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| Trekker anchored in ECLSP |
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| Our offering on BooBoo Hil |
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| Bob and Sheila |
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| The anchorage in Warderick Wells. Trekker is the first boat. |
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| Shroud Beach |
Wednesday, 28 February 2018
Pictures from Exuma Cay and Land and Sea Park
Because we have not been in very good cell service I was unable to post pictures in the last blog post. Here are a few for your viewing pleasure!
Thursday, 15 February 2018
Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park
Exuma Cay Land and Sea Park (ECLSP)
(Due to poor cell service, pictures will follow!)
We have not been hiding from the world, but we have been in the ECLSP for the past week and a half, where there is no cell service except for two spots in Warderick Wells; on top of BooBoo Hill, and beside the park headquarters by the fire hydrant. Really! But I digress...
We left Highbourne Cay with Her Diamond and sailed down to an anchorage by Shroud Cay at the top of the ECLSP. The ECLSP is run by the Bahama National Trust, and is 176 square miles of pristine beauty, outstanding anchorages and unspoiled marine environment. Their goal is to preserve and protect this unique area. As they say, take only pictures, leave only bubbles.We picked up two mooring balls and settled in. Shroud Cay is a larger Island, but the majority of it’s interior consists of mangroves with a little river running through it. So one of our plans while there was to dinghy through the river. Since we arrived at low tide, and had been told that it gets pretty shallow in the river, we decided to wait for the next day for that adventure. So instead we dinghied along the shoreline and stopped at this amazing beach. We are discovering that the Exumas are full of little islands with uninhabited beaches everywhere. Paradise!
After a peaceful night we got ready for our dinghy ride through the mangroves. With lunch packed, water bottles filled, sunscreen on, we were off. We saw some wildlife, but not as much as hoped. There is a small arm off the main channel which leads to a small beach on the Exuma Sound side. We stopped for a walk, and found a path to the top of a hill where we had a wonderful view of the island.
The next day we headed to Warderick Wells, which is the main anchorage of ECLSP and where the headquarters are located. You must call and reserve the day ahead for a mooring ball as there is a limited number (21) and there is no anchoring allowed in the mooring field. Each day, once they know who is leaving, they assign balls to those on the waiting list. We were very lucky as there were four of us wanting to get in, and we were assigned balls close together. The anchorage is shaped like a horseshoe with a big sand bar in the middle. It is quite spectacular.
In between a couple of moorings is a wreck of a 42 foot sailboat that we snorkelled over. Hugh’s brother Adrian told us that it belonged to a friend of his. Apparently the boat was left with the generator running when the owner went to a friend’s boat for sundowners back in the 70’s. When he looked back at his boat it was engulfed in flames! There was nothing he could do but watch as it burned to the waterline and sank. After that story nobody in our group of four was willing to leave their boats with generators running!
We spent five nights there; partially because of the wonderful spot and partly because of those darn winds. A nicer place to be stuck I can’t imagine!
Over the days we hiked up to “BooBoo Hill” where you leave an offering to Neptune to ask for fair seas. It must be on wood, no plastic or non biodegradable things, with your boat name written on it and date. There is a huge pile of offerings and I can’t imagine the dates of the pieces on the bottom of the pile. Of course we all made offerings.
There are quite a few trails on the island, with one leading to building ruins of a loyalist family who settled there and tried to farm. Not sure what they were thinking as this is a pretty dry, barren place!
We also walked to the other side of the island to the “Slave Dip”.
One of the highlights was snorkeling. There was an area called the Coral Gardens near the mooring field. It was a big area of coral, with quite a few fish, but as we neared the edge of the garden, out from the bank came six HUGE spotted eagle rays, gliding right by us. They must have been at least six feet wide each if not more. The most amazing sight I have ever seen snorkeling. I wish I had the camera with me. We could also see them gliding by the boat in the anchorage every once in awhile, but seeing them underwater was so much better!
It’s amazing how time flies by when you are having fun! After five nights we decided it was time to move on south. It was a sad moment when we had to say good bye to Her Diamond. Bob and Sheila have decided to start heading back to Florida, so after six months of buddy boating together we parted ways. They have been excellent sailing partners and we will miss their company (and euchre matches, we parted tied, girls vs boys) very much. But I’m sure we will meet up again, either visiting over the summer or next winter in the Bahamas!
We sailed down to Cambridge Cay, still in the ECLSP, and took another mooring ball for a couple of nights. There are little beaches everywhere you look, and snorkel areas close by, one being called The Sea Aquarium. When you jump in the water you are immediately surrounded by little fish called sergeant majors, who I think are looking for food!
Aquila (Bill and Michael) have joined us and we will head down to Staniel Cay together for some very much needed provisions, water and laundry.
So far, it’s been a very interesting time here in the Exumas, as we are definitely living “off the grid” with no (or very little) internet, few stores and fewer marinas. The ECLSP is a “no take, no leave” area and about as remote as you can get. It makes you appreciate everything we take for granted at home. Water on the boat is limited, so showers are quick and dishes are washed once a day (mostly). We have learned to be super conservative using it, as you have to be aware of where the next spot is to fill up. Fresh produce has become very precious too, as there have been no stores for a week and a half. I think we are down to our last apple! I am getting very creative making “canned” meals. I am also trying to make my own bread. So far, it’s getting better each try! All part of the fun and challenge! Our wine and beer are holding up so far ... but we still have a few weeks to go!
So we are slowly working our way down the Exumas, with the larger town of George Town being our final southern destination, where we will pick up Alyssa and Steve for a week long visit. So exciting to have them join us and to be able to show them what we have been up to these past seven months! After they leave we will start heading north and slowly make our way back to the Abacos where Trevor and Kate will join us the first week of April.
Then back to Florida to put Trekker away for the summer.
But, that is weeks away, and we still have lots to discover ... one day at a time!
(Due to poor cell service, pictures will follow!)
We have not been hiding from the world, but we have been in the ECLSP for the past week and a half, where there is no cell service except for two spots in Warderick Wells; on top of BooBoo Hill, and beside the park headquarters by the fire hydrant. Really! But I digress...
We left Highbourne Cay with Her Diamond and sailed down to an anchorage by Shroud Cay at the top of the ECLSP. The ECLSP is run by the Bahama National Trust, and is 176 square miles of pristine beauty, outstanding anchorages and unspoiled marine environment. Their goal is to preserve and protect this unique area. As they say, take only pictures, leave only bubbles.We picked up two mooring balls and settled in. Shroud Cay is a larger Island, but the majority of it’s interior consists of mangroves with a little river running through it. So one of our plans while there was to dinghy through the river. Since we arrived at low tide, and had been told that it gets pretty shallow in the river, we decided to wait for the next day for that adventure. So instead we dinghied along the shoreline and stopped at this amazing beach. We are discovering that the Exumas are full of little islands with uninhabited beaches everywhere. Paradise!
After a peaceful night we got ready for our dinghy ride through the mangroves. With lunch packed, water bottles filled, sunscreen on, we were off. We saw some wildlife, but not as much as hoped. There is a small arm off the main channel which leads to a small beach on the Exuma Sound side. We stopped for a walk, and found a path to the top of a hill where we had a wonderful view of the island.
The next day we headed to Warderick Wells, which is the main anchorage of ECLSP and where the headquarters are located. You must call and reserve the day ahead for a mooring ball as there is a limited number (21) and there is no anchoring allowed in the mooring field. Each day, once they know who is leaving, they assign balls to those on the waiting list. We were very lucky as there were four of us wanting to get in, and we were assigned balls close together. The anchorage is shaped like a horseshoe with a big sand bar in the middle. It is quite spectacular.
In between a couple of moorings is a wreck of a 42 foot sailboat that we snorkelled over. Hugh’s brother Adrian told us that it belonged to a friend of his. Apparently the boat was left with the generator running when the owner went to a friend’s boat for sundowners back in the 70’s. When he looked back at his boat it was engulfed in flames! There was nothing he could do but watch as it burned to the waterline and sank. After that story nobody in our group of four was willing to leave their boats with generators running!
We spent five nights there; partially because of the wonderful spot and partly because of those darn winds. A nicer place to be stuck I can’t imagine!
Over the days we hiked up to “BooBoo Hill” where you leave an offering to Neptune to ask for fair seas. It must be on wood, no plastic or non biodegradable things, with your boat name written on it and date. There is a huge pile of offerings and I can’t imagine the dates of the pieces on the bottom of the pile. Of course we all made offerings.
There are quite a few trails on the island, with one leading to building ruins of a loyalist family who settled there and tried to farm. Not sure what they were thinking as this is a pretty dry, barren place!
We also walked to the other side of the island to the “Slave Dip”.
One of the highlights was snorkeling. There was an area called the Coral Gardens near the mooring field. It was a big area of coral, with quite a few fish, but as we neared the edge of the garden, out from the bank came six HUGE spotted eagle rays, gliding right by us. They must have been at least six feet wide each if not more. The most amazing sight I have ever seen snorkeling. I wish I had the camera with me. We could also see them gliding by the boat in the anchorage every once in awhile, but seeing them underwater was so much better!
It’s amazing how time flies by when you are having fun! After five nights we decided it was time to move on south. It was a sad moment when we had to say good bye to Her Diamond. Bob and Sheila have decided to start heading back to Florida, so after six months of buddy boating together we parted ways. They have been excellent sailing partners and we will miss their company (and euchre matches, we parted tied, girls vs boys) very much. But I’m sure we will meet up again, either visiting over the summer or next winter in the Bahamas!
We sailed down to Cambridge Cay, still in the ECLSP, and took another mooring ball for a couple of nights. There are little beaches everywhere you look, and snorkel areas close by, one being called The Sea Aquarium. When you jump in the water you are immediately surrounded by little fish called sergeant majors, who I think are looking for food!
Aquila (Bill and Michael) have joined us and we will head down to Staniel Cay together for some very much needed provisions, water and laundry.
So far, it’s been a very interesting time here in the Exumas, as we are definitely living “off the grid” with no (or very little) internet, few stores and fewer marinas. The ECLSP is a “no take, no leave” area and about as remote as you can get. It makes you appreciate everything we take for granted at home. Water on the boat is limited, so showers are quick and dishes are washed once a day (mostly). We have learned to be super conservative using it, as you have to be aware of where the next spot is to fill up. Fresh produce has become very precious too, as there have been no stores for a week and a half. I think we are down to our last apple! I am getting very creative making “canned” meals. I am also trying to make my own bread. So far, it’s getting better each try! All part of the fun and challenge! Our wine and beer are holding up so far ... but we still have a few weeks to go!
So we are slowly working our way down the Exumas, with the larger town of George Town being our final southern destination, where we will pick up Alyssa and Steve for a week long visit. So exciting to have them join us and to be able to show them what we have been up to these past seven months! After they leave we will start heading north and slowly make our way back to the Abacos where Trevor and Kate will join us the first week of April.
Then back to Florida to put Trekker away for the summer.
But, that is weeks away, and we still have lots to discover ... one day at a time!
Sunday, 4 February 2018
Eleuthera to Exumas!!
Spanish Wells to Highbourne Cay
We did leave Spanish Wells on Wednesday in a flotilla of about five boats all headed for the dreaded Current Cut. We had been advised to be very cautious going through, as like most cuts down here, they can get pretty nasty if you do not get through with the right current and winds. Believe me, I dream about this stuff we talk about it so much!! But planning is Hugh's thing, so I know I am in good hands.
So we got through Current Cut with no issues and then started heading south down the coast of Eleuthera. We were traveling with Her Diamond and had talked about anchoring in some little cove along the shore, but once we started heading down we quickly realized with the bigger than predicted winds and waves (of course) that the best place to go would be straight to the bottom and into Rock Sound Harbour. Which is what we did.
Rock Sound Harbour is a large, well protected harbour with a small town. We anchored in sand and made sure the anchor was well set, and settled in for a couple of days. Since we have been in marinas so much it was a pleasure to anchor again. Although I am really missing our lovely fresh water lakes. The salt water gets very nasty and the boat gets so crusty once it dries ... its something we are not used to and when we get into a marina the first thing Hugh does is wash down the boat.
We spent three nights in Rock Sound. Thursday we walked up to an Ocean Hole that apparently is 600 feet deep and somewhere below goes out to the ocean. It was full of fish and we had been told to take bread to feed them. We all did and by the end I think they were pretty full!
We walked down the Main Street and went into a couple of stores. Then Hugh and I returned to the boat to get ready to go out for dinner. One of the things suggested by the cruising guides, as well as people we had talked to, was to go to dinner at Rosie's. The restaurant is actually called Nort' Side Restaurant but it is owned and run by Rosie, so everyone calls it that. It is a couple of miles from town, across the island to the Atlantic side. When you call to a make a reservation she arranges to pick you up and drive you there and back. She also takes your order ahead of time so she can get everything ready. The choices were fish (snapper), conch, chicken or pork chops. We also had a choice of sides, which were coleslaw, mac'n'cheese, rice'n'peas (always!) and plantain. Hugh and I ordered one of each to share. Seven of us from the anchorage all went together. Rosie met us at the government dock, where we could tie up our dinghies, and took us over to her place in two trips. While we were waiting for the second load we watched a local fisherman cut up his daily catch of fish.
The road to Rosie's is pretty rough, but once we got there, very worth it. It really is just her house, and the front porch has been converted to a dining room, with a little bar area built on the side. It has a beautiful view of a lovely sand beach and we would have watched the sunset if it hadn't been so cloudy! We all enjoyed our dinners, and had a lovely time getting to know new cruisers who had come along with us.
Friday morning Hugh spent in the water doing some maintenance on the propeller (replacing zincs for fellow sailors) and then we dinghied to shore and walked over to the grocery store to take a look. We don't realize how lucky we are at home, to have everything available whenever we want it. Here, everything gets shipped in on a barge, usually once a week, and if you don't time it right the fresh produce is gone. Today was our lucky day as the fresh produce had just been put out on the shelf, and there was an actual sign that told people when it would be stocked. We bought a few things and headed back to the boat.
Hugh had decided that he would go back into the water and try to clean the boat bottom as it was growing some weedy stuff after being in the water for seven months which the poor thing is not used to, as well as being in salt water! So in he hopped and proceeded to clean the bottom, with me on the boat as lifeguard. He must have been in the water for about an hour, and despite the fact that we are in the Bahamas the water is still cool, and when he finally got out I'm pretty sure he had a slight case of hypothermia. Silly stubborn man, his wet suit was in the cupboard! So I tucked him into bed, with three blankets, a toque and a cup of hot tea to try to stop the shivering, which took a while. Lesson learned!! But we did eventually make it to happy hour!
Since we felt we had seen all we needed to in Rock Sound, it was time to move on. Saturday morning we left with Her Diamond and headed a short distance (two hours) to Cape Eleuthera Marina for a night to get ready for the jump over to The Exumas. Laundry, water top up and boost the batteries and we were ready to go first thing Sunday morning. Once again the timing was an issue and another cut needed to be entered, this one from the Exuma Sound (very deep) into the Exuma Bank. (very shallow). Once onto the Exuma Bank it is much easier and calmer to hop down the Exuma Chain. This chain is made up of many many little islands (Cays), with hundreds of anchorages and coves to tuck into and explore. It is not very populated, and towns and stores are few and far between. It is approximately 100 miles from top to bottom. But this was our goal, to get to the Exumas, on this trip and we have made it! Its very exciting!!
So we made it through the cut, with a squall hitting us just before entering it, so we waited for it to pass, and made our way through. It was a little "narly" as we had missed slack tide so had a 3 knot current against us, but once through we were greeted with water so turquoise, a picture doesn't do it justice!
Tomorrow we will start heading down the chain, going into the Exuma Land and Sea Park for a few days. This is a protected area, with no fishing and "no take" which means you are not allowed to take anything, shells, etc, dead or alive. Also no stores or cell service!! Can't wait!
We are looking forward to exploring the Exumas ... one day at a time.
We did leave Spanish Wells on Wednesday in a flotilla of about five boats all headed for the dreaded Current Cut. We had been advised to be very cautious going through, as like most cuts down here, they can get pretty nasty if you do not get through with the right current and winds. Believe me, I dream about this stuff we talk about it so much!! But planning is Hugh's thing, so I know I am in good hands.
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| Current Cut |
So we got through Current Cut with no issues and then started heading south down the coast of Eleuthera. We were traveling with Her Diamond and had talked about anchoring in some little cove along the shore, but once we started heading down we quickly realized with the bigger than predicted winds and waves (of course) that the best place to go would be straight to the bottom and into Rock Sound Harbour. Which is what we did.
Rock Sound Harbour is a large, well protected harbour with a small town. We anchored in sand and made sure the anchor was well set, and settled in for a couple of days. Since we have been in marinas so much it was a pleasure to anchor again. Although I am really missing our lovely fresh water lakes. The salt water gets very nasty and the boat gets so crusty once it dries ... its something we are not used to and when we get into a marina the first thing Hugh does is wash down the boat.
We spent three nights in Rock Sound. Thursday we walked up to an Ocean Hole that apparently is 600 feet deep and somewhere below goes out to the ocean. It was full of fish and we had been told to take bread to feed them. We all did and by the end I think they were pretty full!
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| Ocean Hole |
We walked down the Main Street and went into a couple of stores. Then Hugh and I returned to the boat to get ready to go out for dinner. One of the things suggested by the cruising guides, as well as people we had talked to, was to go to dinner at Rosie's. The restaurant is actually called Nort' Side Restaurant but it is owned and run by Rosie, so everyone calls it that. It is a couple of miles from town, across the island to the Atlantic side. When you call to a make a reservation she arranges to pick you up and drive you there and back. She also takes your order ahead of time so she can get everything ready. The choices were fish (snapper), conch, chicken or pork chops. We also had a choice of sides, which were coleslaw, mac'n'cheese, rice'n'peas (always!) and plantain. Hugh and I ordered one of each to share. Seven of us from the anchorage all went together. Rosie met us at the government dock, where we could tie up our dinghies, and took us over to her place in two trips. While we were waiting for the second load we watched a local fisherman cut up his daily catch of fish.
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Fisherman's catch with Rosie |
The road to Rosie's is pretty rough, but once we got there, very worth it. It really is just her house, and the front porch has been converted to a dining room, with a little bar area built on the side. It has a beautiful view of a lovely sand beach and we would have watched the sunset if it hadn't been so cloudy! We all enjoyed our dinners, and had a lovely time getting to know new cruisers who had come along with us.
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| (L-R) Bob, Sheila, Hugh, Madeline, Karen, Roy and Tony |
Friday morning Hugh spent in the water doing some maintenance on the propeller (replacing zincs for fellow sailors) and then we dinghied to shore and walked over to the grocery store to take a look. We don't realize how lucky we are at home, to have everything available whenever we want it. Here, everything gets shipped in on a barge, usually once a week, and if you don't time it right the fresh produce is gone. Today was our lucky day as the fresh produce had just been put out on the shelf, and there was an actual sign that told people when it would be stocked. We bought a few things and headed back to the boat.
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| The produce is in! |
Hugh had decided that he would go back into the water and try to clean the boat bottom as it was growing some weedy stuff after being in the water for seven months which the poor thing is not used to, as well as being in salt water! So in he hopped and proceeded to clean the bottom, with me on the boat as lifeguard. He must have been in the water for about an hour, and despite the fact that we are in the Bahamas the water is still cool, and when he finally got out I'm pretty sure he had a slight case of hypothermia. Silly stubborn man, his wet suit was in the cupboard! So I tucked him into bed, with three blankets, a toque and a cup of hot tea to try to stop the shivering, which took a while. Lesson learned!! But we did eventually make it to happy hour!
Since we felt we had seen all we needed to in Rock Sound, it was time to move on. Saturday morning we left with Her Diamond and headed a short distance (two hours) to Cape Eleuthera Marina for a night to get ready for the jump over to The Exumas. Laundry, water top up and boost the batteries and we were ready to go first thing Sunday morning. Once again the timing was an issue and another cut needed to be entered, this one from the Exuma Sound (very deep) into the Exuma Bank. (very shallow). Once onto the Exuma Bank it is much easier and calmer to hop down the Exuma Chain. This chain is made up of many many little islands (Cays), with hundreds of anchorages and coves to tuck into and explore. It is not very populated, and towns and stores are few and far between. It is approximately 100 miles from top to bottom. But this was our goal, to get to the Exumas, on this trip and we have made it! Its very exciting!!
So we made it through the cut, with a squall hitting us just before entering it, so we waited for it to pass, and made our way through. It was a little "narly" as we had missed slack tide so had a 3 knot current against us, but once through we were greeted with water so turquoise, a picture doesn't do it justice!
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| Turquoise water! |
Tomorrow we will start heading down the chain, going into the Exuma Land and Sea Park for a few days. This is a protected area, with no fishing and "no take" which means you are not allowed to take anything, shells, etc, dead or alive. Also no stores or cell service!! Can't wait!
We are looking forward to exploring the Exumas ... one day at a time.
Monday, 29 January 2018
Spanish Wells and Eleuthera by car
Spanish Wells.
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade ... that's what we have been doing while waiting out blow after blow in Spanish Wells.
Since visiting Harbour Island last Wednesday, we have rented a golf cart and toured Russell Island, including lunch with Christopher and Robin of Cerulean at Sandbar Restaurant.
Driving a golf cart in Spanish Wells is very entertaining. First, of course is remembering to drive on the left side of the road, including left turns against the curb and right turns across a lane of traffic (look right first!) Best, though, is that everyone gives a couple of fingers up wave as they pass. Such friendly folks!
We've been to happy hours at Wreckers, the restaurant at the marina and Buddha's a popular bar/restaurant. We even watched the Grammy's at Wreckers, nearly resulting in a brawl when the channel was changed from the Pro Bowl!
Saturday we had another adventure day, renting cars on Eleuthera and driving down to Governor's Harbour and back. Along the way we visited the Glass Window, once a rock arch connecting north and south Eleuthera as well as the Atlantic to Exuma Sound. It was destroyed in a hurricane and has been replaced by a single lane bridge. The huge waves coming in off the Atlantic funnel into the cut and then foam out into the sound.
Next we stopped at the Queen's Bath where we saw some spectacular spray as the waves crashed against the shoreline.
Apparently you can sit in the Queen's Bath on calmer days, but Saturday I think you would have been washed away! Farther down the coast we stopped at the Front Porch Restaurant which our cruising guide says maintains moorings in Hatchet Bay, the only fully protected harbour on the west coast of Eleuthera. I spoke to the manager and he said that he wouldn't feel safe tying a matchbox to any of the moorings because they are not maintained! The restaurant looked nice though, and he said that one could anchor in mud over a "flat bottom". Next was a failed attempt to find James Cistern beach which is supposed to be good for shelling and then lunch at Tippy's.
Following lunch we went to the Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve which is maintained by the Bahamas National Trust. Unfortunately we didn't have time to tour the entire park, I expect it would take a couple of hours to do it justice. After a drive around Governor's Harbour and scoping out anchorages we headed back up the island. On the way we picked up some vegetables at a roadside stand and finished the day with a visit to Preachers Cave, the cave where the Eleutherans, seeking religious freedom from Bermuda, washed ashore after their ship wrecked on the Devils Backbone reef. A lectern shaped rock graces the entrance.
Today we visited the Spanish Wells Museum and were given a very informative history of Spanish Wells by Jean and Tom Goldson, boaters who now live in Spanish Wells.
When we aren't moving every day, it's a good opportunity to get chores done, one of which, for me, has been sealing the teak in the cockpit. I've now got it all done except for the forward seats. I'm using a product called Semco teak sealer that a marina neighbour in Leamington told me about. It only needs to be cleaned and a fresh coat applied once per year and in my humble opinion looks great!
Karen has done laundry and shopping and continues to turn out gourmet meals in spite of the slightly restricted choice of produce and fruits.
We hope as Chris Parker the weather guru said this morning that "we have paid our wind god dues" and that these winds will begin settling down soon. Many folks are planning on leaving for points south Wednesday, and we will likely join them. Hopefully then the easterly winds will settle in then so that we can find some calm anchorages along the west coast of Eleuthera.
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade ... that's what we have been doing while waiting out blow after blow in Spanish Wells.
Since visiting Harbour Island last Wednesday, we have rented a golf cart and toured Russell Island, including lunch with Christopher and Robin of Cerulean at Sandbar Restaurant.
 |
| Sandbar |
We've been to happy hours at Wreckers, the restaurant at the marina and Buddha's a popular bar/restaurant. We even watched the Grammy's at Wreckers, nearly resulting in a brawl when the channel was changed from the Pro Bowl!
Saturday we had another adventure day, renting cars on Eleuthera and driving down to Governor's Harbour and back. Along the way we visited the Glass Window, once a rock arch connecting north and south Eleuthera as well as the Atlantic to Exuma Sound. It was destroyed in a hurricane and has been replaced by a single lane bridge. The huge waves coming in off the Atlantic funnel into the cut and then foam out into the sound.
 |
| Atlantic side of the Glass Window |
 |
| Queen's Bath |
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| Hugh, Bob & Sheila at Tippy's |
Today we visited the Spanish Wells Museum and were given a very informative history of Spanish Wells by Jean and Tom Goldson, boaters who now live in Spanish Wells.
When we aren't moving every day, it's a good opportunity to get chores done, one of which, for me, has been sealing the teak in the cockpit. I've now got it all done except for the forward seats. I'm using a product called Semco teak sealer that a marina neighbour in Leamington told me about. It only needs to be cleaned and a fresh coat applied once per year and in my humble opinion looks great!
 |
| Semco sealed teak |
We hope as Chris Parker the weather guru said this morning that "we have paid our wind god dues" and that these winds will begin settling down soon. Many folks are planning on leaving for points south Wednesday, and we will likely join them. Hopefully then the easterly winds will settle in then so that we can find some calm anchorages along the west coast of Eleuthera.
Wednesday, 24 January 2018
Adventure day
Harbour Island
If you look at a map of Eleuthera, at the very top you will notice a series of islands that are not connected to each other. Spanish Wells is on St. Georges Cay which is about a half kilometer wide and 2.8 km long. In order to get anywhere else in the area you must first take a ferry to the main island of Eleuthera. Quite a few people told us that we should be sure to see Harbour Island, so yesterday was adventure day. With the help of two very nice girls in the marina office, Hugh and I arranged for our trip over. Not a straight forward trip!!
We met Bill and Michael at the government dock with Bob and Sheila to catch the 9:40 ferry, driven by Kason, the husband of one of the office girls. The ferry is not a big one, holding maybe a dozen or so people and runs continuously across the bay from Spanish Wells to Gene Bay, Eleuthera.
Once docked, we were greeted by our taxi driver, David, also arranged by the girls. He drove us across the island, about a 20 minute drive, to a landing, where we boarded another ferry, driven by Ovincent (but just call him Vincent, the "O" is silent). And then we were finally at Harbour Island! At the dock we rented two golf carts and were ready to explore the island. Armed with maps and a goal to see as much as possible, we set off.
First stop was the straw market just around the corner, where Sheila and Bill both bought straw hats. Did I mention it was the first beautiful, sunny, hot day we have had in a long time? That sure makes the spirit rise!! There were a few stores in this little strip along the shore, and one of them, selling very lovely (and super expensive) clothes was staffed by a Toronto girl! So of course we had to chat. This particular shop also sells its own rum, of which she had only one bottle, but with a little persuasion she opened it up and gave us all a sample (its noon somewhere). Great way to start the day!
Hugh had done some research about the island before hand, so as our unofficial guide he drove us around the island, stopping at little local stores along the way. The island reminded us slightly of Hope Town, with its colourful houses and narrow streets.
Next stop was the pink beach, where we walked along the shore, looking for sea glass and shells, but there were none at all. Nothing! The beach was not busy, even though there were two high end resorts lining the beachfront. Again we were reminded that it is considered low season, and with the weather lately I can understand why.
We also found the Lone Tree, which is a dead tree standing alone in the water, which you can walk to at low tide. Apparently this is a popular location for photo shoots (Sports Illustrated Swim Suit edition?).
After being on the beach and getting all sandy and damp, we climbed back into the carts and headed back down to the main harbour area in search of lunch. Bill and Michael had found a vegan restaurant, so they went there, and the one that had been recommended to us, right on the water, was overrun with flies. Eww. Not very appealing. So we went in search of somewhere else and ended up at Arthurs bakery where everyone was able to find something to their liking.
After lunch we toured the south part of the island, as far as we were able to go, as this is a very high end area with private communities where the large No Trespassing signs where very convincing! We ended up at Valentines, a very nice resort/marina, filled with mega-yachts, for a celebratory beer (of course) and then headed back to the ferry dock for the reverse rides home.
What was amazing was that each of the guys called the next guy ahead so they were all there waiting for us when we pulled in. All in all a very fun and entertaining day.
So, now on to our current situation. Eleuthera is a long and skinny island (110 miles long) with very few fully protected harbours or marinas along the west (non-Atlantic) coast. So no matter where we go from here it is longer sailing days and mostly anchoring, until you get to the very bottom tip of the island. And as I have mentioned before, weather controls our life. So, tomorrow a big front is coming in with winds ranging from 25-35 knots for the next week. Looks like we will be getting to know Spanish Wells very well! There will be four, maybe more, boats in the marina for the weather, so we will have lots of company. A pot luck has already been discussed, as well as a car rental to explore the island by car rather than boat. And I'm getting a much needed pedicure tomorrow!
Such is boating life! No plans are the best plans. Lets hope it calms down sooner rather than later, so we can keep going south.
More adventures to come ... one day at a time!
If you look at a map of Eleuthera, at the very top you will notice a series of islands that are not connected to each other. Spanish Wells is on St. Georges Cay which is about a half kilometer wide and 2.8 km long. In order to get anywhere else in the area you must first take a ferry to the main island of Eleuthera. Quite a few people told us that we should be sure to see Harbour Island, so yesterday was adventure day. With the help of two very nice girls in the marina office, Hugh and I arranged for our trip over. Not a straight forward trip!!
We met Bill and Michael at the government dock with Bob and Sheila to catch the 9:40 ferry, driven by Kason, the husband of one of the office girls. The ferry is not a big one, holding maybe a dozen or so people and runs continuously across the bay from Spanish Wells to Gene Bay, Eleuthera.
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| The first ferry ride with the gang |
Once docked, we were greeted by our taxi driver, David, also arranged by the girls. He drove us across the island, about a 20 minute drive, to a landing, where we boarded another ferry, driven by Ovincent (but just call him Vincent, the "O" is silent). And then we were finally at Harbour Island! At the dock we rented two golf carts and were ready to explore the island. Armed with maps and a goal to see as much as possible, we set off.
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| Our trusty steeds! |
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| Starting the day with a shot of rum! |
Hugh had done some research about the island before hand, so as our unofficial guide he drove us around the island, stopping at little local stores along the way. The island reminded us slightly of Hope Town, with its colourful houses and narrow streets.
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| Harbour Town house |
Next stop was the pink beach, where we walked along the shore, looking for sea glass and shells, but there were none at all. Nothing! The beach was not busy, even though there were two high end resorts lining the beachfront. Again we were reminded that it is considered low season, and with the weather lately I can understand why.
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| Pink Sand Beach |
We also found the Lone Tree, which is a dead tree standing alone in the water, which you can walk to at low tide. Apparently this is a popular location for photo shoots (Sports Illustrated Swim Suit edition?).
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| Lone Tree |
After being on the beach and getting all sandy and damp, we climbed back into the carts and headed back down to the main harbour area in search of lunch. Bill and Michael had found a vegan restaurant, so they went there, and the one that had been recommended to us, right on the water, was overrun with flies. Eww. Not very appealing. So we went in search of somewhere else and ended up at Arthurs bakery where everyone was able to find something to their liking.
After lunch we toured the south part of the island, as far as we were able to go, as this is a very high end area with private communities where the large No Trespassing signs where very convincing! We ended up at Valentines, a very nice resort/marina, filled with mega-yachts, for a celebratory beer (of course) and then headed back to the ferry dock for the reverse rides home.
 |
| Valentines |
What was amazing was that each of the guys called the next guy ahead so they were all there waiting for us when we pulled in. All in all a very fun and entertaining day.
So, now on to our current situation. Eleuthera is a long and skinny island (110 miles long) with very few fully protected harbours or marinas along the west (non-Atlantic) coast. So no matter where we go from here it is longer sailing days and mostly anchoring, until you get to the very bottom tip of the island. And as I have mentioned before, weather controls our life. So, tomorrow a big front is coming in with winds ranging from 25-35 knots for the next week. Looks like we will be getting to know Spanish Wells very well! There will be four, maybe more, boats in the marina for the weather, so we will have lots of company. A pot luck has already been discussed, as well as a car rental to explore the island by car rather than boat. And I'm getting a much needed pedicure tomorrow!
Such is boating life! No plans are the best plans. Lets hope it calms down sooner rather than later, so we can keep going south.
More adventures to come ... one day at a time!
Tuesday, 23 January 2018
Abacos to Eleuthera
Hope Town to Spanish Wells
We fell in love with Hope Town. We really did. We even started looking at real estate there. Crazy, I know, but it has this feel about it that makes you want to stay. We met so many people that go there for the season, rent a mooring ball for a few months and just use it as a home base. They will leave every once in a while to do a little trip around the Abacos, then come back to Hope Town. Not a bad way to do it!
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| Hope Town Harbour. Trekker is in there somewhere! |
So after a fun night at Cap'n Jacks bingo night, to which I'm sure half the town showed up, we woke to a beautiful Tuesday. It was decided that all 8 of us would rent bikes and tour the island. So off we went, heading south, with Tahiti Beach, at the southern most tip of the island, the goal. Some were on 7 speed bikes and some on no speed bikes (they didn't have enough multi-speed bikes for all!). I like to bike, but I haven't done it in a while and I don't like hills. And so far all our biking excursions have been on flat land, but not this ride! Who knew that Elbow Cay was so hilly? Needless to say I was at the back of the pack most of the day, and walked my bike up a few of those hills. But the hills make it a beautiful island, with an amazing amount of new development along the coast line for people like us who want to live there (but with a bigger budget than us!). Our first stop was the Sea Spray Marina and Resort, which had a lovely pool side bar and restaurant where we had lunch and played a game of Giant Jenga.
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| Sheila and Bill playing Jenga |
After lunch we conquered a few more hills and found Tahiti Beach, which is quite beautiful. As it was low tide, we could walk out for quite a way, looking for shells and sea glass. Sea glass has become my new passion, and I look for it on every beach. I gave up on shells long ago, and my mission is to fill up a big jar on this trip then do some kind of "art" with it when I get home. Anyways, there were no shells or sea glass on this beach.
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| Tahiti Beach at low tide |
What goes up, must come down, so back on the bikes, and back up and down the hills. As a reward, we stopped at another resort, Firefly, which overlooks the Sea of Abaco and has a lovely view. So we had a quick rest (and a beer) and then headed back to our respective boats.
As Hugh had mentioned before, this is a big sailing/racing community, and Wednesdays are their "big boat" race day. Anyone can enter their boat in the race, as long as it is over 18 feet and they know the rules of racing. Of course Hugh was itching to get on a boat to race, and after contacting the race co-ordinator he was able to secure a spot on the Abaco Rage, a local Bahamian race boat, which was quite a feat, according to some locals. It wouldn't be right for me to tell you about his day, so I will give the blog over to him so he can tell you about his exciting day!
I was told to be at Cap'n Jack's at 0830 sharp "ready to go". I wasn't quite sure what that meant ... but I decided on lifejacket, foul weather top, dinghy boots and the Go Pro to take some pictures. When I arrived at Cap'n Jacks I met many of the crew including "Plug" who skippered Abaco Rage for many years. Coffee, beers and Bloody Marys were being served and nobody seemed to be in a hurry to leave! But at 0900 sharp a power boat pulled up to the dock, and on we hopped to be ferried out to the Abaco Rage sitting on her mooring. The rest of the crew was there, introductions were made, including to Richard, our skipper. We had our safety talk, during which we were warned to keep clear of the hiking planks as they are slid from side to side during a tack, and to keep our heads down during tacks, because the boom is only 18" off the deck at the planks! We were also told that if we fell off the plank, to swim toward the wake and they would throw a "safety line" to grab on to! We were towed out of the harbour at high tide, because the Abaco Rage draws 6' and mulled about, putting in a reef and basically getting everyone comfortable tacking and maneuvering. As for the race, we had an awesome start, on time at the committee boat and were looking pretty good half way up the windward leg. I think we may have missed a shift, because coming into round the windward "mark" (an island) we were well behind and the wind was dying so we shook out the reef. That was when the Abaco Rage showed her stuff. While the Beneteaus and Freedoms nearly stopped, we just kept on trucking, propelled by our 950 square foot mainsail! We passed four boats, and I couldn't see anyone ahead of us ... were we first?? Turned out the lead pack had made it through before the wind died and were already finished!
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| Abaco Rage |
I had a fantastic time, many thanks to Hope Town Sailing Club, Richard and Plug ... back to Karen
I had a wonderful quiet day, sitting on the boat in the drizzle, knitting, and then went into town with Bill to get a few groceries. I even made some excellent cornbread muffins from a mix I bought at the local store. After the race everyone gathered in the HTSC clubhouse for the awards and some socializing. Bob and Sheila had also managed to get on a sailboat for the race, a Freedom 45, which is the same make as their boat, so we all attended the Stand-Up (I think they call it that because they stand around and yak and there really is no where to sit!) and then went over to Cap'n Jacks for their $7.50 Spaghetti night.
Thursday was our last day in Hope Town, as a weather window was open for Saturday to jump down to Eleuthera, so we had a lovely day wandering around town, having coffee at the Coffee House, taking a tour of the local museum, where we learned about the history of Hope Town, a very loyalist community, and walking the beach one more time, looking for sea glass, of course!
Friday morning the plan was to get some fuel and water, and head down south to an island called Lynyard Cay, and anchor for the night, in preparation to do the jump down to Eleuthera. But we are in the Bahamas, and the only marina in Hope Town that had fuel was down, as their pumps were not working. So after filling our tanks with water (we had enough fuel for the trip, it was just for a top-up) we had a beautiful sail down to Lynyard. There were four of us, so as soon as we all got close, it became a race, because more than one boat makes a race, according to most sailors.
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| Racing against Her Diamond |
When we got to the anchorage it was quite clear that we were not the only ones with this idea, as there were at least a dozen boats anchored already, waiting to jump down.
Once we anchored Hugh and I hopped in our dinghy and ran over to Little Harbour, which is a fairly shallow harbour with a famous place called Pete's Pub, a beach side restaurant that reminded us of Foxy's in the BVI's, just a shack with t-shirts hanging all over the ceiling and very open-air.
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| Pete's Pub |
When we arrived, we were standing at the counter to place our order when I heard "Trekker!" and there were Larry and Annette, the couple that had led us through West End's Indian Cut. We are finding now that everywhere we go we are meeting up with boats we have met, left behind, and are meeting again. Its fun to be able to catch up. Where have you been? Where are you headed? It's a very small community of boaters.
After lunch we went into Pete's Foundry, where Peter Johnson makes beautiful sculptures out of copper. The third generation of Johnston's, Greg, is now continuing on with the foundry, as well as managing the pub and doing odd jobs around the island. The foundry building was built in the 50's by Randolph Johnston, and still houses the showroom and foundry .
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| The Foundry showroom |
Once back to the anchorage, we beached the dinghy and walked over to the beach on the Atlantic side. It is shocking and very sad to see the large amount of garbage washed up on the beach shores. We have noticed this everywhere we go, and this beach was worse than most. Where does it come from? Plastic barrels, shoe insoles, flip flops, plastic bottles, it seems endless. Is this a result of storms washing debris up, or wasteful people throwing garbage into our beautiful oceans. Hugh took a large barrel and filled it with as much plastic garbage as he could, and put it above the high water line. We doubt anyone comes by to collect garbage and the amount is just overwhelming. We need to take better care of our oceans and beaches!
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| Lynyard Beach on the Atlantic side |
After a rolling night, and not a great sleep, we were up at 5:30, and cast off at 6:30 with a flotilla of about 15 boats, to head out of the Little Harbour Cut, which can be nasty in the wrong conditions, and down to Eleuthera, about an eight hour ride. The conditions were pretty good, although the seas were a little higher than expected, but the winds were steady and we had a great sail down. Once we arrived, the majority of the boats went into Royal Harbour, a very well protected, and large anchorage, for a quiet night of catch up sleep.
Sunday we made our way down to Spanish Wells, a small town on St. Georges Cay, where we will spend a few nights and decide where our next stop will be.
Exploring the Bahamas ... one day at a time.
Monday, 15 January 2018
The Marsh Harbour Triangle
Marsh Harbour to Hope Town
Our cruising guide describes the Marsh Harbour Triangle as having it's apexes at Man-O-War Cay, Marsh Harbour and White Sound on Elbow Cay south of Hope Town. We have now visited two apexes, Marsh Harbour and Hope Town, but have not made it to Man-O-War yet.
When Karen last posted we were planning on taking the ferry to Man-O-War primarily because I had fond memories of visiting it with my parents and brother Adrian and his wife many years ago during a bare boat charter. Man-O-War is known for its boat building and sailmaking heritage. In particular we wanted to visit the Man-O-War heritage museum so I phoned them to check on when they are open and the cost of admission and learned that they are moving and won't open until the end of February! I was pretty disappointed, but we thought we might try and stop in towards the end of the cruise on the way back to Florida. Thursday and Friday turned out to be rainy days anyway, so it probably would not have been much fun walking around town in the rain.
Thursday Sheila organized a Happy Hour among those docked at Mango's Marina. Everyone brought an appetizer to share. We enjoyed meeting some some more cruisers. Of course after chowing down at Happy Hour we didn't feel like a full dinner. Karen and I went across the street to Wally's, a restaurant that a fellow cruiser had recommended. We shared some delicious fish cakes, served with salad and truffle frites with a glass of white wine. Yum!
Friday actually dawned sunny and by midday we were complaining about the humidity (so Canadian). We did some more shopping, using our new wagon to bring our groceries back from Maxwells, and to stock up on some more beer and wine from Jimmy's across from the marina. We were very surprised to find some nice Chilean wine on sale for $6.50 a bottle! I went to the hardware and bought some supplies to make our dinghy boarding ladder. "Brown Tip" the diver checked our zincs (all good) and encouraged us to drop by the Abaco Beach Resort in the evening for a Rake and Scrape. Instruments included maracas, what looked like a cheese grater and a hand saw! It was really entertaining, especially watching Sheila dance and play the saw with one of the band members!
Saturday we finally bid Mango's and dockmaster Rey a fond farewell and motorsailed over to Hope Town. Her Diamond and Aquila had preceded us, because we had to wait for mid tide to get in to the shallow entrance , and kindly reserved a mooring ball for us.
Bahamian aids to navigation are different. The buoys at the entrance to Hope Town look like mooring balls. The range to guide one in the channel was lit with string lights!
Once moored, Bob and Sheila picked us all up in their dinghy and we putted into the Hope Town Sailing Club dinghy dock, explored some of the town and had apps and a beer at Harbour Edge Restaurant. I poked my nose into the Hope Town Sailing Club "stand up" social to inquire about the Sunfish races I had heard about on the cruisers net, and was invited to join them! Unfortunately (or not I guess), they don't sail if it is blowing over 20 knots, which was the forecast for Sunday, so it was doubtful they would sail.
Sunday, most of the town was closed and it was blowing over 20 knots so the Sunfish races were postponed. We went for a walk on the beach and saw a Westsail 32 recently lost in the storm we weathered in Green Turtle Cay. Very sobering.
We walked around town and had fish sandwiches and beer for lunch at Hope Town Lodge.
Today, Monday we did some more exploring, beginning with a coffee with Christopher and Robin from Cerulean that we first met at West End. Then we climbed 101 steps to the top of the Elbow Reef Lighthouse, the only active manned lighthouse powered by man and kerosene. Next was bingo at Cap'n Jack's and then Karen and I went to Sip Sip, a wine bar / restaurant for delicious salads and rum cake.
Weather doesn't look great this week for our crossing to Eleuthera, so we will likely enjoy Hope Town. It seems like a very active community, and is one of the prettiest towns we have been to.
We didn't envision spending this much time in the Abacos, but I guess that's the advantage of not having firm plans ... we make them up... one day at a time!
Our cruising guide describes the Marsh Harbour Triangle as having it's apexes at Man-O-War Cay, Marsh Harbour and White Sound on Elbow Cay south of Hope Town. We have now visited two apexes, Marsh Harbour and Hope Town, but have not made it to Man-O-War yet.
When Karen last posted we were planning on taking the ferry to Man-O-War primarily because I had fond memories of visiting it with my parents and brother Adrian and his wife many years ago during a bare boat charter. Man-O-War is known for its boat building and sailmaking heritage. In particular we wanted to visit the Man-O-War heritage museum so I phoned them to check on when they are open and the cost of admission and learned that they are moving and won't open until the end of February! I was pretty disappointed, but we thought we might try and stop in towards the end of the cruise on the way back to Florida. Thursday and Friday turned out to be rainy days anyway, so it probably would not have been much fun walking around town in the rain.
Thursday Sheila organized a Happy Hour among those docked at Mango's Marina. Everyone brought an appetizer to share. We enjoyed meeting some some more cruisers. Of course after chowing down at Happy Hour we didn't feel like a full dinner. Karen and I went across the street to Wally's, a restaurant that a fellow cruiser had recommended. We shared some delicious fish cakes, served with salad and truffle frites with a glass of white wine. Yum!
Friday actually dawned sunny and by midday we were complaining about the humidity (so Canadian). We did some more shopping, using our new wagon to bring our groceries back from Maxwells, and to stock up on some more beer and wine from Jimmy's across from the marina. We were very surprised to find some nice Chilean wine on sale for $6.50 a bottle! I went to the hardware and bought some supplies to make our dinghy boarding ladder. "Brown Tip" the diver checked our zincs (all good) and encouraged us to drop by the Abaco Beach Resort in the evening for a Rake and Scrape. Instruments included maracas, what looked like a cheese grater and a hand saw! It was really entertaining, especially watching Sheila dance and play the saw with one of the band members!
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| Rake & Scrape with Brown Tip |
Saturday we finally bid Mango's and dockmaster Rey a fond farewell and motorsailed over to Hope Town. Her Diamond and Aquila had preceded us, because we had to wait for mid tide to get in to the shallow entrance , and kindly reserved a mooring ball for us.
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| Elbow Reef Lighthouse |
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| Back range marker |
Once moored, Bob and Sheila picked us all up in their dinghy and we putted into the Hope Town Sailing Club dinghy dock, explored some of the town and had apps and a beer at Harbour Edge Restaurant. I poked my nose into the Hope Town Sailing Club "stand up" social to inquire about the Sunfish races I had heard about on the cruisers net, and was invited to join them! Unfortunately (or not I guess), they don't sail if it is blowing over 20 knots, which was the forecast for Sunday, so it was doubtful they would sail.
Sunday, most of the town was closed and it was blowing over 20 knots so the Sunfish races were postponed. We went for a walk on the beach and saw a Westsail 32 recently lost in the storm we weathered in Green Turtle Cay. Very sobering.
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| Westsail 32 |
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| Hope Town houses |
Weather doesn't look great this week for our crossing to Eleuthera, so we will likely enjoy Hope Town. It seems like a very active community, and is one of the prettiest towns we have been to.
We didn't envision spending this much time in the Abacos, but I guess that's the advantage of not having firm plans ... we make them up... one day at a time!
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