Island Easter 4-12-09

We were up at 5:15 am to make sunrise Easter service on the beach at Orchid Bay Pavilion. This required the sleepy Captain to get up at this ungodly hour, a dinghy trip with headlamps through the dark 2 foot seas to the dock, a 1 mile walk and then when we were lost in this gated community, a golf cart trip with Edna to the beach pavilion. It was certainly all worth the effort to praise the Lord on this special day and see the cross backlit with the cloudy sunrise.

On our way back to the boat, we stopped at the Art Café for a well-deserved nosh and coffee. We listened to the Cruisers’ Net and heard the weather forecast for the next few days. Decision time—should we do the often treacherous Whale crossing today in easy conditions or continue to stay on Guana or Treasure Cay? Practicality ruled the day and after having 2 cups of high test coffee, this decaf gal was pumped-- I felt that I could even swim the Whale today.

We left the Guana mooring at 9:30am so that we could make the Whale crossing at slack tide before 10:45 high tide. With N/NW 15 knot winds and 1-2 foot seas on the front quarter, the Whale was definitely at a “Favorable 4” out of 1-5 (“flat as a shingle”) and no mix master seas like we experienced on 3/14. We were again joined by a whole flotilla of sailboats and we fit right in as we had our riding sail up to help steady us.

We journeyed 18 miles to Manjack Cay which is a secluded protected anchorage with miles of pristine ocean beaches and very few homes. Bill and Leslie own most of the land, welcome trespassers and ask only that dogs be leashed so that their chickens can roam protected. They have a hydroponic garden, offer a free strong internet signal to boats anchored in the bay and have cut trails to the ocean through the thick mangrove forest. We met another land owner, John from Michigan, who was walking the “Root #1” trail looking for more poisonwood to trim back. Be wary of this tree as it can cause a massive allergic reaction and his antidote is Crystal deodorant from health food stores rather than dosing with prednisone.

After this discussion, we preceded very carefully single file to the ocean beach about a mile further. It is so refreshing to meet people who will share their corner of paradise with all of us. The anchorage filled up with 17 sailboats and 3 power boats. It was good to reconnect with Bob and Lorraine from “Scaramouche” and Mike and Lorraine from “Elizabeth Rose.”

Another World 4-11-09

We are moored in Fishers Bay on Great Guana Cay and are right across from Dive Guana. With today’s forecast for flat seas and warm temps, we decided to go snorkeling with Captain Troy and crew, Calvin, Shem and Troy’s 10 year old daughter, Isabella, who will definitely be the boss of this boat in a few years.

We were joined today by Linda and George from “Chez Nous”, a beautiful 42 foot French sailing catamaran. They have been live-aboards for the past 2 years, will go up to the Chesapeake this summer and then take a long voyage through the Caribbean down to South America and then take the boat across the Atlantic to the Mediterranean.

Linda joined Bob and me snorkeling while George did some scuba diving with Troy. Calvin was in charge of the snorkel group and gave us some great tips for avoiding water in the mask and tube. Notice that we are in wetsuits even though the water here is 73 degrees. I don’t know if I will ever be able to just jump into 60-65 degree Great Lakes water ever again. We had a great time and saw so many fish on the barrier reef at Pillars and Grouper Alley. I wish that I had an underwater camera to show you exactly what we saw but I borrowed some photo shots to show you what it looked like--French grunts, parrotfish, grouper, angelfish.

As we hovered above, we could also see the scuba divers 40 feet below serpentining through caves and around the reefs and leaving a stream of huge bubbles that were fun to catch. The scuba divers did not see the 6 foot reef shark swimming under the dive boat, but we snorkelers did up close and personal and certainly got our money’s worth.

This is Easter weekend and Nippers on Guana Cay has a unique twist on the Easter egg hunt tradition. They are going to hide plastic Easter eggs filled with prizes in the water for the kids and, in the reef just offshore for the adults.

Great Guana Cay is Great 4-10-09

We wanted to make sure that we see all the big islands here in the Abacos and went 10 miles east to Great Guana Cay on a calm, cloudless 73 degree day. This is what calm seas look like but we never seem to have this for our bigger crossings. We easily picked up a Dive Guana mooring ball ($15 per day) in Fishers Bay and then took the dinghy into the free Grabbers dock. The bottom here is grassy in places and we wanted to make sure that we were holding.

Each cay has a distinct style and Great Guana has so much going for it. It has a 5 1/2 mile ocean beach with the 3rd largest barrier reef 75 yards offshore. It is definitely not Man-O-War as this cay has 2 of the largest beach bars in the Abacos—Grabbers and Nippers. Grabbers is decked out in sunny welcoming yellow, has a pool, free internet, bocce ball, great conch fritters and the best sunset view on the island. Nippers is located high above the ocean, has multi-level decks painted in neon shades, has 2 pools and is famous for its Sunday Pig Roast and Barefoot Man Concert every March.

Like Man-O-War and Elbow Cays, golf carts are the major mode of transportation along its narrow curvy lanes. Like the other cays, Guana has small bright pastel houses for residents in town but the foreign “second homers” are building huge multi-million dollar versions on the ocean and in the hills. Orchid Bay Marina is an upscale marina with a price to match but we did enjoy their white veranda.

We had a wonderful walk on the ocean beach and met Dwight and he took our picture and joined us back at Nippers. He has lived on Leisure Lee on Great Abaco since 1997. Contrary to popular opinion, Americans can own land here in the Bahamas and do not have to have a Bahamian sponsor but it takes a lot of lawyers to get it done.

Top off a great day with a colorful sunset with boaters at anchor all signaling the event by blowing conch shells and then having a full moon for a second course. Perfect.

Wishing you a Happy Easter and hope it's getting warmer in the northland.

Finding the Treasure in Treasure Cay 4-7-09

We left Man-O-War a few days ago to make the 17 mile trip to Treasure Cay in light wind with a slight chop—a perfect powerboat day. High clocking winds are forecast and we are going into Treasure Cay Marina rather than anchor in this protected harbor as we are having a few problems with our generator completely charging the batteries (we need to run it longer) and the macerator was tripping the circuit breaker (discharges quickly and less time needed).

Treasure Cay is not really an island but a peninsula on Great Abaco Island and is a resort development with a spectacular 3 1/2 mile beach, Coco Beach Restaurant on the ocean side and Spinnaker and Tipsy Seagull Tiki Bar Restaurants on the Sea of Abaco side, 150 slip marina, pool, golf course, rental condos and dive shop. Close by is an interesting array of shops, including La Florance Café and Bakery and the largest grocery shop in the Abacos, Golden Harvest Supermarket, which would be more like a small IGA on the mainland. With all of these amenities, Treasure Cay is more of a tourist destination than a Bahamian village and we prefer the latter.

On our first day, we did major beach time as we knew it would windy and cold the next two days. We enjoyed the complimentary beach chairs and umbrellas and did long walks on the hard pack beach at low tide. I tried it at high tide also and it was like slogging through 12 inches of snow. I love to walk and found miles of roads that wove back and forth between the ocean and the Sea of Abaco with ‘Greenways to the Beach” signs posted to indicate trails to various beaches.

Then the ferocious winds started and howled for 2 days with wind gusts to 42 mph. There is a land parcel here on Sunrise Point offered for a reduced price of $799,000 but the previous house was blown over in a hurricane. Even though new homes are being built with reinforced concrete and cement, Mother Nature will always win. We were glad that we were securely tied to a dock. We almost lost our AGLCA burgee as one line broke off. Moored and anchored boats had a very hard time and about 8 of these boats came into the marina and had some very difficult docking maneuvers.

We were delighted to have the company again of Lew and Florrie from “Harmony” and Canadians, Patty and Emery from “Honeywind”.

Junkanoo is a Bahamian Christmas festival which is actually more similar to Mardi Gras with elaborate, colorful costumes and dancing. This year, the local Treasure Cay Explorers won the Junkanoo competition and were scheduled to do a performance here on 4/8 but it was postponed at the last minute until Tuesday, 4/14. This local talent is the real treasure of Treasure Cay. However, Bob and I had talked about starting to head east towards FL when we get weather windows. Will we get to see the Treasure Cay Explorers Junkanoo on 4/14??? Stay tuned.

Sojer Day on Man-O-War Cay 4-4-09

We dinghed in to M-O-W for the first annual Sojer Day Celebration. This 2.5 mile long island has 300 local residents who form a close-knit community, are very conservative and religious, and are proud of their Loyalist heritage. All of this was celebrated today with family members coming from the other islands and Key West to renew their ties and share their history. It is also a fund raiser for local needs, including a new high school. We did see a few teens sporting i-pods and talking about souping up their golf carts for speed and sound so you wonder how many will stay here.

The Opening Ceremony was memorable for the enthusiastic performance of the M-O-W primary school students in full costumes and leading the audience in hymns and “Britannia, the Pride of the Ocean.” Several small homes were open to showcase photos, tools and artifacts from past generations. This was Uncle Will’s home and is now called Kolnonia Kottage. William Albury started boat building at age 14 and this led over time to establishing Albury Boats and the Albury Ferry Line which provides transportation amongst the islands.

Festivals always mean food and we were hungry. Here’s Bob in a very long line waiting for a conch chowder dinner. It was worth the wait and the portions were heaping. Everyone knows Lola's Bakery up on the hill but she also sells cinnamon rolls and fresh bread from her golf cart daily and she will not take "no" for an answer,

The afternoon events included a sisal rope making demonstration and the Junior Sailing Club racing amongst the moored boats in the harbor. These young sailors were very quick and agile and made their forbearers proud. The last gaff wooden schooner made in 1964 in the Albury yard was also on display. It is now named the “William H. Albury”, is 70 feet long and has 2,100 sq feet of sail. It is now the flagship for the Bahamian Adventure Sailing Program.

A Little Bit of England 4-2-09

Bob and I took a long walk today down the Queen’s Highway and were transported to England. From the country lanes lined with tidy rock walls, to the telephone and mailboxes, and the decidedly English accent of the people, England is recreated here. Instead of the colorful house signs of Elbow Cay, we found subtle but beautiful bells that visitors ring from the road to announce their presence. We followed the narrow path to spectacular views of the calm ocean and found a picnic shelter positioned between the bay and ocean from which you can view sunrise and sunset.

After a pretty calm and restorative day, we had some excitement. We had contacted Froggies Abaco to clean the hull of our boat. You may remember that Bob cleaned the grass last week but we thought we had better have a pro look at the underside. Much to our surprise, the diver brought up a 15 foot crab pot line that was wrapped around our propeller. We had not experienced any vibration and had not noticed any speed drop as we got the speed boost in the Gulf Stream and when we were traveling the Sea of Abaco we had such wind that we thought that had reduced our speed. Where did we pick it up—it’s a mystery to us but we are glad to be rid of it. Just as Bob was posing for the picture with the crab pot line, another boater came by with an urgent appeal to have our diver come immediately as a trawler in the Eastern Harbour had run over a mooring chain and line, had fouled its prop terribly, was swinging wildly in the 20 knot wind in the harbor and threatened to crash into other moored boats. Divers to the rescue…

Crisis on the water brings everyone out and we met our neighbors, Philip and Paula on another trawler, “Tramp”, a beautiful Grand Banks 46. Phillip was a naval architect, sailed all over the world, and he and Paula have been coming to the Bahamas on this trawler for 10 years but this will their last trip as they take “Tramp” back to Maine. They also did the Loop in 2001 and even journeyed into Lake Superior. We enjoyed spending the evening with them. I was so impressed with their Jack Russell, Rudy, who is so acrobatic and positions himself on the bow of the dinghy and leaps to shore.

Man-O-War Cay 4-1-09

We had hoped to get to Sandy Cay to snorkel and to Snake Cay to look for turtles but April Fool's Day on us as the winds and seas are up again. It is a harsher reality for the Hope Town Sailing Club which again had to cancel their sailing cup races.

We had a delightful evening here on the mooring ball at Little Harbour and waited until after 10 am to catch a higher tide to transit the channel opening which can go as low as 3 feet. As we headed out, we were greeted with a SE wind of 15-20 knots and a 2 foot beam sea. We went 22 miles today in sloppy conditions and decided with the SE wind conditions that our choice for the night was Man-O-War Cay.

As we made the final approach to Man-O-War, we had some following seas and then spied the narrow opening with a lot of traffic exiting. Then we played the game of trying to find the mooring ball—do not go to the Eastern Harbour as these are mostly private, go to the Man-O-War Harbour and try your luck. We located a mooring ball perilously close to other boats but since we are only 32 feet, we fit. Thank goodness, as the wind is howling and we want to get tucked in for the night.

After making sure our boat would not crash into another closely moored boat, we took the dinghy into Man-O-War Settlement. This is a very different side of the Bahamas and the sign in the marina office from Thessalonians 4:11 captures the spirit: “Study to be quiet. Do your own business and work with your hands.” There are many churches and no bars on this island although we did get Rum Raisin waffle cones at the Island Treat.

In contrast to the color of Elbow Cay, Man-o-War is white, very white. The houses are white and beige and the only color was from the flowers at the local school yard. The settlement was founded by descendants of the Loyalists and self-sufficiency in farming, fishing and boat building were prized then and now. Albury boat building and allied businesses dominate on this island. This self-sufficiency was needed during our visit as the power is out on the island but everything kept on running due to their powerful generators.

Locals are called sojers like the crab and the town is having their first annual “Sojers Day” this weekend. They hope to raise money for various causes including funds for a new ‘high school structure” and everyone is making food and crafts for the big day. We are thinking of staying through Sunday as the winds are up and it is protected here.

Little Harbour 3-31-09

After 18 days at Sea Spray Marina, Elbow Cay, we cast off the dock lines and headed for Little Harbour on Great Abaco Island. It was an easy journey of 19 miles with light SE winds and a slight chop. What a change after the turbulent winds of the past few weeks!

We attached to a mooring ball and headed in by dinghy to Little Harbour. It is the home of Pete’s Pub, Gallery and Foundry and is definitely worth a visit. Artists, Pete Johnston and Bob Zwickel, have an array of sculptures and paintings depicting sea life and nautical themes as well as a provocative sculpture piece, “Stages of Man”. After this dose of culture, we went back to the funky outdoor pub for some liquid refreshments and had to pick a t-shirt from these—“Rehab is For Quitters”, “The Elite Eat in Barefeet” or a pirate flag. My camera apparently jammed when I was taking a picture of the inside of Pete’s Pub but I would describe it as the Bahamian version of Tom’s Burned Down Café on Madeline Island.

It is a short walk down a winding road to a snorkel and shell beach or take the high road to the remains of an old lighthouse. Notice the sailboat through the window—we saw a steady procession of sailboats heading back to the Abacos from the Exumas as the ocean seas were calm for a crossing.

Farewell to Elbow Cay 3-30-09

Sometimes you find a place that seems so familiar and yet is so new and exciting—Elbow Cay is that place for us. Our highest form of praise is when we say to each other, “It’s like Bayfield and the Apostle Islands” only the water is warm and blue rather than cold and green, the fish are bright and colorful rather than brown, the islands are populated with people rather than bears, there are no bugs and we can be boating in the winter. The cruising area in the Hub of the Abacos from Whale Cay down to Little Harbour on Great Abaco Island is about the same size area. Other than the above differences, the Abacos and the Apostle Islands are twins. Okay—so I did not factor in that you might need a down sleeping bag in July on Lake Superior.

Elbow Cay has Hope Town, a charming town which time forgot and has a lighthouse watching over it. Its narrow winding roads and paths take you all over by foot, bike and cart and lead to the most spectacular views of beach, ocean and sky. The bold pastel Bahamian houses are framed by this and every color combination works against this backdrop. On my daily walkabouts to Hope Town, the North End and Tahiti Beach, I would constantly be renewed by all of this.

Life on Elbow Cay is simple—you have what you need and you can do without the rest. I was pleasantly surprised that the small grocery shops had fresh produce, frozen meats and fresh fish so we do not have to eat the canned stuff I bought in FL. You have to remember that the bank is only open on Tuesday morning and that the grocery shops close from 12 noon to 2pm daily and most everything, except restaurants, are closed on Sundays. You start your day by listening to Patty and crew on the Cruisers’ Net on Channel 68 and learn what is going on and plan accordingly. Our marina did not have reliable internet so every other day, we would walk down the road to the beautiful Abaco Inn or into Hope Town to plug in at Harbour Edge Restaurant or the Harbour Coffee Shop. Friday is fresh fish day at the Hope Town dock, Abaco Inn has the 2 for 1 Specials on Sundays and Wednesdays and you always look for a key lime pie at Vernon’s. Add in the potlucks and informal get-togethers and you have a full schedule.

The Bahamian spirit of friendliness and hospitality is contagious and everyone in town and on the road greets you with a wave and “hello.” The staff at Sea Spray, especially Rodney and Junior, were so accommodating and helpful, and since they were also 2/4 of the Sea Spray Bahamian band, they also rock. Our previous blogs note all the wonderful boaters and Loopers that we have met here and we hope that our wakes cross in the near future.

It is the end of March and cruisers are starting to head west to journey back to FL. I went down to Tahiti Beach one last time at sunset and watched the tide erase our footsteps but our memories will live on.

Marsh Harbour 3-28-09

It has been so windy here that the Hopetown Sailing Club cancelled their race dates twice this month. We figured that the only way we were going to get over to Marsh Harbour was to take the ferry. There was a lot of excitement down on the ferry dock this morning as dogs were coming in for the Humane Society Dog Walk in Hopetown.

We had arranged to meet Bill and Mary from ‘Harbour Reach” in Marsh Harbour. Our paths have crossed a number of times on the Loop and we had hoped to do more cruising with them in the Bahamas. They are at Abaco Boat Harbour Marina and are members of the Royal Marsh Harbour Yacht Club. This is quite a club with many membership perks of lower dock rates, a full schedule of activities from walking, water aerobics, yoga, pot lucks and catered parties. There are many Loopers here and if we come back to the Abacos, we would definitely look into a membership.

We had a great time with Bill and Mary touring their classic Pacific trawler, having lunch at the Abaco Beach Resort, checking out the art fair there and exploring Marsh Harbour with Mary as our guide. Bob and I were not used to fast traffic and had a bit of a culture shock getting honked at in Marsh Harbour. Mary and Bill have been doing the Loop for the past 10 years in 4+ month increments and really get to know each area thoroughly. They are so knowledgeable and always ready to help other cruisers succeed.

We had a long walk back to our marina when we docked at Hopetown but found 2 ways to make it more enjoyable—here’s Bob with liquid refreshment and me with an ice cream cup.

This is our last Saturday here in Sea Spray and the Bahamian band was back and everyone was groovin’.