Fun with friends in the Abacos

March 7th

We left Hope Town and sailed to Marsh Harbour to meet Blaine and Sharon, our good friends from Maine, at the airport and welcome them to the beautiful Bahamas! They arrived on an afternoon flight so we decided to stay in Marsh Harbour at the Conch Inn Marina and have dinner at the Jib Room across the harbour - steak nights are always good there. Our friends Ben and Belinda Doliver (from Swans Island, Maine) had come to Marsh Harbour as well so it was a fun reunion for them. A great first night with live music and lots of dancing!

The next morning we began the "tour". First stop - Fishers Bay in Guana Cay to introduce Blaine and Sharon to Nippers and their "famous" Sunday Pig Roast. As usual, it didn't fail to entertain... If people watching is your sport, this is the place to do it, especially on Sunday!

Beach at Nippers

Nippers crowd

Sharon and Blaine

Spring Break?

The next morning we motor sailed to Little Harbour to make sure we arrived at the noon high tide. The channel can be challenging to maneuver with shallow depths and our 5'9" draft. We took one of Pete's moorings and set out in search of sea glass. Little Harbour is a great place to explore - walking the settlement and the beaches. After a long walk in the hot sun we made our way back to Pete's Pub for lunch and a cold one. The food is always great there and the atmosphere can't be beat. This is the place that claims the phrase "Where the elite eat in their bare feet" as the pubs floor is the beach.
We stayed the next morning and returned to Pete's for lunch since it was delicious the previous day and we again had to wait for high tide to leave. If you want to know more about Pete and the Johnston Art Foundry, CLICK HERE    Pete's mother and father settled in Little Harbour in 1952. Their story is quite fascinating. I'm sure you'll enjoy reading their story HERE

Sailing, sailing.....

The beach at Pete's Pub in Little Harbour

Oh, the things you find on the beach!

Any shelter is a good shelter

Walking around looking for conch and rays

After a walk on the beach, Sharon and Jeff are cleaning the sand out of their sandals

The steps to the beach from Pete's Pub

After leaving Little Harbour we sailed to Tilloo Sand Bank - one of our favorite stops we did some snorkeling and relaxing - a great way to spend an afternoon in the Bahamas.

This hammock was here two years ago and can hold a family of four!

Jeff borrowed one of the discarded chairs on the beach and propped up his feet

Sharon found a baby conch!

We were back in Hope Town on our mooring that evening at dusk.
Jeff had arranged a fishing trip for the next morning with Truman on Lucky Strike. Promptly at 8:30 he pulled his fishing boat alongside, Blaine and Jeff boarded and we wished them well on their expedition. They returned at 11:00 with one Mahi and one Black Fin Tuna.

Later that day we climbed the lighthouse and explored the settlement. We enjoyed a casual dinner at the Hope Town Inn and Marina's outdoor restaurant and returned to the boat early for the last night of Blaine and Sharon's Bahamas adventure. Tomorrow morning they would be off to Marsh Harbour on the Hope Town Ferry at 8:30 to catch their flight to Florida. We sure enjoyed their stay with us and hope to see more of them next year!

View from the lighthouse

The next two days were dedicated to some consulting work for Jeff, laundry and general "housekeeping". On Sunday we were back in business and joined friends at the Hope Town Inn and Marina for Brown Tip's Rake & Scrape music and dancing from 1-4pm. Always a great time! We meet the most interesting folks from all over, other boaters like ourselves looking for new adventures. I bought a handmade craft bag for our granddaughter from one new friend. It's really cute and I can't wait to see her again when we return to FL in May.  We learned that friends we had met over here years ago (John and Kathi) were anchored just outside the Hope Town Harbour so we hopped in the dinghy to say hello. The next day we went snorkeling together and speared a few fish and a lobster! Needless to say, it was fresh lobster rolls for lunch!

Jeff caught dinner!

We were planning to leave the Abacos in a few days, so decided to race one more time before we go. Todd joined us once again, so we were ready to repeat our last win.... Unfortunately the wind didn't cooperate, and only 3 boats out of 16 finished before the time deadline. We did however, get to chat with the neighboring boaters who were drifting along with us! Small world, per Jeff, the Bristol 41.1 drifting beside us was skippered by Morgan Densel, who spent a summer as sternman for "Low Profit Moffit" on the Matt & Pat!

On March 19th (Happy 28th Birthday Brian!) we headed once again to Marsh Harbour to re-provision for our trip south: fuel, groceries, etc. and a new dive mask for me (mine was leaking). We were set to leave when the windlass decided to have a mind of its own - running when it wasn't supposed to. So, after a couple of hours taking care of that, it was too late to go and we spent the night at anchor in Marsh Harbour. The next morning we headed toward Lynyard Cay, anchored near Sandy Cay for lunch and then to snorkel on the reef there. This is always a favorite reef to visit but it didn't happen this time. It began to rain hard, so we'll have to catch it another time. We pulled anchor and at 2:30 we were anchored in Lynyard Cay with 24 other boats. The last to arrive was a boat we had seen before and in fact had motored down the ICW with in North Carolina trying to make the last bridge opening! Douglass dinghied over and we chatted for a while. They had been in the Exumas and were heading north to the Abacos. They'd never been there, so we shared some info and suggested a few great places for them to visit.

Our next destination would be Royal Island, four miles off North Eleuthera - one step closer to the Exumas. There were no residences on this island but plans had been in the works years ago. We discovered Lot markers on various points of the island and found that there had been a plan for a major resort years ago. HERE'S THE STORY  We enjoyed a quiet evening aboard after exploring the island, swimming and showering up.

The water is so crystal clear you can see everything on the bottom

The next morning we had a 6 hour motor in light winds to Ship Channel Cay and then a short hop the next day to a beautiful anchorage between Allan's Cay and Leaf Cay where we would enjoy snorkeling and visiting with the local iguanas - quite the attraction. People from other boats had decided to swim to shore to see them and snorkel for some conch, only to discover that a swift current had kicked up before they could return to their boats. We actually pulled a few swimmers into our dinghy and returned them to their boats, for which they were very grateful.

What a beautiful entry this made at one time

Our sailboat anchored in the foreground

We were off again at 11:00 (leisurely morning!) for our short trip to Highbourne Cay where we have planned to stay for a couple of days to catch up on email, etc. Yesterday we dragged our laundry up to the office where it was whisked away to housekeeping (what a treat!). We lowered the dinghy and putted around the island to see what we could find. Lots to see!

Tomorrows dinner?

Nurse sharks waiting on the bottom (approx 12 feet) for fish scraps at the cleaning station.
These shots were taken from the dinghy above the water for those who think I'm nuts enough to dive below with them!

Last night we enjoyed a wonderful meal at the restaurant here after riding around the island in the dinghy scoping out the scenes.  It rained this morning so we took advantage of the internet here and did some work and I was able to update the blog. We may go look for some conch and lobster in a while. Maybe we'll get lucky! Tomorrow we're off to parts further south. Until then...........

Winter in Hope Town

March 5, 2015

January has been a little (and sometimes a lot!) windy and chilly here in the Abacos. We even had the heat on at times a while back. I know, I know - no sympathy from our freezing and snowbound friends in other parts of the country. Believe me, we've been thinking of all you've had to endure this winter and wishing we could send some warmer temps your way. Spring is only 15 days away! At any rate, we enjoyed watching the Super Bowl at one of our favorite waterfront restaurants on Elbow Cay. We bundled up with others and watched the big screen on the outside deck. Some of the very well trained furry friends there enjoyed a treat during half time.

Jeff had to do some consulting work in Boise, so I took advantage of that time and visited with my mother and uncle in Pompano Beach. We left the boat in the Hope Town Inn & Marina while we were away in order to be hooked up to shore power to ensure our frozen and refrigerated food wouldn't spoil. Our solar panels charge the batteries quite nicely provided the sun is shining. We hopped on the ferry to Marsh Harbor, then a cab to the airport to take the short flight to Ft. Lauderdale. These planes aren't exactly what you'd call commercial airliners... the great part is that you can see where you're going. On this small plane the cockpit door was left open so we could see out the windshield!

My mom is thoroughly pleased to be in Florida instead of CT for obvious reasons. NO SNOW! We spent the week catching up, shopping, getting our nails done, etc. What a great time that was.
Once in Pompano we were pleased to learn that my cousin Bob and his wife Linda were visiting as well. Great fun catching up with everyone. 

Mid week there was a knock on the door and to my surprise this beautiful arrangement was for me! Jeff sent an early Valentine's day arrangement so that I could enjoy it for a while before we headed back to Hope Town on the 16th of Feb. Mom has enjoyed it ever since we left. The lily's haven't quit
delighting with new blooms!

I met up with a boating friend, Gaye, for lunch in Lauderdale by the Sea at a restaurant on the water I love called Arubas. We shared lots of stories and after lunch stopped in at a cute store nearby which sells jewelry and the cutest puppies around. I almost brought this little girl home at Gaye Mills' urging. She was the perfect little lady and I'm sure she's found a forever home by now.

When Jeff returned after 5 days, we were treated to an incredibly prepared rack of lamb at my Uncle Bob's. Wow!! Was that yummy! Thanks U-B. Then it was back to the airport for the flight back to Marsh Harbour, then the ferry ride to Hope Town.

We walk the beaches occasionally and through the small, peaceful village. Some of the sights are just breathtaking. I'll have to remember to take my camera along more often.

Some of the sights aren't quite as breathtaking, but can certainly be interesting.

We ate lunch at one of the local restaurants and decided to try a Bahamian lobster roll which was very tasty. We might have to make a return trip to Captain Jacks for that.

This is one way to get to your boat... Those ferry captains are pretty accommodating!

How many bodies can a dinghy hold before it sinks?

Another peaceful evening in the Abacos. Can't ever get tired of these!

Hope Town has a sailing club and sponsors racing fairly frequently. We have met many of the club members by participating in these events. Each race we keep improving, and yesterday we came in 4th out of 16 boats, in the first part of a two day race. It definitely helps that we have another crew member onboard. Jeff ran into a friend he used to race with in FL after not having seen each other in years. Todd just happened to dinghy by one day a couple of weeks ago and they were both totally surprised to see each other! These are some of the photos from a race two weeks ago we participated in. We came in 9th in that one. Perhaps we can move up a slot and make it into the top 3. We'll see.

Well, well! We won first place on Friday and came in first overall for the combined two races and won the Hope Town Cup!! What a fun time we had!       Check some photos out here!

It's amazing how many people here are from Maine. Not necessarily born there, but residents there. We were invited to a "Maine" party at one of the cottages here this past Tuesday night and had a great time getting to know others. Matter of fact, we have some friends flying in on Saturday from Deer Isle. Blaine & Sharon I'll bet you're going to get to the airport EXTRA early! We'll be waiting for you and see you at the airport when you get in. After their stay we'll probably head further south to Eleuthera to catch up with our friends John & Cherre for a while - and then would love to meet up with Jack & Carol in the Exumas after that. Follow our travels with Blaine & Sharon on the next post!