Man O War Cay is always one of our favorite stops in the Abacos. MOW has been a center for boat building in the Bahamas for years. It has an interesting history. It was completely uninhabited until the 1800s, when a couple, with their young daughter, started a farm on the island. A passing ship foundered on the reef, and the couple helped rescue the sailors, and salvage the cargo. One of the sailors was a 16 year old boy from another island, who, as the story goes, immediately fell in love with the daughter. From that marriage, Man O War was populated and most of the current population can track their roots to the original settlers. One of the pictures below is a plaque setting forth this history.
MOW is similar to Spanish Wells in Eleuthera, and indeed, some of the people have married into each islands' clan. Both islands are not as touristy as some of the surrounding islands, but have a very British flare, and are "working" islands, supporting an industry (boatbuilding in MOW's case and the lobster fleet for Spanish Wells).
When we last were in Spanish Wells, we met several couples on vacation there who were from MOW. They shared their Hurricane Dorian stories with us, and one thing stuck in my mind. Dorian laid waste to much of MOW, including Bay Street, were many of the business were. They remained without power for over a year. While the death toll was not high in the beginning, as most people went to the higher parts of the island during the storm, the devastation, and lack of water and power took its toll during the immediate aftermath. They told me that the only immediate help they received was from the US Coast Guard, who evacuated the sick and wounded. There was no help coming from the Bahamian government. Then one morning, as related to me by the group, a day they would never forget, the entire Spanish Wells fleet arrived in MOW harbor and evacuated much of the remaining population. The people of Spanish Wells housed many of the evacuees, and their children attended the school in Spanish Wells while MOW recovered. They took care of their own.
MOW is still recovering from Dorian, as there was construction ongoing while we were there. The marina and restaurant are still not open, but appear to be over half way complete. The sail maker's shop was completely destroyed, but now is in a smaller shop up a street from its original location. The museum and coffee shop is open, and we enjoyed breakfast there one morning and met many locals and second home owners. It is apparent that the coffee shop is where to go for local knowledge.
While the marina is not open, east harbor (locally known as the American side) has nice moorings from Buddy. Don't get a mooring that does not have Buddy's info, as those appear dodgy. Buddy's balls are the moorings of choice in MOW! We spent four nights on Buddy's mooring in a completely protected harbor. Peaceful nights make for happy crew... Plus we had a turtle-o-rama in the harbor, with curious turtles coming up to the boat and eyeballing us. It was an incredibly peaceful four days and nights. We took the dinghy into town, which was easy. I also took the dinghy to Fowl Cay and snorkeled in the underwater park there. It was great!
We are now at the Harbour View Marina in Marsh Harbour, where Ken and Allyson will join us in a few days. Marsh Harbour is the commercial hub of the Abacos, and seems like a big city compared to the out islands. We will take this time to re-provision, and do boat chores. Also, there are some first rate restaurants here, so of course we will try them.
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