Day #233 – Green Turtle Cay, Abacos

Woke in the night to rain coming on through the forward hatch and ran around closing ports and windows.  It rained and was cooler throughout the morning.We decided to get out and go in spite of the rain.  We rented a golf cart and drove up to Bluff House Resort and Marina, also here in White Sound.  It sprinkled most of the way there and we were getting quite wet.  We decided to go into their restaurant and wait it out.  While there we decided to order Eggs Benedict and sure enough by the time were were done eating, the rain had subsided.

The roads are really dirt paths and sometimes very rutted.  Today was a particular challenge as the puddles were everywhere.  Brad did a masterful job of keeping us safe and relatively dry.

While we were there the restaurant lost power just as we had yesterday.  Yesterday we were told it was a scheduled outage for maintenance. Today was not so we decided to come back to the boat and turn off the shore power in case there was a surge or brown out when it came back on.  We all dried off a bit and got back in the cart and headed to New Plymouth. On the way we stopped at another one of the four harbors on Green Turtle called Bita bay.  It was beautiful, but we all decided we were very glad we had crossed over “The Whale” yesterday as today was very rough.

We pulled into New Plymouth and it was just as I had expected.  A bit more rustic than Hope Town and probably a better depiction of real Bahamian lifestyle.  Several of the stores Patti and I wanted to go in were locked up.  We asked people on the street and they said that they had gone home.  Guess they keep their own store hours.  We visited their Memorial Garden, cemetery and harbor.

After a long day of touring Andy decided that we needed to stop at Pineapple’s for a light refreshment.  Pineapple’s was off the beaten track but on the water and a great choice.

The weather that was predicted has certainly arrived as it struggled to get to 68 today and the winds increased.  We will probably be staying on Green Turtle at least until Monday and maybe Tuesday as we wait for the seas to calm.

Day #232 – Green Turtle Cay, Abacos

I can hardly believe that the calendar tells me it is the first day of spring.  Wow, winter sure goes faster when you are away from the cold weather!

We woke this morning and called on the VHF at 7:30 for a Whale Cay passage report.  They said it was fairly calm and was going to increase as the day progressed.  We took that as our window and pulled away from the docks at beautiful Orchid Bay at 8:00.  Several big boats on the water and the waves were a bit larger than had been reported.

Fortunately the trip from Guana Cay to Green Turtle Cay is only 18 miles and The Whale is only a part of it.  We were lucky enough to see another rainbow this morning.  Three in two days must mean we are extremely lucky, but then we knew that.

Arrived back at Green Turtle Club &  Marina exactly thirty eight days since we left here on February 9th.  What a time we have had.  The marina is hopping and much busier than when we were here last.  The weather reports are saying that we will be here 3-4 days which is fine with us.  Great place, lots to see and friendly people.  There are fishermen everywhere as seen in the picture below.  They were cleaning mostly small fish from yellow tailed snapper and grunt.  One fisherman said they make a grunting noise when you pull them out of the water.

Patti, Andy and I went for a nice walk through the resort and away from the marina.  I have read that there are four beach areas on Green Turtle Cay and we walked  past Coco Bay Beach.  Very remote and quiet.

We ate in their restaurant here at the marina. The last time we were here we had the best meal we have had in the Bahamas and that is saying a lot.  Green Turtle Resort is where they let you deduct your meal from your dockage fee.  Can’t beat that!

After dinner with Brad, Patti and Bob and Brenda (their friends who are down here on vacation), Bob drove us in his golf cart to Pineapple’s where they had local entertainment.  We get quite a kick out of the fact that they all seem to play the same music here in the Abacos.  By now, it is beginning to sound familiar even to us.

Day #231 – Great Guana Cay, Abacos

It rained  most of the night and so far has rained all day here in Great Guana Cay.  We had a quiet morning reading as there is no satellite TV or internet because of the rain.  Back to basics I guess.  I decided to make a pot of soup on a rainy day so Andy, Patti and I trekked off in the rain anyway.

The first building we entered as we left the resort property was Guana Grocery.  Surprisingly, they had a great selection and the prices were better than we had even experienced in Marsh Harbour, a much bigger area.

A quiet day planned and we are still waiting to see if we can cross “The Whale” tomorrow to make it over to Green Turtle Cay.  We will probably be there for a few days as the low front is predicted to continue.

We cannot complain about the rain, we have had such fabulous weather since we left.  The locals are thrilled as this is how they get their drinking water by collecting it in cisterns.  The people we feel badly for are the ones who are here on vacation.  It is Spring Break and many people have arrived in the area to enjoy the weather.

The boat, Bayou (125 feet), pulled in the marina this afternoon.  Immediately, the owner came over and introduced herself.  She is from Bloomfield Hills and recognized the “News” in Good News.  Small world, so far from home.  Her captain told me about a new “captain’s” term today. ..the three Ds, decide, delegate, disappear.  Don’t think I will inform Andy of that concept.  Later we were invited on the boat, nice people, Ricky and Jerome Shaw who are now art dealers in Miami.

To cap the end to a near perfect day, the skies began to clear and we were treated to a rare double rainbow.

Day #230 – Great Guana Cay, Abacos

We actually got some rain late yesterday afternoon and evening.  They have been warning everyone about the fear of fires as it has been so long since they have had any rain here in the Abacos.  So, the locals were very happy.

Patti and I went for our usual walk this morning along the beach. You have to look closely, but the picture below show people sleeping on the deck in sleeping bags.  They are young boys who are a part of the Sea Scout program.  Hope they stayed dry last night.

Walked the beach again and never did find any of the elusive sand dollars.  Even the picture below proves they exist as they are hanging from a resident’s tree.

We left Treasure Cay this morning about 10:30 for Great Guana Cay, about 12 miles across the Sea of Abaco.  It is the first overcast day we have had in a long time and the temperature has dropped as it is only 71 degrees today.  The winds have increased with the low pressure and the crossing was a bit rough.   Fortunately it was a short trip.

We arrived at beautiful Orchid Bay about 11:30.  We went up and registered and went to their restaurant for lunch.  I had never had a lobster BLT before but it was very good.  After lunch we walked around the grounds and the docks.  There are a few large boats in here, but Argyll which is anchored outside the harbor tops them all.

The grounds are lovely and they have certainly devoted a lot of time to their flowers.   Even the humming birds love them.

We will stay here today and tomorrow and wait for the winds to calm down.  Internet is available, but you have to take your computer up to the office to use it.  So, I’m not sure how good our email and blog communication will be.

Day #229 – Treasure Cay, Abacos

HAPPY ST. PATRICK’s DAY!

Took an absolutely beautiful walk along the beach early this morning.  Low tide was at 7:40 so we went straight to the beach for shell collecting.  Still didn’t find any sand dollars, but a few shells here and there.  The weather and the scenery made up for the lack of sand dollars.  Fantastic!

Along the way we came across a small development that looked as though it had never been rebuilt after the hurricanes and it is right on the beach.

Curly tail lizards are plentiful here as shown below.

After doing laundry, etc. Patti and I walked into the grocery store to provision before we leave tomorrow.  You never know what the menu will be as tonight we were going to make meat loaf, but they were out of ground beef which has usually been fairly easy to find.  Oh well, pork chops will have to do as they looked good today.  We pushed the carts all the way back to the marina and unloaded there.

We have really enjoyed Treasure Cay but will be leaving tomorrow for Orchid Bay on Great Guana Cay.  That is where Andy won the certificate for the free week’s stay.  Should be fun as it is a beautiful area.  You can check it out yourself at http://www.orchidbay.net

Day #228 – Treasure Cay, Abacos

We left Sea Spray Marina this morning and said good bye to Kismet and Freedom’s Turn as they helped us off the dock.  We all really hope to get together again in Florida.

Lisa gave me these two pictures she had taken previosuly.

The day we rented the center console boat and visited them.

She took this picture in Man-O-War.  It was in someone’s driveway.

We had a beautiful ride to Treasure Cay. The water was calm and there was lots of boat traffic.  We were even treated to a show by four dolphins.  We had not seen any while we have been in the Bahamas.

Arrived at our beautiful marina and spent a couple of hours washing the inside and the outside of the boat.  The amount of salt spray over at Sea Spray Marina was amazing.  Felt good to be washed down again.

Andy cracked open a coconut I had found.  Not sure what I will do with the content but it was fun to watch.

After our chores we walked over to the amazing beach here on Treasure Cay.  It has been voted one of the top 10 beaches in the Caribbean and now I know why.  We had hoped to find sand dollars as we had been told they were plentiful there.  However, we came up empty handed, nut will try at low tide again tomorrow.

We had another fantastic lobster dinner.  How spoiled are we?????

Day #227 – Elbow Cay (White Sound), Abacos

A beautiful night last night as you could hear the ocean waves all night long and there was a steady breeze.  Late in the morning we walked to the Abaco Inn as they were having an art fair.  Quite a loose term as there wasn’t much there, but it was a nice walk and a beautiful view.

The afternoon was quiet and we all did a little boat maintenance.  The breeze continues and we are amazed at the salt sray that comes in off the ocean.  I guess that is where the marina “Sea Spray” got its name.  The salt blows all over everything in the spray off of the ocean.  No sense washing the boat as we are leaving tomorrow and it will be covered again.

We thought perhaps the paparazzi were stalking us, however the dock manager told us that this helicopter flies in every once in a while. They buzzed right over the tops of our boats and landed.  Apparently, they live on Treasure Cay and like to come to Sea Spray for lunch periodically.  Must be a good recommendation for their food here.

Notice our boat in the background.

Another pot luck dinner and fun times in this beautiful environment.  We will be sad to leave tomorrow as that means we are truly heading back as we begin heading east.  We sure have enjoyed seeing Jim and Lisa and Charlie and Linda again, great people…and they are from Michigan!

Not sure if you can tell in the picture, but these are our three Michigan boats (Okemos, Charlevoix and Bloomfield Hills) docked in a row. I doubt that happens too often on Elbow Cay in the Abacos!

We tried to get a picture of the space shuttle as it took off from Cape Canaveral, but it was too hard to photograph.  Quite a site just seeing the trailing tail in the dark sky.

Day #226 – Elbow Cay (White Sound), Abacos

After a beautiful day yesterday, the night was a little rough.  The winds picked up as a brief (5 minute) rain storm passed through.  We were glad when morning came and it brought another beautiful day.  We had reservations at Sea Spray Marina in White Sound.  We had planned to stop there as Jim and Lisa Favors aboard Kismet are docked there for the month and we looked forward to spending time with them.

We pulled into our slip about 10:30 and they were there on the docks to help us with our lines as well as Linda and Charlie on Freedom’s Turn.  It was welcomed as it was windy and narrow but the captain did it beautifully.  We were only there a short time when we had planned a pot luck dinner by the pool and a ocean view lunch at On Da Beach.  They even sent a shuttle to pick us up.

When we returned Lisa, Patti and I wanked to the Abaco Inn down the street as they had internet connection.  IT was spotty but better than nothing.  It was totally worth the walk though as this was the view we had.

The pot luck dinner was fantastic and we were also joined by Peggy and Bob aboard Baby Grand.  They are Loopers from Lake Superior and this is the first time we had met them.  That makes four Looper boats in this marina.  Small world.  After dinner the band started playing and they were great.  Everyone danced and thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

Day #225 – Elbow Cay (Tahiti Beach), Abacos

We took our last morning walk along the shoreline and knew we would miss some of the sights and sounds we had come to appreciate.

We said good bye to many now familiar faces at Marsh Harbour Marina as they helped us off the dock.  Such great memories of our stay there will be with us always.

In just a little over an hour we were at our anchorage for the day and night at Tahiti Beach on Elbow Cay.  The water was clear, the day beautiful and the skies sunny.  We set off for a short ride in the dinghies over to the beach.  We walked around a bit and waded in the warm water.

After awhile, we decided to head back to our boats and meet back at the beach at low tide (4:00 pm) for shell collecting which people had told us was great there. We were not disappointed.  I asked out loud if there was any way you could make a living doing this.  If so, count me in!  This was truly paradise at its best.

As if that wasn’t enough, Patti had us over for fresh grilled ahi tun…to die for.  All went to bed after a long, satisfying day.

Day #224 – Marsh Harbour, Abacos

Woke to another beautiful, sunny, warm day here in Marsh Harbour and was anxious to get out for our morning walk.  The sights, sounds and smells are now becoming familiar and a morning tradition I look froward to.

Today is set aside for getting ready to take off for our island hopping expedition.  We washed the boat inside and out and did several loads of laundry.  At Marsh Harbour Marina we pay a $50 flat fee for water per month.  Once we leave here it will be metered and gets as high as 45 cents per gallon in places.  Makes you think a lot about turning on the faucet.

Part of the day entailed having a diver come and check and clean the bottom of the boat.  He did Salvage Crew first and found a large rope wrapped around one of their propellers and a “dinged” prop.  Then he moved over to our boat and cleaned the bottom and checked things out.  Both boats needed zincs replaced so Andy called around and jumped into a cab to go pick them up.  The diver will come back and install them for us.

We are all a little melancholy today as it is our last day at Marsh Harbour Marina after and wonderful month here. When you stay in one place for a longer period you get to know the people staying in and working at the marina and it has been nothing short of spectacular.  The Abacos have no doubt been the highlight of our trip so far and we are so glad not to have missed seeing them.

From here, when we depart in the morning, we will visit Tahiti Beach and Sea Spray Marina on Elbow Cay.  From there we will go to Guana Cay and Orchid Bay and Treasure Cay.  After that we will wait for a weather window to cross back over through “The Whale” and on to Green Turtle Cay.  After that, an anchorage at Sale Cay and back to Old Bahama Bay in West End.  We plan to take about 10-14 days to do all that before crossing over the Gulf Stream again to Palm Beach, Florida area.

Stephen on the dock at Marsh Harbour Marina.  This is how the dock attendants travel around the docks to and from the restaurant.

We are not sure how good our internet will be along the way.  We will be in touch when we can.  In an emergency you can always reach us at:

Address your e-mail to:

cruisers@oii.net

With the boat’s name as subject, ie:

To: cruisers@oii.net
Subject: M/V “Good News”

Each morning we listen to the VHF radio at 8:15 and they make announcements and let boaters know when someone is trying to reach them.

Until then…bon voyage!