NORTHBOUND - EXUMA PARK - GOV. HARBOUR - HATCHET BAY - SPANISH WELLS - ABACOS

TRIP FACTS AS OF:  April 18, 2011

Days gone from VA:              182

Days in Bahamas:                  120

Miles Travelled:         2,000 – TWO THOUSAND

Things Overboard:     Set of serving spoons…oops!          

Trip Firsts:                  A pigeon in our salon

NORTHBOUND:  EXUMA LAND AND SEA PARK – ELEUTHREA:  ROCK SOUND – GOVERNOR’S HARBOUR – HATCHET BAY – SPANISH WELLS … BACK TO ABACOS AND LYNYARD CAY – MARSH HARBOR

March 22 – 24:   EXUMA LAND AND SEA PARK:  We made our way back to Land and Sea Park and got there early enough to get a spot in the North Mooring Field.       The first time we were here we hiked up to Boo Boo Hill and didn’t leave anything from our boat.  This time we did so it will be interesting to see if it’s still there next year.  

While David snorkeled I stayed in the dinghy and used the "lookie bucket" to get pictures of fish....

On one of our dinghy rides around the park we beached the boat and within about 20 yards and counted over 60 baby conch.  The Bahamian’s are very proud of this park because it helps insure the future stocks of conch and fish, since it’s a “no take” zone.  

One evening we watched a school of Horse Eye-Jacks swimming under the boat.  Apparently, jacks like frozen peas because they gobbled everything we threw out to them. 

On the 24^th we took the boat to another park anchorage and found the NAKED HORSESHOE BEACH… by accident for sure.   We met a family of Austrians while at the Park who didn’t think twice about laying outside in the buff.  They are obviously very sports minded too.

The other “highlight” of this anchorage was a full size tent a yacht had put up on a sandbar so they could watch the sunset.   They beached their small boats and relaxed in luxury.  Must be rough.

MARCH 25 – 28^th:   Back to Eleuthrea and  ROCK SOUND:  It was nice to relax at Rock Sound for a couple of days.   On the crossing from Exuma David lost 2 HUGH fish.  He thinks one of them was a mahi-mahi from the color he saw at the surface.  Oh well, there’s always tomorrow.

The winds were perfect to put the spinnaker sail up and we did…..averaged about 6.4 knots but got up to 8.6 for a bit.   The spinnaker is really a pretty sail … take a look….

Once we got anchored we started our list of chores including changing the oil in one of the engines.  Long story short….we discovered water in the sail drive oil which meant we would have to get hauled out in Spanish Wells.   More on that later.

We didn’t stop in Rock Sound on the way down to Georgetown so I’m glad we were able to spend time there northbound.    While we are dinner one night at 4Points Restaurant we met Peele Hawthorne’s sister, Stuart.  Peele was someone I worked with in Williamsburg and she’s the Field Hockey Coach at The College of William and Marry.  It’s truly a small world.

Here are some pictures of the restaurant and the view at sunset. 



4 POINTS RESTAURANT AND BAR PATIO



MARCH 29^th:  GOVERNOR’S HARBOUR:  Southbound we stopped in Governor’s Harbour for a couple of days and we anxious to get back so we could replace the V8 juice bottle that marked our mooring ball with a float we found on the beach.  The first time there were only 3 boats in the anchorage.  This time there were close to 20 so we weren’t able to put the float on…maybe next year. 

Whenever we get anchored up we always try to take a walk right away.  This time was no different.   We walked around town and found the local kids practicing for a track meet. 

These kids run sprints barefooted on the dirt playing field.

MARCH 30 – APRIL 1^st:  HATCHET BAY:  We made our way back to Hatchet Bay and grabbed the last mooring ball before another blow came through.  Lucky for us because the next night a beautiful sailboat was dragging anchor around 4AM.  We woke to an air-horn trying to wake the owner up.  David jumped in our dinghy, WITH LIFE JACKET because the wind was really blowing, and made his way over the SNOVER.  The Canadian couple where glad to see him and they eventually were able to get anchored again.  Unfortunately,  David thought their anchor was snagged on a rock or something because they couldn’t move it.   We talked to them  later and it seems the anchor found a 25’ hole.  Not to worry, they just pulled it up the next morning with no problems and were on their way.  

When you cruise around for awhile you end up seeing all sorts of boats.  Some huge beautiful yachts and …. Well….this is the dinghy from a 29’ sailboat with two young kids onboard.  We saw them at Rock Sound and David helped tow the dinghy back to the sailboat because the wind turned and the young lady didn't have a motor. 

We had seen the dinghy in Rock Sound and were glad they made it to Hatchet before the blow.

The second day we were there seemed to go to the animals.   I was reading in the salon and David, very quietly, came in and whispered … “we have a bird in here.”   Right…I thought he was kidding but sure enough we had a pigeon……

He didn’t get spooked and we gently guided him out the front hatch.    

We’ve learned to leave our fishing poles up overnight since you never know when you’ll get a fish.  Well,  I left my pole out complete with hot dogs pieces as bait.  David left his out with

Some left over conch.  I don’t know why the fish didn’t like my hot dogs but it really liked the conch.  David caught about a 10# mutton snapper.   YUMMMMMM GOOOD.  We had dinner for two nights.

APRIL 2 – 8^th:   SPANISH WELLS:  We got anchored up outside Spanish Wells were we met up with some friends on RHAPSODY, Skip and Carol.   We all went  out one day to do some snorkeling.   We took the dinghys out through one of the most beautiful beaches we’ve seen…





This is Skip and Carol ahead of us..... wait until you see the beach



After two days “on the hook” bobbing around we decided we would move to another anchorage.  Turns out it was just as bad so we got a slip at the Spanish Wells Yacht Haven which was great since I got laundry done and just relaxed.

As I mentioned before,  due to the water in the sail drive we had made arrangements to get hauled out by the R&B Boatyard.   We took the boat over on Tuesday morning,  got it on the lift and moved into a little efficiency suite for 3 days.  That was really GREAT…free laundry, again and LONG HOT SHOWERS!!!!  Of course, there was no kitchen, only a microwave and toaster oven.  Breakfast and lunch weren’t a problem but trying to “cook”  with just a microwave was laughable.  But we were comfortable and together – that’s all we needed.

Here are some pictures of the boat as it was lifted and then when it was up:



Boat still floating waiting for lift to "lift" us up.



                   That's Bruce, owner/dockmaster, making sure boat is centered on lift.

This is a 42' catamaran, 24' wide, sitting on the lift that's 29' wide....high and dry.

The boatyard cleaned and painted the bottom and it looks great, as well as worked on the sail drives.   David got aboard and did some maintenance himself and the last day I got there and put the boat back together.

One of the days I didn’t have anything to do I took some pictures of Spanish Wells.   This little settlement is one of the cleanest towns we’ve been in.   The main road on the sound side is a hub of activity.  The fast ferry BO HENGHY II, all the mail boats and fishing boats tie up on this channel.  

You can see fishing boats with their down riggers hanging over the street while they work on them.  R&B has a railway on the town side of the road that requires them to literally, LIFT, the street up so the boat and get pulled up.  

                                                       The main street - dockside.

This was taken looking down from our boat.  The section of the road behind the boat on the railway will be picked up to let the boat slide down into the water.

We really enjoy Spanish Wells and have become friends with Jock Morgan “BANDIT”.  Jock is a pilot, owns the mooring balls and is just a really nice guy.  His wife, Caroline, is just as nice.

Last time we were there we got fresh, warm bread.  This time Jock gave us some of the BEST Pepper Jelly we’ve ever had.   He said he was saving it for Craig and Kim, our friends from Gloucester, but since they hadn’t come back it was ours…..sorry  CharlieRomeo and

Minnow.

We left Spanish Wells on April 9^th – JAMES birthday!!  and crossed over back to the Abacos. 

BACK TO THE ABACOS:

APRIL 9^th -  15^TH:  LYNYARD CAY :  We crossed over and anchored off Lynyard Cay for five days.  RHAPSODY had already crossed over so we met up with them again.  There was lots of

snorkeling at the Sandy Cay Sea Park, another no take zone and a lot of sea glass and sea shell hunting.   We met another couple, John and Kathi on MAKANI, and shared a lot of great meals and fun card games with them.    We’re all hoping to get back together and make the big crossing back over to Florida next month.

APRIL 15^th – 18:   MARSH HARBOR:     We’re back where we started at Harbour View Marina.  We feel really comfortable in Marsh Harbor and are finding our way around very well.

That’s it for now.  We leave here tomorrow to meet RHAPSODY.  Tuesday night will be Rake N Scrape at the Abaco Inn on Elbow Cay.  Where we go from there is any ones guess. 

I’ll explain Rake N’ Scrape once I get some pictures so until then…..take care.