Eleuthera and Abaco

4/2   Today at 11:00 we left Cape Eleuthera Marina for Rock Sound Eleuthera. Karen and I loved the marina, they had fast internet, great showers and laundry facilities. The one downside is that it is very far from any town and much of the area was empty. Someone had built the buildings for restaurants, bars and houses but the people never came. This is true of many areas we’ve seen in the Bahamas, overbuilt resorts with no people.

We arrived in Rock Sound, dropped anchor and had lunch after mostly motor-sailing the whole way. Shortly after we dropped anchor we noted three boats around us leaving. We thought they left due to poor holding or didn’t like our proximity. After speaking with others who stayed we discovered that all of the Bahamas are having a homecoming fest and the boats that left wanted to be further away from the loud music. They have this every year at this time and the town will shutdown for the Easter weekend and it will be a non-stop music and food fest. People from all over the Bahamas come back to their island/town of origin. It seems pretty cool.

Geno cleans and preps our Curb, Welk and Conch Salad

Seafood Menu

Black Grouper caught shortly after leaving Rock Sound

We attended the fest tonight with Linda and Ed the crew of SV Surprise and had a great time. The food was wonderful and very inexpensive. Linda and Ed purchased a Curb, Conch and Welk salad. We watched as our preparer Geno gutted, washed, chopped and otherwise did everything to prepare the food. This process took at least 30 minutes as Geno answered any questions we had about the sea creatures that went into the salad. Karen has now advanced to Conch 201. Note to Mary Lynn: Geno was quite surprised that Karen knew that conch could contain pearls. Not a bad price for $18.00, as we all were able to share the salad. We also had the additional entertainment of some locals who had been over served. We watched on such drunkard got bitch slapped by a woman who Geno said was his grandmother. Just goes to show that people are the same everywhere. We ended our evening with wonderful Jerk Pork and fried dumplings. Then a beautiful dinghy ride courtesy of Ed and Linda under a mostly full moon and light scalloped clouds in the sky.

4/3  Today was somewhat relaxing as we agreed to spend another day in Rock Sound and goto another night of Homecoming celebration. Karen cleaned the boat down below and I verified and remade the connections to the autopilot. Afterwards we walked to the “Hole” with the crew of SV Surprise. The hole is a large hole cut in the limestone over the period of millions of years which allows a water to seep up from who knows where. The locals claim the water has healing properties as it’s slightly salty and has very high mineral content. The hole is about 3/4 mile walk from the beach and is also full of all kinds of fish in large numbers. Today there was a day camp full of kids swimming, kayaking and otherwise having a good time.

They really mean Anytime 24/7

Bike Race for Sam

Blue Hole great for swimming and feeding fish.

Later in the evening Karen and I went ashore to experience the celebration and we wanted to attend the fashion show at 8:00. Proceeds from the show goes to help local children’s programs. It was after 9:00 and still no show and very few people. Shortly thereafter motorcycles started arriving, Harley’s as well as crotch rockets. The riders looked just like riders from the states with leather jackets, bandana’s and heavy boots. Now people started showing up in large numbers. It was going to be a great people watching night. Talking to one of the riders Karen learned that they loaded their bikes on a ferry and came from Nassau today. Apparently they belong to a club and will do this fairly often. They choose the island based on the wants of the membership. It was well after 10:00 and no fashion show, just load music and many scantily clad young women, some you liked to look at others need far more clothes. Karen and I left shortly thereafter while people where still pouring in the fest grounds. We spoke to other cruisers who said they were there until 1:30AM and they said the fashion show never took place but the characters were something to watch.

Motorcycle club arrived from Nassau for Homecoming

What The Hell? Marsh Harbor, Apparently a
person from Minnesota put it up as a joke.

Another awesome sunset.

4/4  We left Rock Sound at 8:15 with a light ENE breeze that backed and filled all day. It did allow for some sailing and motor sailing. The trip was uneventful aside from the Black Grouper we caught about an hour after leaving. We filleted it and tossed it in the fridge for lunch tomorrow. Pole went back in but nothing else caught. Good news is that for some reason the autopilot is working most of the time (fingers crossed). 

We arrived in Hatchet Bay shortly after 3 pm and dropped anchor. It appears the bay was created by carving an entrance from the sound through the limestone to create a wonderfully protected anchorage that is 30 to 40 feet deep in the center and 10 to 20 on the sides with good holding for anchors.

We dropped the dinghy and strolled into town. Not too much but they did have a well stocked grocery store and a small liquor store. We spied RJ’s Two Dollar Sports Bar and I stopped in to ask is they would be showing the college basketball games tonight and was assured that it would be on the TV. I told them we’d be back to watch the game, Karen and I haven’t seen a TV in like forever. We took the dinghy back to Mango and had dinner.

After dinner Karen and I both had to pry ourselves off of Mango’s cushions to make it to the sports bar. We arrived midway through the first half in time to see Michigan State getting beat by Duke. We were the only ones in the place other than the owner and the bartender. Occasionally a local would pop in and buy a bottle of wine or what appears to be the drink of choice, coconut rum and milk, sometimes they’ll put a shot of gin in it also. Actually tried it and it’s not too bad but far from my first choice. After seeing Michigan State get tromped and nothing happening in the bar we made our way back to Mango under a gorgeous rising full moon. We then listened to Wisconsin edge past Kentucky on Sirius radio. Go Wisconsin!

Filleting the Grouper

Karen showing off.

4/5 Slept late as we are spending Easter here in Hatchet Bay with about 10 other boats. We’re having Margarita Grouper for dinner. Karen’s been a cooking fiend today, making bread, deviled eggs and cole slaw after a breakfast of eggs, sausage and fried potatoes. I’m gonna get fat again if she keeps this up. Mary Lynn’s cooking has rubbed off on Karen lately.

We saw our first dolphin in the Bahamas this morning in the bay. We thought it was strange not to see more of them down here but we’re only about 300 miles from the states so hopefully we’ll start to see more.

Towards evening we were heading over the SV Surprise to play some Mexican Train Dominos when we noticed a small sailboat anchoring. We thought it was a young couple we met in Georgetown that trucked their sailboat from Seattle to Florida to sail the Bahamas. Instead it turned out to be a young man and woman just sailing about experiencing life, they sailed in from the Ragged Islands and were ready to rest for a while. Karen said the man reminded her of Spicoli (Shawn Penn’s character) from the movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High and she wasn’t far off. The woman appeared to be a free spirit also and this couple shows how little you really need to be out here sailing about. I know I wouldn’t want to be sailing like they are at my age, I’m used to a more comfortable life.

Going up the 101 stairs

The handsome couple at the top

View from the waters edge

Another view

4/6   We woke up this morning, listened to weather and timed our departure for a noonish transit of Current Cut. Weather said winds would be about east at 20 and I set the sails for wing on wing, unfortunately the wind was east between 10 and 15 with lumpy seas so after an hour of bumping along at 5 knots I took down the sails and up went the spinnaker. Things smoothed out and we were scooting along at 6 to 8 knots as the wind picked up and a squall was closing down on us. Spinnaker needs to come down and not knowing how much wind would hit I left all sails down and motored the last 45 minutes.  Seven other boats had the same idea and we all arrived at the cut in a nice orderly fashion, Mango of course being the smallest was last. We flew through the cut flawlessly at 9 knots with the tides help.  After exiting the cut we raised the sails as the clouds thinned and weather looked good. About 45 minutes later winds picked up to over 20 and the rain started. I choose not to reef sails so we flying above 8 knots and I’m not sure if Mango has ever healed that much for that long. We changed course a bit to enter Royal Island for safety rather than anchor off of Meeks Island. The rain stopped and wind calmed to the upper teens to 20 as we dropped anchor, ate lunch and took good naps in the safety of the island harbor.

4/7 Today we woke to listen to the weather and noted winds of 17 with gusts in the low twenties from the East. Tomorrow winds are forecasted to be 15 to 18 out of the East so we plan on leaving then. It’s about a 60 mile trip of all open water to Little Harbor Abaco and we’d hoped to travel this with our friends from New York, Linda and Ed aboard SV Surprise. Unfortunately Ed found that his fresh water pump was leaking quite a bit and doesn’t feel comfortable leaving with the pump in its current condition. Luckily Spanish Wells is nice and close and appears to have great mechanical services. 

Hand ground lense, One of the last of its kind

We were told the light rides in a pool of liquid Mercury

View from the top.

The reason I know they have great services is because we all hired a boat to come out to Royal Island and take us into town. The town has very few places to stay and they are all taken so we had to stay at Royal Island which is about 5 miles away. Too far to dinghy especially in 20 knot winds. The boat is a 25 Boston Whaler type and rides very well in the 3 foot seas. Bruno our captain picked us up and had us to town in about 15 minutes. Spanish Wells is different from other Bahamian towns in that it is almost all white, most residents are descendants from the English who colonized the Bahamas many years ago. The town has a huge lobster fleet that supplies a large part of the US with lobster. Local rumor is that the approximately 1500 residents would like to have their own government and no longer like to be part of the Bahamas.They speak with a different accent that sometimes reminds me of Cajan back in Mobile Alabama. It’s a very industrious town with a bustling town dock and other stores and shops. Strangely the prices on marine supplies are less than in the states. Shoes and other items are the same price as stateside which is very odd considering the rest of the Bahamas much more expensive. They have a grocery store that would fit into the states just fine and we ended up eating dinner at the Buddha Snack Shack. The shack is well known and was good food for a reasonable price. We met and spoke to Buddha and his wife Joanie, looking at Buddha I kinda see how he got his name. It’s a very friendly island and I hope to return sometime and try some lobster.

A quick note about Royal Island. It belongs to Roger Staubach, Emmitt Smith who along with several other retired Dallas Cowboys and other investors bought the island and planned a high end development that got crushed after the last economic downturn. The island has very little development and is monitored by security daily. Karen and I took a walk on the island to survey the ruins of a mansion built in the 1950’s that locals say was built by a wealthy businessman for his wife. His wife did not like the remoteness and the place fell into despair. The series of buildings are all overgrown with vines and other growth that make it resemble an Aztec pyramid in the jungle. Unfortunately we didn’t have the camera and couldn’t get back before dark. Looking at the structures covered by the overgrowth you can imagine how grand the compound was at one time. On the North side of the island the businessman had built pool for his family at the beach. The pool is stone and just walls off the ocean waves from crashing through.

Obviously a Nerds boat

Regatta Boat. Huge boom

4-8   Karen and I were up early and listened to the weather for any reasons not to leave for the Abaco’s, no reason not to go. We started the sail slowly downwind under a mostly full moon high in the sky and moved through the cut into the open ocean and changed course for a great broad reach. We were moving along great at 6 to 7 knots and it looked as though the day would be a quick sail and on top of it the autopilot was working great. As time went on the broad reach became a close reach and also we were now beating into 7 foot seas but Mango was doing great. I probably should’ve put a reef in the main but I wanted to keep good sail shape for the close reach. I was unable to keep the fishing pole in the water due to the large seas and heeling of Mango, so no fish today. We had to motor sail the last little bit of the 59 mile trip but all in all we had anchor down well before sunset and Karen had dinner on the table well in time for the Bulls/Magic game to start on Sirius radio. Needless to say it we were in bed early.

4-9   We motor sailed into Marsh Harbor and decided to treat ourselves to a marina for a few days. For $30 dollars a day we get clean showers, reasonable internet and a wonderful pool. It was well worth it! We washed Mango for the first time in months, took showers ourselves and then took nice naps. We woke up in time to play bingo to benefit the Abaco Dog Shelter with our new found friends Hayden and Raydeen Cochran aboard SV Island Spirit. The crew of Island Spirit are Island Packet icons and anyone who owns an IP knows who they are and how much they’ve done for the Island Packet brand. Karen had the hot cards as she won 2 times giving her winnings back to the shelter and a few rum punches later we were in bed sleeping.

4-10   Today was a nice relaxing day. We had a lazy morning and walked the mile or so into town. Marsh Harbor is a very americanized town with large markets and hardware stores. The homes are well taken care of and Karen thinks it feels a little like Bermuda. The people are very nice and mostly white from what I can tell. Homes here sell from 500K and up so we won’t be staying here. Needless to say the heat is also starting to get unbearable, it was 92 degrees in Mango today with 86% humidity. Tomorrow we’re going to Hopetown to see the lighthouse.

4-11   I finally went jogging this morning and cleaned up the boat before we caught a ferry to Hopetown. Karen and I enjoyed the town which is really just a bunch of quaint colorful cottages that are rented out to the tourists and a few restaurants and beaches. It is beautiful and we ate lunch overlooking the Atlantic with a fantastic breeze blowing in. 

Currently we’re getting a little itchy to get back to the states and have good water and internet. I will try to upload photos if I can but the WIFI connections here leave a lot to be desired. Tomorrow we’re going to Nippers for their pig roast and to dance all night, at least I will try to get Karen to dance. From there we’ll sail through the whale and make tracks to Green Turtle Cay and look for weather window to make the trip back to Florida. Keep your fingers crossed for east or south winds for us.

4-12   Today was quite a day, we left Marsh Harbor bound for Nippers at Great Guana and  we sailed virtually all the way. We motored out of the marina and put up the “Damn Sail” spinnaker and sailed all the way into the anchorage. Karen and I did have a minor disagreement on where to anchor but it all worked out. Another day for the damn sail. We ate lunch and took at nap and watched some rainy clouds roll by. After that we were off to Grabber’s beach, bar and eatery. After a wonderfully strong Great Guana Pain Killer we walked to Nipper’s to people watch and have a drink or two. We got to meet an interesting couple from Michigan, the man worked for Jefferson Yachts out of Chicago. He was great and really understood the large undertaking Karen and I undertook. After people watching and a beer or two Karen and I meandered our way back to Grabbers. Grabber’s special of the day was pizza and we have been dying for a decent pizza. It wasn’t too bad but the scenery was better. Several of the girls from Nipper’s made their way back to Grabber’s and started dirty dancing. Not too shabby! I also witnessed a girl who was drunk trying to lower a man’s swimsuit and try to perform an act not suitable for daytime viewing. Fortunately the man was not that drunk and quickly changed the girls mind. We watched at our table along side another couple who laughed along with us. After another painkiller Karen and I took the dinghy back to Mango to watch the sun go down. The anchorage is crowded now with charter boats from all over. If Chris Parker gives the go ahead we’ll start staging for the cross over to Florida. By that time hopefully we’ll have better internet and I’ll be able to post the blog along with pictures.

4-13   Under spinnaker all day today 50 miles and the autopilot worked much of the time. Finally great internet in Foxtown, an out of the way spec of a town on our way to return to Florida, Hopefully Wednesday if weather holds.

Miss everyone, John & Karen!