, 2010
Royal Island Harbour, Eluthera

We are nestled in a great little anchorage just west of Spanish Wells, Eleuthra. It is a well protected harbour under development, but still accessible.

There is a small weather window to cross the Northeast Providence Channel to the Abacos, our final destination in the Bahamas. We have decided not to go into Spanish Wells and then, one of the boats we met in the anchorage - Flextime, has to go in for fuel and water, so we hitch a ride along with Murray and Heather from Windswept IV.

It’s a fun cruise in and as we approach the dock, a manatee decides to play just in front of our boat. It took a while to convince the manatee we did not want to play. Eventually we tied up and while Bob and Jane got their fuel, we walked the 3 blocks across the island.

Bob and Jane have a strict regime of taking fuel into portable containers, checking for contamination / water in the fuel. Once satisfied, they transfer the fuel to the main tank. It may seem like a complicated process, but nothing compared to getting a tank full of contaminated fuel.

Back at the anchorage, we went fishing and we all caught a small lobster as the season was drawing to a close. Sojourn hosted happy hour. We prepared our lobster on the grill. Heather prepared a curry lobster and Bob and Jane brought cheese.

Actually, most happy hours have enough food to count as dinner. That probably explains why we gained a few pounds during the last week or two. Cause it could not have been the rum.

Monday, March 29, 2010
Lynyard Cay, Abacos

We made the crossing in 2 groups. A group that had already assembled at Spanish Wells and the 3 of us - Windswept, Flextime and Sojourn.

It was a windy day we sailed, motored and motor-sailed, getting to the Abacos late in the afternoon. The inlets to the Abacos all come straight in from the Atlantic and can be rough. The wind direction made the entrance at Little Harbour manageable, but it was a little unnerving watching the waves break on both sides of the inlet. They were great surfing waves - not really intended for sailboats.

The next day we move up to Boat Harbour, south of Marsh Harbour.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Boat Harbour, Abacos

In the early 80’s we had a sailing school - Passages - out of Hamilton, ON. We were teaching Basic Cruising Skills to adults and many of the students wanted to take the Intermediate program. Since we only had 2 smaller boats, we could not offer the live aboard instruction during the summer.

During once session, I suggested we teach ‘down south’ during the winter. The response was immediate and very positive.

I contacted a company in the Bahamas that operated out of Marsh Harbour - Bahamas Yachting Services - and ended up chartering 6 boats from them. We taught in the Abacos for several years and also filmed part of “Set Your Sails” (PBS and TVOntario) there as well.

It was good to be back to Marsh Harbour after so many years. Things, of course, had changed, updated and improved. But it was fun just the same.

L to R Murray, Heather, Bob and Jane - Canadian Friends

We re-stocked and re-provisioned and bumped into our friends Tita and Corning from Blessed Spirit. They were just finishing up in the Abacos and preparing to head back to the US.

The next day we sailed to Hope Town on Elbow Cay.

Thursday, April 1, 2010
Hope Town Cay, Abaco

I loved going to Hope Town. It is a beautiful. The harbour was crowded. You cannot anchor there anymore (not like 30 years ago). Of course more people are sailing and cruising now. I guess that is partly my fault. After all, between the Canadian Yachting Association and the American Sailing Association, we trained so many instructors and they trained so many students that having trouble anchoring was inevitable.

We rented a golf cart with Bob and Jane from Flextime and went all the way down to Tahiti Beach. What a beautiful beach.

Mary and Jane at Tahiti Beach - Elbow Cay, Bahamas

We climbed the candy-striped light house and had a great view of Hope Town Harbour. You can see for yourself from the pictures.

Saturday, April 3, 2010
Man o’ War Cay, Abacos

After 2 days in Hope Town we sailed up to Man o’ War Cay, home of the Albury boat works. I think they are on their 3rd or 4th generation of building boats for the Bahamian fishing business.

It was Sunday. The Cay is ‘dry’. We walked and then went back to the anchorage for a swim. Oh - but I bought my conch horn there.  It’s a tradition in the Bahamas to blow the conch horn at the moment of sunset and a calling an answering would begin from  the boats at the anchorage.  Fun to be a part of it.

Sunday, April 4, 2010
Fishers Bay, Great Guana Cay, Abaco

Easter Sunday and the annual underwater easter egg hunt at Nipper’s Bar. It was great. There was a deep water (snorkel) for older ‘kids’, a shallower one for mid-sized kids and on on-beach for little kids.

Lunch was a pig roast with plenty of food and drink. We waddled back to the dinghy. Good thing it holds four, because Mary and I ate a lot!

Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Bakers Bay, Great Guana, Abaco

What a beautiful anchorage. Am I repeating myself? The Abacos is one beautiful anchorage after another.

For a short time one of the major cruise lines came in to this bay as a beach stop. The channel marks are there still there, although a few have sunk and pose a bit of a threat - but only if you hit them. There is a major marina development here and we went ashore. The girls walked the beach and I drove straight to the waterfront bar in the marina to take advantage of the wifi.

There is one area of the Abacos that poses a bit of a challenge. Whale Cay is set out into the Atlantic and has a large shoal behind it, so most boats have to transit the Whale Cay Passage to get around. When the wind blows opposite the tidal current, the water can get rough, so rough that it is impassible.

Unfortunately, it happens often enough that boats have to spend a day or two, sometimes longer, waiting for the right wind and current to go to the Northern Abacos. Also, unfortunately, ‘the Whale’ as it is called, has taken on mythical proportions and that is all they talk about for the week or two prior to setting out. On a dead calm day at slack water we heard people checking the state of ‘the Whale’.

Thursday, April 8, 2010
Coco Bay, Green Turtle Turtle Cay, Abaco

We sailed into a day anchorage off of New Plymouth on Green Turtle Cay. We took a little walk around and had lunch at the Wrecking Tree Restaurant. ‘Wrecking’ was a major past time in the Bahamas and was actually a recognized and taxed undertaking. Locals would extinguish the legitimate navigation lights and set fires in an area, so that when a mariner mistook the fire for the navigation light, the ship would wreck on a reef that was relatively easy for the locals to access - claiming both the booty and increasing their population with the survivors.

That afternoon, we sailed to Coco Bay. It has to rank as one of the prettiest anchorages in the Abacos. Clear water surrounded by lush tropical palms and white beaches. This is what we came here for. That and no snow.

Friday, April 9, 2010
Bluff House Marina, Green Turtle Turtle Cay, Abaco

Weather is looking a little rough for the next week. While Flextime and Windswept IV head north for protection at Munjack Cay, we head for the Bluff House Marina in White Sound, Green Turtle Cay.

Since this is a working trip and we have a deadline with a client, this is an ideal time to put in, plug in, connect to the net (and enjoy the pool). In fact, what a deal. Since things are slow at the marina, they institute a docking for dollars program. Basically, anything we consume at the bar, restaurant or in the shops will be credited to our docking. Result - a dock with great WiFi for no ‘extra’ charge. We ate out twice and hosted a get together for all of the boats (and some of the Inn’s guests) on the sunset deck of the marina. Everyone bought their first drink at the bar (to say thank you for the use of the deck) and brought their own appies and drinks.

Thursday, April 15, 2010
Powell Cay, Abaco

Passage time. Another anchorage and another few miles closer to Florida and the trip home.

Because of the tremendous number of cold fronts - often 2 each week, the windows of opportunity to cross the Gulf Stream are infrequent. We wrestle with the decision to stay an extra week or two or cross with our friends. With InformedBoater calling us come, we elect to head north.

Friday, April 16, 2010
Great Sale Cay, Abaco

This is the big jumping off point for Florida. There are at least 20 boats in the anchorage, each with a different destination. Many Canadians keep their boats in Florida or Georgia for the summer and play golf - returning in the fall or after winter to head back to the Bahamas.

For us it is round trip. We are heading back to Lake Ontario and trying to decide where we want to live. (Remember we sold our condo before leaving, knowing we were not moving back to Toronto.)

The trip is a day, a night and part of a day - crossing the Little Bahama Bank, across the Gulf Stream and then into Cape Canaveral, FL.  Great crossing.  Calm seas and good wind to help our progress but motor sailed to keep our speed up.

We encountered several cruise ships and a freighter heading into Cape Canaveral as well. Two of the boats had AIS (Automatic Identification Systems) that told what ship it was, its heading, speed and intended port. Members of the flotilla contacted the ships when our courses got too close.

Saturday, April 17, 2010
Cape Canaveral, FL

Arrived. Tired. Hungry. Eat, Sleep.

Next Chapter
Cape Canaveral to Annapolis