Green Turtle Club.

The front came through and the weather window is still predicted to open tomorrow, so we are preparing to leave for the two day trek back to the US on Monday.  As I feared, we have enjoyed the restaurant here too much, and have put on a few pounds...Tonight we have been invited for docktails aboard the Our Time a 44' Viking aft cabin owned by Tom and Doris from Maryland.  It will be a great send off for the numerous boats leaving in the morning.  Hopefully my next post will be from the USA!

Tradition in the Bahamas is to blow conch horns at sundown.  Our neighbors are doing so enthusiastically!  

Sundown before the storm.

Green Turtle dining.

Piglets.

Green Turtle bar.  Tradition is to post a dollar bill or flag with your boat name.  The Knights Templar  have been here. 

We have spent too much time in the restaurant and bar.  Time to move on..

Still waiting...

Today was suppose to be our weather window to cross to the US, but the wind is howling here at Green Turtle Cay.  I think we are in danger of becoming Green Turtles!  When the weather breaks there will be a mass exodus, as many other boaters are waiting on both sides to cross, so it will be a flotilla going and coming.  Our big entertainment is to smugly watch as other boats try to dock in the wind, crashing into pilings, other boats, etc.  We don't tell them we had the same issues!  A sailboat next to me managed to get caught sideways in the slip, and trapped between the pilings.  The husband and wife were having a rather strained conversation.  It was all hands on deck, and we (other boaters and the dock hands) managed to get them off with only their pride damaged.
Our friends and intrepid sailors on the Calypso, made the crossing yesterday, and this is a link to their blog post:  http://sabrecalypso.wordpress.com/2014/03/29/dazed-and-confused/

We are the black boat symbol.  The tornado warning is where we want to go...  Oh well.  The old adage that the most dangerous thing on a boat is a schedule is true.  We wait.  

Waiting on weather, again.

We are at the Green Turtle Club Marina, in White Sound.  We moved a whole two miles.  We were going to begin the two day trek back to the US, but our weather window collapsed, so at 4:00AM this morning we made a command decision to stay until Monday, when, yet another, weather window is predicted to open.  We will see!  We have been to this marina before, and it is very nice with a first rate restaurant, so we will probably add a few pounds waiting on the weather to settle.  Better that the 6-8 foot seas being reported in the Gulfstream.  Our current plan is to travel about 50NM on Monday to Great Sale Island, an uninhabited spit of an island on the Bahama Banks. We will anchor for the night, and at first light head to Ft Pierce, FL. It is about 100NM to Ft Pierce (about 50NM in the Gulfstream) from Great Sale.

MOW and GTC pics.

Caught another mahi!

These guys joined us on the trip from Man of War to Green Turtle. 

MOW town map.

MOW seems to be an affluent working community.  This house is in town.  

MOW street.  Ken would appreciate the manicured lawns, and lack of trash.  

Note the Union Jack.  They never got over independence!  

MOW harbor.

Albury is a common name on MOW, and I gather they own most of the town.  Albury ferry service, sail shop, boat builders, etc.  They are flying the correct flag!

One of the Albury boats that are made in MOW.

The infamous Whale Passage.  To travel from Hopetown to Green Turtle and beyond, one must traverse The Whale Passage, which is open to the Atlantic and because it is shallow, can be quite rough.  Each morning on the VHF, conditions are given for The Whale.  It was not bad when we came through, but a few days ago a sailboat's rudder came off in The Whale, and it nearly sank.  It was towed into the marina next to us.  

Black Sound, Green Turtle Cay.  Moondance is on the left, and Calypso is the blue sailboat to the  right .  

New Plymouth, on Green Turtle Cay, has erected several public dingy docks to access town.  They cater to boaters, a large source of the town's revenue.  

New Plymouth, which is not dry.  It also is a pretty town, but with many more restaurants than MOW.  

Even the graveyard is impeccable.  

One of the local establishments.  The fried lobster and conch wrap were great!

The Abacos are father north than the Exumas, and subject to more cold fronts, such as this one.  We have had to break out our jackets.  One night was in the upper 50s!!

Man of War and Green Turtle Cays.

We are tied to a mooring ball in Black Sound, Green Turtle Cay in the Abaco Islands.  Black Sound is very protected, and we are riding out a frontal passage at the moment.  Many of the locals have installed mooring balls in the sound, so there is no room to anchor, but the mooring ball is only $10 a day.  There is a public dinghy dock close by, within walking distance to the town of New Plymouth.  Saturday looks like the next weather window to cross to Ft Pierce and back into the good ole USA!

Since leaving Hopetown, we have slowly been headed west and closer to Florida.  We stopped and visited Man of War Cay, and Green Turtle Cay.  Both communities were formed by British Loyalists after the American Revolution, and both still show their British heritage.  Both are clean, nice and picturesque towns, which are a delight to visit.  Man of War is dry, and therefore only has one restaurant and an ice cream shop.  It is a center of commerce.  The Albury lines of boats are built there and it has a full service boat yard.  New Plymouth, on Green Turtle Cay, is a town of about 450 people, but does serve alcohol, so has several restaurants from beach fare to fine dining.  Also there are several shops, a museum and hardware stores. 

We snorkeled the reefs of Green Turtle, which are quite nice.  Also, we dined at the Green Turtle Club with our friends, Rick and Eva from Calypso.  The Abaco Islands are different from the Exumas.  There is more civilization in the Abacos, with restaurants, moorings, bars, banks, bakers, ship stores and grocery stores.  However, the natural beauty, clear water and reefs of the Exumas are unparalleled.  It has been quite an adventure visiting them all.  It is hard to believe our Bahamian adventure will be coming to an end, as we start our trek north along the US eastern seaboard. When we are back in the States, I will update out stats post for those who are interested in mileage, diesel, repairs and things nautical.  

Things we have missed in the States (besides family and friends): free potable water, WiFi, reliable communications, stores with fruit, produce and wine, marine supplies (affordable), specialty cheese, movies, pharmacies, fed-x, and marinas that charge under $2.50 a foot.  What we will miss of the Bahamas, crystal clear water, coral reefs, miles of uninhabited beaches, and the people here, who without fail have been pleasant, kind and helpful.  Also, the major news here centers on local politics, the weather, if the local phone lines will work today, and if the mail boat will arrive on schedule (it won't).  We have been blissfully ignorant of what is happening elsewhere and not watching the news media is healthy.  We have not watched TV (except the Superbowl) since we left the States, and have not missed it at all.  One exception-a boater gave us season four of Downton Abby, and we have watched it.  It is hard to believe our Bahamian adventure will be coming to a close, but it will be good to return to the mother country!  I will posts pictures when the WiFi is better.  

Hopetown, Abacos.

Much has happened since our last post.  We crossed from Spanish Wells, to the Abacos, about a 60 nautical (1 NM equals 1.15 statute miles) mile run.   We came into the Sea of Abaco via the Little Harbor Channel.  Little Harbor is an artists’ community founded by Randolph Johnston in the middle 1950s.  He was an art history professor in the US who came to the Bahamas to find himself, and stayed.  His son, Pete, is a renowned sculptor who stills lives there, and is the proprietor of Pete’s Pub in Little Harbor.  Our crossing was less than idyllic, and at one point the captain’s (me) judgment was questioned by the crew.  We were travelling with a pack of sailboats, and listening to the radio chatter, if a weatherman could have been found, he would have been strung up on the yardarm!  In any event, we made it to Pete’s Pub, and then, unfortunately, to the art gallery.  Alexis, as a form of treating herself for the tough crossing, befriended Pete, who sold her a sculpture, that won’t fit on the boat.  Pete gave me a T-shirt.  Such is life.  Pete is no fool….

Our friends, and fellow members of the bar (also on sabbatical), aboard Calypso crossed the next day, and according to him, it was fine. She was headed for the Pub.  We all had drinks aboard Moondance and shared war stories. 

The big cold front that swept through the States is now here, and it is a chilly 72 degrees!  The winds are around 30 knots (also a factor of 1.15) and we are safe in a marina on Elbow Key, home of Hopetown.  Abaco history-After the Caribe Indians ate all the native Lucayans, the place was uninhabited for years.  The Spaniards came and went.  Then after the American Revolution, the losing side still loyal to the King came here for respite, and free crown land.  Farming proved futile, so they lived off the sea, and salvage from ships running on the reefs.  When the Hopetown lighthouse was built, it put a big dent in that trade, and a lumber mill was built and in four years they managed to deforest the Abacos.  English are industrious…  They ultimately turned to tourism and the place is a haven for artists, tourists, divers, boaters, etc. A good read on this is Wind From The Carolinas by Robert Wilder.  

We were here twenty years ago, and the place has grown!    The Hopetown Harbor is now off limits to anchoring, and you must take a mooring ball, if one is available (none were when I checked).  In 1973, the Bahamas gained independence from Briton, much to the consternation of the Hopetown Loyalists.  They tried to secede from the Bahamas, but failed.  I understand that they formed the first opposition party here, and are a force to be reckoned with.  Despite the initial gloomy predictions, the Bahamian government is working well now, after throwing out the drug lords in the 80s.  I have been told that things were really bad when drugs ruled the country, and an enlightened PM entered into a treaty with the US that establishes a US naval, Coast Guard and DEA presence here with the local police.  It has really helped the tourist trade flourish to the relief of the locals.  There are restaurants, shops, supplies, marinas and people here.  Much to do, but I miss the relative solitude of the Exumas. 

One of the pack in beam seas.

Pete's Pub.

No, she would not let me buy this one.  

Calypso's crew, Eva and Rick, after their crossing.

Hopetown.

It still is on Bahamas time.  

Vernon is still making pies.  Stan and Claiborne will remember his key lime pie!

Hopetown harbor, with the lighthouse in the background.  

Hopetown museum.  Note they are still chapped about independence.  

Me, shopping....

From a ship wreck.  Tim Allen-recognize this?  

Bligh got around!

Spanish Wells and waiting on weather.

The weather window predicted to allow us to cross over to the Abacos has become iffy.  The three weather services I follow, pathfinder, windfinder and Sirius all have different predictions, and none are great.  If we don’t cross tomorrow, it will be Thursday before another window opens.  It will be about an eight hour run, and we really became spoiled to flat crossings like from the Exumas to Eleuthera.  So, we will take a look in the morning, and make a command decision-go or no go.  If we stay, Spanish Wells is not a bad place to stay.  For one, it is cheap compared to other Bahamian marinas, protected, and a nice town full of friendly people.  The town was formed by Britons seeking religious freedom in the 1700s, and is a working town, and prosperous for Bahamian standards.  There is very little poverty here, and much civic pride among its people.  The lobster industry is the mainstay, and many of the lobster boats were built in Louisiana, and there is a kinship between the boatbuilding and fishing industries back home and here.  There are beaches, a few restaurants and shops here, but the nightlife is on the adjacent island, Harbor Island home of Dunmore Town.  To get there by boat (there are no bridges to it), one has to traverse the infamous Devil’s Backbone reef.  All the guide books suggest that boaters hire a local pilot to go from Spanish Wells to Harbor Island rather than attempt to navigate the unmarked narrow channel.  I looked at the marinas on Harbor Island, and they are about triple the price here, so we booked passage on a ferry that runs the passage daily.  Harbor Island is a study in contrasts.  It has resorts, great marinas, nightlife, restaurants equal to New York in price and quality and plenty of tourists who come to enjoy the famous pink beaches.  It also has poverty, and some resentment among the residents to the rich tourists that flock there.  It must be spring break, because when we were there, we saw lots of American kids, some acting like typical ugly Americans.  Bon Bon would have said they suffered from afluenza.

But we acted the tourist while there, and had a $100 lunch (very good) and hit the souvenir shops.  There are some really neat hotels on the Island (Rock House being one).    When we got back to Spanish Wells, a local gave us a ride to our marina, and regaled us with local history, and loved Louisiana.  If anybody gave you a ride on Harbor Island, it was for a price.  A study in contrasts between a working town and a tourist town.  Both have their strong suits. 

We have made friends with the people on the sailboat October, docked next to us.  They are waiting on a generator part, and are stuck here.  Sound familiar?  Lastly, yours truly has been mentioned in another boater’s blog.  My gas can went on a walkabout.  Check it out:  http://www.sailmakai.org/category/adventures/

Once we get to the Abacos, we will start our journey to the USA.  My visa expires on April 10, so that is our target date to be back in Palm Beach. 

Rock Sound.

It was so calm, we saw our shadow on the bottom!

Ferry to Harbor Island.

Spanish Wells.

Devil's Backbone.

Harbor Island.

It had a real wine store!!!

Harbor Island.

Lobster boat.

Eleuthera and Spanish Wells.

After Stan and family left, we went back to Cambridge Cay and took a mooring.  Cambridge may be our favorite spot in the park.  It is somewhat remote, and usually has fewer boats.  Also there are great snorkel spots nearby.  The views are stunning.  We snorkeled our favorite reef, and saw six large eagle rays.  I have underwater video of them, but can’t upload due to limited Wi-Fi.  I will upload them when back in the States.  The weather forecast was for two great days, and then another front bringing fresh winds.  We were going to go north back through the park, but made a command decision to leave the next morning for Eleuthera, about 40 miles across the Atlantic.  Monday morning was calm as advertised, so across we went, dragging lures in the crystal blue waters.  No fish.  We stopped at a marina on Cape Eleuthera and filled our fuel and water tanks, and bought ballyhoo (bait for the lures).  Watch out fish now!  Cape Eleuthera Marina is one of those all too common failed Bahamian resorts.  A first rate marina with townhomes mostly empty, and a half built golf course.  It is located right next to the drop off and is popular with sports fisherman, so a good place to buy fuel.   Due to the high turnover, the fuel is not stagnant. 

We then rounded Cape Eleuthera, and entered the shallow banks water and headed to Rock Sound.  Rock Sound is a sizable town with a protected harbor, but no marina.  We anchored and made a bee line to the liquor store, as we had a real problem-no red wine left!  Success-reasonably priced wine and a real grocery store.  We loaded down the dinghy and had a great meal onboard.  Tuesday morning we set course for the town of Spanish Wells.  It boasts a reasonably priced marina, and ferry service to Dunmore, the resort town on Eleuthera, that caters to the rich and famous.  Spanish Wells was founded by Loyalists after the American Revolution, and supplies the Red Lobster chain.  It is a prosperous fishing town, very religious, and dry.  Ergo the Rock Sound liquor run.   After Spanish Wells we will head to the Abacos and then back to the USA. 

 It is hard to believe we have left the Exumas and are headed north.  The Exumas are by far the most beautiful islands we have visited.   While remote, and lacking provisions, the natural beauty is worth the trip.  I can see why some boats return every year.  It pays to be self-sufficient and plan in advance when travelling to the Exumas, but other boaters are always willing to help and lend parts, assistance, etc. if needed.  We heard many boats hailing on the VHF for various parts, from o rings to water pumps, and there were always responses. 

Many have asked about boat issues.  All is working as of right now.  Stan brought a new set of bottom zincs, which I changed.  A fellow boater filled my tank with his on board compressor!  There is no place to fill tanks except Georgetown since the DEA carted away the Staniel dive shop owner..  But, it is a boat, and there is always a list.  As of now my spot light is frozen in place, and a few other minor things are on my list.  Stan brought a special fuse for my generator ($1.25) that I paid $50 to fed x to get it to him on time, and all is well with the generator.  For now.  A boat will always have mechanical issues, and you have to deal with them as they arise.  If that bothers you, charter a boat, don’t buy one!  Remember what boat stand for-Bust Out Another Thousand!

We are now at the Spanish Wells Marina, and will be here for a few days. Spanish Wells is a neat, clean  town with shops, supplies, restaurants and an ice cream parlor! The mate on the boat next to us used to run crew boats out of Dulac.  It is a small world! I will try to post pics tomorrow when I have better Wi Fi.  

Stan and family- a great adventure!

Stan, Megan and Cameron’s visit was way too short, but we had a great time.  After spending a few days at Atlantis, Roland flew them to Staniel, and we snorkeled Thunderball and fed the pigs.  Then to Compass Cay, where we played on the beach, snorkeled the Sea Aquarium in the park, swam with the sharks, saw eagle rays, turtles and had a grand time.  It was with regret that we bid them adieu.  I will let the pics tell the story. 

Air Roland.

World famous salt water pigs at Staniel Cay.  They don't take no for an answer!

Toes for lunch?

Looking good!

Ham bone,

Nana and Cameron shelling at low tide.

Compass Cay beach.

Thunderball Grotto.

Swimming with the sharks at Compass Cay-she has no fear!

Feeding the fish at the Sea Aquarium, Exuma Park.