Week 4 South Eleuthra and Marina life

A glorious day at one of Chris' favorite oceanside beaches  (abandonded Club Med from the 80's) was followed by an evening at the local Kawanis Clubs' fish fry on the towns waterfront. Fish Fry (noun) is a tradition in many Bahamian towns but is normally a group of shacks serving food and libations but  run for profit by locals.  These party spots are always located on the waterfront and only operate on Fridays and special occasions such as Easter and Homecoming. The difference at Governors Harbor is that it is set up in a permanent structure and is operated by a local mens group with profits benefiting causes throughout the community.

Club Med (French Leave) beach

French Leave Resort

dancing in the street at Fish Fry

  Rock Sound
     We sail south to the better protected anchorage at Rock Sound where we join 25 other boats seeking protection from the next cold front. We spent our three days here with trips to the well stocked grocery store, hauling water and fuel in 6 gallon jugs and hikes to the oceanside beach. Hosted a happy hour with neighbors sailing for the past 3 years out of the Netherlands  and were entertained by their stories.

Marina Life- Cape Eleuthra Resort
    As many of you have gathered we never stay in marinas during our Bahamas travels. This is due mainly to the costs involved and also to the remote spots we enjoy visiting. The cost of an overnite stay here is $2.50/ft plus 12% tax equating to $95/nite. Hearing about a deal they were offering of  a  credit of $300 towards a 4 nite stay found us taking a slip here where we enjoyed the resorts amenities.  Our final bill worked out to be $20/nite which is what we normally pay to pick up a mooring in some harbors we visit.
     This resort was originally built in the early 70's with an airstrip, 18 hole golf course, enclosed marina harbor plus many dredged harbors along with 7 miles of paved roads serving the 4000 acre complex to accompany the expected building boom. As with many Bahamian resorts the early 80's saw the 40 cottage main complex abandoned and falling to ruin. In more recent times  the property was purchased by the billionare Amway founders the DeBos family (Trumps Sec of Education Betsy DeBos). Who leveled the original buildings and have built a world class resort and marina on a small portion of the property.
     We were quite happy to enjoy hiking the miles of paved trails along with the pool and beaches. Chris was able to catch up on laundry and enjoyed long hot showers each day(a luxury on a small sailboat).

 

 

 

 

Betsy DeVos' 50 millon dollar 160ft yacht

With our marina stay behind us we move a short sail south to the tiny Plumb Creek entrance. A beautiful shallow sandy cove but it is only protected by the prevailing easterlies. From here we need to make a decision on whether to head west to the Exumas or continue southeast to the far islands of Little San Salvadore, Cat, Conception, Rum and finally Long Island before ending up in Georgetown, Exuma. It's been a couple of years since we took the eastern route but with limited protected anchorages the weather plays a major role in our decision.  We will consult the weather gods and decide in the morning.

Moving south thru Eleuthra

Week 3

     As the winds have calmed  we spend a few days wandering about the northern anchorages. A day in Spanish Wells with a stop for lunch at a local rest/bar called Buddas where we met up with a few other cruisers. Pickings were slim for fresh veggies in town as the supply boat was due later in the week. Also hauled 12 gallons of water to the boat but after testing it decided not to add it to our tanks. My new dissolved solids meter read off the scale so apparently their reverse osmoses system is poor. Rather than dumping it we used it for laundry.

    The following day we motor sailed thru aptly named Current Cut at slack tide. When the tide is running it can flow at over 4 kts so we try to time our transit for the short period (20 minutes or so) of slack tide. Onward to one of our favorite spots to anchor at the beach near the Queens Baths for a couple of calm nights.

Queens Baths

the queen

    Once again it's time to seek shelter with anticipated stormy weather so we motor south to the totally protected Hatchet Bay pond. To our surprise we found 30 other boaters anchored with the same idea of getting here early to grab a prime spot.. Holding here is rather sketchy but we found a spot in the crowd we were happy with. Spent 2 quiet days here with a hike to the oceanside beach and walks thru the tiny town followed by drinks with fellow cruisers at a local waterfront dive called Boaters Haven.  The stormy weather hit at dinnertime on our third day and at least 5 boats dragged during the night having to reanchor in 50 kt gusts. I ended up assisting on a neighbors boat as he was alone and having trouble getting his anchor to hold. With winds this strong it's difficult to slow the backward movement of the boat and control the anchor rode at the same time.  Spent much of the night on watch  as  the winds roared.

entering Hatchet Cut

 

 

 

Pirate Ship????

full moon over anchorage

   

Our continued quest for the perfect deserted beach- Hatchet Bay oceanside

By Thursday we move south with lite winds knowing that the next few  anchorages may be uncomfortable as they offer little protection from the predicted  NW winds. We stop in another favorite ancorage at Governors Harbor. The prevaling winds in this part of the Atlantic are from generally the east and most of our travels keep us in the calm waters in the lee of the islands.  When a front passes winds clock thru the compass requiring us to seek out the few anchorages that offer protection assuming the weatherman is correct. The winds built overnite and even tucked into what we had hoped was a protected corner the swells are rolling in making for less than ideal sleeping conditions. We plan to head to the oceanside beach but need to find a spot to land the dinghy where the waves aren't crashing.

Moving South

nicely making way

While riding out big winds in Marsh Harbor we spent a couple of days wandering around town, filling our diesel at $4.70/gal and water at .22/gal(best price around, marina charges .45/gal.) and also picking up a couple of pounds each of frozen lobster meat(no shell)$14.50/lb and conch $7.25/lb at the local seafood warehouse. Once the winds eased up we had a great sail south to anchor behind Tavern Cay. Had fellow cruisers from S/V Vindaloo over for happy hour where I (Kevin) cooked up a batch of Conch fritters. The air is still a little cool but we stay toasty inside our greenhouse. 

      Each morning in the Abacoes a group of locals host a radio program called the cruisers net where they read the weather report, share info on local happenings along with many business getting their pitch. Boaters can call in with questions and announcements and this morning a boater was organizing a cook out on the beach at mostly uninhabited Lynard Cay. Since this is where we were planning to stage for our next crossing we sailed down under brisk winds. 

Apres Ski at anchor

cook out on Lynard Cay

 That evening we enjoyed a great happy hour and cook out with a  gathering of about 18 cruisers at this beautiful protected spot just a short walk from the raging ocean. The air was cool but warmer days are ahead.

pristine beach, Lynard Cay

 As we wait for the winds and seas to abate we enjoyed swimming in the cristal clear waters and wandering the beaches and oceanside trails.  By Monday morning the weather has eased and we head out in the company of 7 other boats to cross the N E Providence channel to Eleuthera. Winds were light and we mostly  motorsailed for the 10 hour trip. Many boaters are making their way north and took advantage of the favorable weather and we crossed paths with at least 15 boats. This time of year their is a mass exodous of live aboard boaters who have spent the winter further south with many Canadien vessels heading to the Great Lakes for the summer.

Eleuthera
    Our favorite protected anchorage when we enter this area is the totally enclosed harbor inside Royal Island. With another blow coming in a couple of days we come in early to be assured of a prime spot. Spent the day Tuesday hiking on the island with a  morning of snorkeling at the ruins of an old harbor on the north side followed by a picnic lunch. Fish were plentiful but my camera skills failed me as most pictures came out very colorless. 

lionfish(invasive)

ruins of a krall(corall) cut into the limstone to hold lobster or possibly turtles

waiting for bar service?

Royal Island ruins

      As predicted the winds have built and we have been joined by 14 boats also seeking shelter. We plan on staying put for at least a couple of days before moving on to Spanish Wells and pionts south.
One good thing about being holed up is that Chris takes time to bake, brownies, muffins and bread. No wonder we gain weight while sailing.

 

Back to the Bahamas 2019

After hearing from many of our friends that they were disappointed at my not keeping up with our blog last year I will try to do better this trip.

On March first we left Lake Worth inlet (Palm Beach) at 3:30 AM with calm seas and a star filled sky. I always have trouble sleeping the night before heading out and as usual I was awake and ready to go much earlier but in deference to Chris held off.  Our trip across was uneventful and we were a motorboat for 14 hours finally anchoring at tiny uninhabited Mangrove Cay for a peaceful night. The second day was much of the same with very little wind but at least the fishing improved, 3 jacks(keepers) and 4 barracuda with 3 being to big to keep. We only eat small Barracuda- under 30 inches as the larger ones can build up a toxin hazardous to us mortals. The fishing kept the trip exciting and after 8 hours we dropped anchor for another peaceful night in a protected cove on uninhabited Allens-Pensacola island.

another 40 inch barracuda

our private oceanside beach

Chris enjoying the pristine waters

signing tree

With another beautiful day on Sunday we decided to spend some time at the calm oceanside beach starting with a long hike followed by Bloody Marys and some time in the chrystal clear waters. That evening brought an end to our calm weather and we were joined by 7 other boats all having made the crossing on Saturday. During the night I was awakened by the sounds of a 50 ft motoryacht that had dragged by very close and was now aground just off our stern on a falling tide. I spent most of the night on watch as they tried in vain to get free which finally happened at high tide near daybreak. Apparently no damage was done which was surprising since they had engines roaring for hours churning up sand.  

The next 2 days are what makes sailors forget all the boring days spent motoring. Sailing south under reefed sails we made great time stopping at Green Turtle Cay to clear customs then on to a perfect protected anchorage for a quiet nite. These cruising grounds make for excellent sailing as the protected sea of Abaco is enclosed by Great Abaco to the west and numerous barrier islands on the ocean side.

 Off early to catch the high tide so we could take a shortcut thru a shallow area called  Don’t Rock passage for another exciting sail anchoring by noon at Marsh Harbor where we will wait out the upcoming stormy weather. This small city is called the hub of the Abacos and it boasts a commercial harbor leading to a  protected pleasure boat harbor with currently about 50 anchored boats in addition to 3 marinas and 2 large sailboat charter operations.  We normally only spend time here to provision or hide from weather.

 As we entered the channel the 250 ft freighter Duke of Topsail was anchored near the entrance and we soon discovered that the 250 ft freighter Inagua Spirit was aground and listing  in the channel blocking the entrance. Thankfully we bypassed this to enter our anchorage. It will be interesting to watch if the next tide re-floats this ship(2 high tides later she is now free with the help of a few tugs).

The expected cold front arrived during the night with big winds but little rain, we plan on spending another day here waiting out the winds and plan a lunch in town today.

Since leaving Jensen Beach last Thursday we have covered 208 nm (240 miles) and consumed 17 gal of fuel. Has been our easiest first week out of the past 8 years.

island hopping north thru Exuma

Thurs- Fri, May 4^th

BARRATERRE

   Heading north out of the Georgetown area under light wind we motor sail as we try to keep up our speed for fishing. After 20 nm and no fish we head into Rat Cay cut where we stop for lunch and a swim. We are expecting strong south and west winds over the next few days so we decide that since we are on a rising tide and with sunny skies to try the shallow route to anchor at Barraterre. Much of the Exumas consist of very shallow sand banks that move with the current as the tide flows between the shallow bank side to the deep ocean on the sound side. As long as the sun is overhead reading the water depth is fairly easy. We find a spot just in front of town to anchor in 6 ft of water with great protection. A walk around this tiny town provided us with a a bag of local tomatoes and a stop at the local bar for refreshments.  Late day we stopped a local boat and were able to buy cleaned conch at 5 for $10, not worth hunting and cleaning at that price.

LEE STOCKING ISLAND

Sat thru Mon

  As the wind veered to the east and built our anchorage became uncomfortable so we headed north to one of our favorite stops at the abandoned Carribean research center. Spent our days wandering the island enjoying the beautiful oceanside beaches. The first evening we stopped to visit a sportfish anchored next to us and were rewarded with a gift of 5 lbs of Mahi fillets. A great dinner plus plenty for the freezer.

  On Mon we took a dingy ride to explore the salt pond on Normans Pond Cay. Had a productive day harvesting 23 big conch. On our return I was reminded why it is easier to buy them after spending hours cleaning and skinning them. Had a feast that evening and still froze many meals.

 

outlet of salt pond at low tide

          

RUDDER CAY

Moving north we exit Adderly cut with the wind opposing the current and had a hairy ride for a bit as we buried the bow into about 5 sets of standing waves. By the time we realized how big these seas were it was to late to turn back safely but once we entered open water the seas calmed nicely. Sailing north I lost a nice Mahi after getting it alongside but landed a big Barracuda that was to big to keep. Stayed outside sailing back and forth past the cut we wanted to wait for slack tide.  This proved to be a good move and we entered Cave Cut with much smoother seas.

Dingeyed around checking out the man made cave(Germans hid U-boats here) and snorkeling on a site where the Islands owners (supposedly David Copperfield) have placed a mermaid at a piano.

             

 

mermaid at piano(stock photo)

BIG FARMERS CAY

Another gunkholing expedition led us into an anchorage we have always bypassed due to shallow sandbars. Anchored in 6 ft off a great beach where we spent the afternoon exploring a stream filled with small conch, rays and turtles.

BLACK POINT

Another beautiful day has us sailing north under full sail making great time. Anchored off of the village of Black Point where we were able to get rid of our trash(always a problem) fill our water and have lunch at Lorraines Cafe. In the morning we hiked to a blow hole on the ocean side but weren’t impressed as the ocean was nearly calm and the tide was out. We are told this is one of the most impressive blow holes in the Bahamas, maybe next trip.

 

Black Point blowhole(stock photo)

SANDY CAY

Another great sail took us north with plans to stop at Staniel Cay for gas and diesel but it turned out they were out of both so we sailed on and tucked in to a small group of islands once again in about 6 ft of water. As we worked our way thru the shallows caught a nice mutton snapper that we devoured for dinner. Spent the afternoon on a perfect tiny beach that Chris now adds to her list of favorite beaches.

 

another great beach

EXUMA NATIONAL PARK

CAMBRIDGE CAY-BELL ISLAND

Moving along north we sail with just the jib working our way thru the windy channel to anchor in a cove off of bell Island. We are expecting west winds and the anchorages for protection are very limited. Bell Island is one of the many private islands in Exuma National Park and the owners made their wishes for privacy known with many signs along with 2 large dogs patrolling the beach. Even though all beaches in the Bahamas are public up to the high water mark we didn’t press our luck with the dogs by venturing ashore.  

HOG CAY-PIRATES LAIR

I have always wanted to venture into this anchorage but it requires entering from the ocean with calm seas or transiting an intricate channel thru many small islands. We decided to try the channel as the tide was high and soon realized this should have been accomplished at slack tide. The gps made following the channel a breeze but currents flowing off the bank were fierce pulling at us as we negotiated the narrow cuts thru the islands.  We had reserved a mooring via radio thru the park service since their are only 5 moorings available and anchoring would be tricky as the current flows at a good clip with the tide.

This narrow anchorage was supposedly a hideout for pirates and we hiked to the spot where they had a camp and well. At low slack tide we explored a cave that connects the harbor with the ocean. Enjoyed an afternoon on the beach with 2 couples journeying south both seeing this area for the first time.

Our second nite brought severe squalls with heavy rain and winds to 50kts but we felt quite safe in this protected harbor. The only problem was that after the storm quieted down and the  tidal current flowing at about 3 kts the boat couldn’t decide to lay with the tide or the wind. Until about midnight when the tide switched we had to put up with the mooring ball being dragged back and forth under the bow. I hate to see what this did to our bottom paint.

    

cave at Hog Cay

WARDRICK WELLS

Tues and Wed

     We awake to clear skies and much calmer seas and decide to exit this crazy anchorage before the seas build and trap us here. A short sail up the coast to the inlet at Wardrick Wells Park where we have reserved a mooring for the next couple of days as more squally weather is expected. Drinks (homebrew) aboard Irish Eyes with Bill and Adair whom we have met at many of our stops, and yes they really do make homebrew on their 34 ft boat and it was great. Our second night we had them over for my special conch fritters and cocktails. A couple of hikes and a trip up BoBo hill to replace our updated boat sign made for a relaxing stay.

Apres Ski at Wardrich Wells mooring

   

replacing our sign-BOBO Hill

HAWKSBILL CAY

    Keeping with our island hopping theme we move all of 16nm up the chain to anchor at Hawksbill Cay. Great sailing with 18 kt winds under just the jib until we were hit by a squall with heavy rain but we managed to get our cockpit enclosure sealed up in time to stay dry. Skies cleared by afternoon and we hiked to the ocean side but seas were wild so it was back to our protected beach.

three sea turtles kept us entertained- this one is about 24in long

SHROUD CAY

Another short sail with big winds finds us in the protected north end of Shroud Cay. The center of this island is nearly all mangrove swamp with tidal streams flowing thru. We dingy thru to the ocean side but decide to spend the afternoon at a tiny beach close to the boat.

our private beach -Shroud Cay

HIGHBORNE CAY

Winds are still howling but the seas are reasonable in the lee of the islands as we fly under jib only to anchor for lunch at Normans Cay. We met friends here and had lunch at the resort. If we hadn’t already committed we probably wouldn’t have stayed for the $25 burgers and $7 beers. A nice lunch but certainly not our kind of place.

After lunch we continued our journey north to anchor off of Highborne Cay to prepare to cross back to Eleuthra.