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Spring Cruise in Abacos April and May 2000 Articles abound about the glories of cruising the Bahamas and south and we were eager to go. As cruising grounds the area rates with the Virgin Islands, the Aegean and Polynesia as a top destination with strings of cays (pronounced KEYS), safe anchorages to tuck into whatever the weather, places to explore by dinghy, beaches to walk snorkel and swim, and landfalls to get around on foot for supplies and services. Despite over 20 years of messing about on sailboats in New Jersey and Long Island Sound to Block Island, we found ourselves still on a large learning curve in January when we completed the ICW route to Ft Lauderdale FL. George was crew for 1997 Carribean 1500 from Newport to Tortola via Bermuada on a Natour Swan, but we are novice cruisers. The ocean passage from New York to Atlantic City NJ was our only experience on Alegria our Cabo Rico 38 Weather reports did not describe actual conditions (where did those 25knt headwinds, driving icy rain and 9' plus washing machine seas come from?) thus a great time was NOT had by all. The continuous cold fronts in blustery January, February and March presented 1001 reasons to delay our maiden voyage across the Gulf Stream. We had agreed to wait for a "comfortable" weather window. Comfortably crossing the Straits of Florida with the Gulf Stream (a 45 mile wide maritime 'river' of warm water flowing north at 3 knts current to Nova Scotia and beyond) requires NO northerly wind and no wind above 15knts. We decided to cruise the Northern Bahamas consisting of Grand Bahama, the Little Bahama Bank passages, the inside passage of the Sea of Abaco between Great Abaco Island and the barrier Cays to Marsh Harbour or Little Harbour, and to return to Florida for the hurricane season. The Bahamas is a great 900,000 square mile reef fringed plateau of limestone, coral and sand on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean More than 700 islands and cays run NW to SE. The islands average 100' elevation. Trees and vegetation are sparse, a few palms and Causarinas (Florida or Australian pines) are high points and used to identify cays and bays. There are no hills (no runoff) or fresh water streams or lakes, which is why water is silt free and so clear and turquoise to green hued White limestone rocks and sand are dazzling against the azure sky and beautiful range of sapphire blue to green to turquoise water. Color varies by depth and you learn to "read" depth by color changes. Polarized sunglasses are a must to see these color changes The Spanish name, "gran bahamar" means great shallow sea. Average depths range from 10' to 30'. We found much of the Abacos to be 7' to 15' and so crystal clear you can count the starfish on the bottom. Anchoring in a crowded harbor for several weeks with supplies dwindling, just waiting for a weather window to move on, is not our idea of fun...so we stayed in Ft Lauderdale enjoying warm, if windy weather and the convenience of a boat slip community on a canal near the hub of Los Olas Blvd and Riverwalk featuring cafes, live music, farmers' market, shops and the beach. Postal services, marine supplies and fabricators and the award winning Broward Public Library and convenient buses are within walking distance. We bicycle or walk for most errands. We attended Seven Seas Cruising Association breakfasts and potlucks to talk to everyone we could and hear their tales and tips. Many returning cruisers we spoke to told tales of water too cold and choppy for swimming and snorkelling, endless days of 20+ knts wind, and difficulty making the short hops between cays (pronounced KEYS) that IS cruising in the Bahamas. Finally, a forecast for a 30 hour window. The cockpit was stocked with our usual assortment of chart kits, charts and guide books by Steve Dodge, Mathew Wilson and Stephen J Pavlidis. Both repeater GPS and handheld GPS waypoints were displayed The trusty OceanPC screen displayed our courseline on the Maptec computer charts. We left at 1800 hours Thursday. Winds E 5-10, seas 2-3 ft, through Port Everglades channel, heading East. The Gulf Stream current pushed us northerly, so we actually steered about 25 degrees south of east to stay on the rhumb (course) line. Our experienced "buddy boat" was Last Unicorn, a slip neighbor, with owner Ruth Richard and crew Cathy VanSchneider. The evening was gorgeous. At sunset we watched the sun become a huge orange-red ball falling behind Florida highrises along shore. The water quickly became a deep sapphire blue. At dark, the wind increased, became variable, eventually clocking around to the west at 17 - 20 knts and seas 72 to 81 degrees, choppy, confused, swells 4-6 ft. The air temperature was pleasantly warm 70's, so needed only long sleeve shirts under SOSuspenders. We wear SOSpenders (life vest) and tether to jack lines in cockpit and on deck in rough seas and always at night. For all passages I make a thermos of chicken- fresh ginger broth to sip or eat over noodles and shredded chicken for passage meal(s). to soothe both the tummy and the soul. At 2000 hrs we began our 2 hour watch system, however, this long anticipated night on the water was so beautiful, we both stayed on deck and catnapped during our breaks from the helm. The night sky was very dark and filled with stars and scattered cumulous clouds. A quarter moon rose after midnight. We saw only 3 vessels, some phosphorescence in breaking wake. The Autohelm 7000 made steering our 2 hour watches easy. We motorsailed flying the Yankee cut jib. Despite running the engine we heard the waves breaking and pounding the hull, and washing over the bow. In the morning we found small flying fish on the side deck. At 0800 we made landfall at the channel to West End on Grand Bahama Island, about 25 miles north of Freeport/Lucaya This is known as "the door to the Abacos" The water quickly became shallow from over 1200 ' to 30' to 15' and clear, turquoise. We could see dead coral and rocks on white sand bottom. One cannot judge depth, which is why you travel these waters only when the sun is high from 0830 to 1500 hrs to see shallow spots as water colors change There are few navigational aids. Towers, stands of trees and pilings are reference points. Sandy bottoms shift, reefs, coral heads and shoals meander and any bouys or lights are not maintained and best considered suspect This is called eyeball navigation 0900 we were secured in a slip. It was 90 and hot, hot, hot. We put up the main cabin "Sunshade" awning to keep inside temp at 80.. Only the captain is allowed off the boat until clearing Customs & Immigration. here it was a breeze. Everyone was super polite & helpful. A $100 fee for 6 months included fishing permit. We had heard horror stories of officials flexing bureaucrtic muscle with long delays, hints for "tips" and all manner of hassles. The yellow quarantine flag came down and the Bahamas courtesy flag was hoisted. With this 71 nautical mile (about 84 Stm) passage from Ft Lauderdale to the Bahamas we are now officially international cruisers on our own sailboat. The front began blowing through right on schedule, becoming a 3 day blow of 18-30knts plus gusts. Old Bahama Bay Marina is a top notch marina. Daily weather faxes, New York Times by fax and tv weather channel in the office. A new facility, opened summer 1999, has phones, laundry, free showers, and delicious Bahamian food at Margie's Hut, a simple open air structure of 3-sided counter with roof, with 2 gas grills for cook pots of oil, ice chest for sodas & rum punch mix. A stool and 2 picnic tables makes this upscale from most cook huts. Margie kept food and drinks coming for all the cruisers waiting out the blow until the food ran out Sun noon. Bad weather, no fishing These prices were the best of the entire trip. Conch fritters (a bargain at 5 for $1), cracked conch platters ($7), conch salad ( raw chopped with juice of 2 lemons, chopped onion, green pepper, green tomato) ($4), burgers ($5) rum punch ($4), beer ($3), & sodas ($2). Delicious conch is the seafood of choice. A shellfish gathered by divers, removed from shell and cleaned to remove the membranes. The rubbery chunks are then chopped for salad, chowder and fritters, or pounded thin, battered & fried, usually served with french fried potatoes and coleslaw. We enjoyed each day in this paradise of turquoise water & white sand, walked the jetty and beach, swapped tales with other cruisers and rode free bicycles to town for rum and renowned Bahamas bread...we tried raisin...lots of cinnamon and very dense, chewy. The roadsides offered vistas of the turquoise bay and crescents of beach, but were littered with huge piles of conch shells and trash. Town streets and front yards were swept clean. The town has a paved road to Nassau. Homes range from concrete bungalows to weathered wood shanties on stilts. Folks sat on the shady porches smiled and always gave a nod or hello as we peddled by. Most businesses looked deserted and are housed in cement block buildings or 3-sided huts with a counter. Faded signage, where evident, was often propped against building. Apparently people just know the pinkish building on right after 5th church is the bakery . We also bicycled on paths through the woods along the beach and on the deserted runways of an abandoned airport lined by berms of demolition debris from the old Jack Tar Resort. It is easy to catch a bus to Nassau or Lucaya to see the sights or visit the International Market. West End has a history of failed settlements and enterprises from pirates in 1500's to civil war refugee settlements in the mid-1700's, to conch & bonefish fishing camps, and rum running in 1920's & 30's to crawfish canneries in 1940's to luxury Jack Tar Resort in mid 1950's to 1980's, and now full circle to marina and resort development and homes in $500's. Many Floridians vacation here and in the Abacos from April to November. The weather is sunnier and with cooling breezes, less humid than steamy summers on the mainland. Fall and winter reflects cool, unsettled effects of the Carolinas and north Florida thus the southern Bahamas includung the Berry's, Nassau, Exuma, Eluthera etc., are popular in winter months with weather more like south Florida. Sunday, George, with input from several captains, helped Ruth on Last Unicorn with an engine starter problem. I made french toast brunch for both crews, and in the afternoon, Don another Cabo Rico 38 owner, helped George rewire the starter.
Monday, we were among several boats off to the Abacos via Great Sale Cay Lat N26.58.76 Long W78.13.42
Another group headed to USA at Ft Pierce, Canaveral and points north to Canada, most homeward bound.
A good 5 days of weather is forecast to ride the Gulf Stream to NY or RI.
Logs and e-mail messages from Abacos Passage Little Bahama Banks crossing West End- North to Indian Key Channel- East to Mangrove Cay-Great Sale Cay Winds East 18 - 20, moderate chop At sunset 8 dolphins came through to visit Roscoe, a cute Schnauzer aboard Andiamo We were expecting to see more dolphins and fish, but this was the first sighting. An occasional bird flew aboard to rest awhile.
Passage 2 Temperatures in mid-70's-84 degrees Winds still from East 15 -22 knts, light chop. Solar panels are averaging about 6 amps & meat stash in freezer is keeping well Winds seem to pick up at night and the KISS wind machine is on our "buy soon" list Tomorrow most of the group we have travelled with from West End will go to different anchorages. Last Unicorn will go on to Marsh Harbor as their time is limited. They hosted farewell sundowners as their dinghy is still on deck. The water is chilly, Cathy wears a short wet suit to dive to check their anchor
Passage 3 We are now in Green Turtle Cay, Abacos anchored in northernmost White Sound for a few days. Lat N26.45.35 Long W77.20.70 We have enjoyed several breezy days sailing in 18-22 knts, mainly headwinds, so often used staysail & "iron spinnaker"{engine} Seas 2' to 4', moderate chop, clear and gorgeous emerald green to turquoise colors, depth 7'-17'. Navigation and "reading" the water was not the problem we anticipated as all approaches to the cays ahd bays were fairly straight forward with boat traffic coming and going. This water must be very salty as it is caked on deck & dinghy...we find bathing suits, tropical weight supplex nylon shorts & trousers & shirts our main wardrobe as salt brushes off, sweat is wicked away & we feel dry. We leave these outside the cabin or on hooks at the companionway (door to cabin) because cottons feel damp from the salt absorbing moisture. Damp clothes and bedding is no fun The channel is well marked, but shallow in spots even within an hour of high tide. There is good protection from all winds here, and plenty of space between boats and wide channels for ferries and dive boat traffic. Green Turtle Club marina has limited services and many large powerboats and sundress clad resort guests arrive by ferry for visits and dinner. Another small resort, Bluff House, also has a gourmet restautant and ferry service. We took dinghy to New Plymouth at Settlement Point about 10 min southeast every day to walk, lunch, shop and to find phone to call kids and do Pocketmail e-mail. We found no dataports for AOL. VHF radio channel 68 is the "phone" system. People hail then go to another channel to talk. Ferries, businesses monitor various channels and you quickly learn the list. We quickly decided that the guide books were beyond optomistic in their glowing descriptions of most settlements. Despite the repairs to the ravages of Hurricane Flloyd most places seemed shabby, faded paint, and unkempt, often bags of trash in the yards. Some places had no dumpsters and we carried trash to next stop . Services information was often ancient history. The settlement was founded in 1760's by American Loyalists and freed slaves escaping the war and wanting to be true to the crown. The village resembles a New England coastal town of that era. Lilliputian colonials, some with intricately carved trim and porches, are painted white, bright pink or sherbert colors. White picket fences line the narrow paved road and delineate small tidy yards of swept dirt and mature rose bushes, bougainvellia (sic) and colorful croton. The road from White Sound to New Plymouth curves past Black Sound marina and a boatyard, climbs tree clad hills and offers wide vistas of Atlantic beaches including Long Bay and Gillam Bay to the southeastern town line at the Batelco office atop the 60' hill. A panorama of the town sloping down to Settlerment Point and approaches from Sea of Abaco spreads out below. One hot 90's afternoon, an American fellow we had seen carting trash cans in a golf cart offered us a ride to town. He told us the first time he sailed in to GTC he loved it. It took him 7 years to leave. That was 35 years ago and he still lives here. His wife is a Mary Kay distributor and one prize for USA top producers is a vacation at their home. He was cleaning up from several guests that week with 4 more arriving tomorrow. All the women working in shops and restaurants are neatly coiffed and wear complete make up. We cruisin' gals are another story, but I didn't see cosmetics in any stores. Small trucks, bicycles and golf carts scurry up and down the streets keeping pedestrians on their guard. The Municipal Hall, Library and Post Office (housed in the renovated cookhouse) with Batelco phone, form a complex near the Albert Lowe Museum and the New Plymouth Inn, described as a top spot for gourmet dining. Across the street is a colorful formal garden featuring bronze busts of the town founders. Many services cater to cruisers, Barclays Bank is open 3 hrs Tues and Thurs (however no ATM so bring mucho cash), the hair salon, hardware, liquor store and shops close 1-2 hours midday. The 3 grocery stores are well stocked with homemade bread, name brands and a few fresh vegetables. We enjoyed late lunches of conch platter at Laura's Kitchen (pineapple in the coleslaw) and The Wrecking Tree. One evening Miss Emily's Blue Bee Bar (home of the original Goombay Smash), hosted a splicing party for Reefsavers, a non-profit group placing mooring balls at popular anchorages near coral reefs. Residents and cruisers arrived with fids in hand to splice and party for a good cause. On the return trip we anchored 1 night at Settlement Point, in choppy seas and south winds 15 to 20 knts. While circling a likely spot, we were startled by an Australian boat that swooped by cutting us off on the turn, shouting 'I'm sailing"... (I guess "look out for me" was implied) causing me to steer past our mark and find another spot well away from "Capt'n I'm sailing" ...no engine? or just a sailin' fool? when in Rome... We dinghied to town for a final fried conch platters at Laura's Kitchen. also bought bananas and fresh bread, homemade peach ice cream at the wee stand, and Abacos Music Festival tshirts to support the Cooperstown Ambulance fund..
e-mail messages from Abacos
Passage 4 Whale Cay Passage is the only ocean passage necessary from Great Sale Cay to Hope Town The Sea of Abaco becomes a very shallow 3' series of shifting sandbars and the 3-sided dogleg around this uninhabited cay is 5nm with 8 waypoints to follow for safe passage before entering an abandoned cruise ship channel at Baker's Bay to continue in the Sea of Abaco. The area is notorious for "rage" conditions even on perfect days in Green Turtle or Great Guana. Heavy swells from Northeast winds or storms far out in the Atlantic Ocean pile up along the shallows producing lethally turbulent seas. On VHF 16 all day long you hear mariners calling anyone for conditions. This was our favorite anchorage. We enjoyed several days anchored at Great Guana Cay in Fishers Bay. The only fish we saw were minnows and a big grouper that lurked in the shadow of our hull. Despite bread crumbs and other tasty offerings we could not attract any other fish. There is also the new Orchid Bay Marina and an 8 homesite residential development at the far end of the cay in Guana Harbour. Three resorts, Coco Paradise, Blue Dolphin and Nippers offer ocean beach access rooms and meals. Nippers Sunday pig roast draws a crowd from all over Abacos by boat and ferry. A foil lined wooden above ground pit with smoldering coals on the lid holds pig quarters for long, slow roasting. At 1130 hrs the meat is cut into chunks and "chew the bones" rib portions for the buffet of "Johnnie cake" corn bread, macaroni & cheese, peas (red beans) and rice, pickled onions and bread pudding. All-you-can-eat $13. At noon "Church" is announced and the live music begins. It is a partying madhouse all afternoon then the musician and some diehard revellers boat to the Jib Room at a marina in Marsh Harbour for a steak fry. One Friday afternoon on our return trip we were at Nippers having a beer with a couple, Dan & Gail from Ashville NC (they both grew up in Somerville NJ for goodness sake, such a small world) when a great deal of whooping and screaming broke out from a group near the bar. Wild 'n crazy dancing and the noise continued and Dan explained they were Carolinians enjoying their native "beach music". Our view to shore (in E winds) of the GG Resort inn, pool area and hammocks hanging from palm trees. As the dinghy brought us closer we began to see the missing lattice, roofing and palms snapped off 30' up. The storm inspired the name of the tiki bar, Flloyd's. A 200mph twister crossed the cay during the storm and the path is clearly defined by topless palms. Initially the 2-story building housing reception, gift shop and restaurant was spared, however a generator used to help dry water damage exploded and everything burned to the ground leaving only the portico and main floor foundations. But the family from Ft Lauderdale who took over in January is cheerful, industriously rebuilding and serve great drinks and food with good humour. The hurricane relief plan allows construction materials to be imported duty free (saves 35%) until Oct, so there is lots of new construction. Saws are whining at 0700. Small and undeveloped will no longer describe this cay. On a typical day, we had coffee and breakfast with the 0815 to 0900 Cruisers Net VHF 68. Patti and Bob Toler on Blue Dolphin in Marsh Harbour (past ferry dock) are net control. Weather relay, local news, boat-to-boat relays & messages, happenings and answers to questions are part of the daily show. Then we would dinghy to GGC resort dock to tie up ($5 fee was applied to drinks or food at Flloyd's tiki hut later in the day) and walk through town to the dunes overlooking one of the world's most beautiful beaches. The beach is often photographed for Jamaican resort brochures. 7 miles of ocean beach with white talcum powder sand and a reef 75 yards from shore. We snorkelled and walked for a few hours. Snorkelling from shore is hard work. Walk to a likely spot, mask on head, turn back-to the surf, don flippers while balanced like a flamingo on 1 leg (yes my bathing costume, mask and snorkle are color coordinated flamingo pink or azure), schlep/walk ? backwards into crashing surf, 2-3 bodysurfing episodes usually washed me towards shore before I reached clear curacao blue water to begin swimming and searching the reef below. If nothing to see, bodysurf/swim to shore, remove fins, mask, gather seabag of clothes and trudge to next likely spot to don fins and mask, back into surf...well you get the idea Did more trudging than snorkelling but all good exercise There wern't any colorful fish near shore, but many varieties (angel fish, snapper-like ) all in transparent shades of white with black or pale yellow markings. The coral was not varied or colorful and there were a few sea fans in dark purple and shades of brown. One day I was startled by a huge (OK, 3' to 4') spotted black ray. I kicked and paddled ashore, lungs on fire, gulping air and salty water to splutter "eel" so that George would not be startled by it too...in all the excitement I forgot the name "ray". Boy did George get to shore fast. We watched it "ruffle" along the shoreline for some time as we walked. After that George 'snalked' or 'worfelled', that is walking along close to shore with his face in the water, feet firmly planted in sand watching for the ray. Perhaps we have been spoiled by wondrous experiences in Cuelebra, Hawaii and Bali, but we decided we are definitely excursion boat snorkellers. Alas with rough seas and time constraints we were not able to book a trip from GGC. "Froggies" at GGC and Hope Town run diving and snorkelling excursions to a different site each day About 1430 hrs we enjoyed Kaliks (Bahama beer) and lunch at a bar, usually fish or conch then dinghy back to Alegria for sunshowers on deck, siesta, sundowners, supper & a read 'til bed. Now, that is my idea of cruising All 3 phones in town were out of order {been 3 months now} so no Pocketmail e-mail or calls.
Passage 5 A pleasant 2-hour sail brought us into the harbour. When we heard on VHF radio there were 200 boats in the harbour we were concerned about tricky navigating and crowded conditions. We later learned it was a count of all liveaboard capable vessels at all the marinas as well. There were about 25 boats anchored when we arrived, and 45 when we left 10 days later. This is another "arrive and never leave" spot. For some, time just has no meaning and days beome weeks become...well you know. During storms the crowds rush in, and anchoring here can be hazardous. Even before our anchor snub line was in place, 2 groups came by in dinghies to say welcome. Since Hurricane Flloyd the dinghy dock is at Long's, a good sized floating dock with a dumpster ashore. Long's is the fish market and we bought sushi grade yellow fin tuna for $9 a lb ($11 to $14 in Ft Lauderdale) and "hogfish". We smothered the hogfish with onion slices and cooked it in a foil pan on the grill. It was delicious. Netty runs the store and her husband fishes. She is a renowned cook and sells portions of her conch salad, stew and spicy "peas" (actuallly small red beans) and rice. Within a 5 min walk of the dock there are 2 marina stores and 3 hardware stores with all manner of bits and pieces in stock, fish market, 3 grocery stores and Solomons for bulk purchases. Ever seen a 4# tin albacore tuna? a gallon of mayo, chili or catsup? Need 12 peppers or 6 lettuce? how about 12 8oz frozen strip steaks or 3# pigs tail? The pink stucco Memorial Plaza sign has a great dolphin sculpture. The food store there had the freshest vegetables and a great BLT on thick toasted slabs of Bahamian bread (crusts off English style) for $3.75 was the best value. Sapodilly's, Wally's, Mangoes, Mezzomare are all terrific restaurants within a short walk. Lunch $8-$12 Dinner $18 -$25 Within a block of the would-you-believe traffic light (After so much time at outisland anchorages it is hard to realize we have been only a few miles from a highway that connects the islands of Abaco) the Family Market, Subway Shop and the Library had internet and e-mail access for a fee. Island Bakery was our favorite. Maybe because of the cookies, cinnamon rolls and coconut muffins. Oh and bread too. A30 minute walk gets you to either of the ferry docks for service to Man 'O War Cay, Hope Town at Elbow Cay, or Great Guana Cay We soon saw that routes vary because folks call for service to and from their home docks. The captains deliver messages, mail, flowers (many Mom's Day bouquets), boxes and laundry baskets of groceries, dogs and parrots in cages, school children and teachers, construction and restaurant workers as well as visitors to the inns and town.
Hope Town A right angle turn led into a narrow channel and another turn into White Sound, a small landlocked bay with docks and marinas around the shoreline and it looked crowded with boats even in this off season. I had asked the ferry captain to get us to the lighthouse, so we were dropped first. He said to wait at the dock and anyone going to town would give us a ride accross to town. The red and white candy striped lighthouse perched high above the sea can also be seen from everywhere on Elbow Cay. built in 1864, the Fresnel lenses are lit by kerosene, hand carried in small jugs to fit the tight circular stairwell We climbed all 101 steps, and it was a really strange feeling, very disorienting, for a number of reasons. For one, you come from the brlliant sunshine outside into the darkness of the deep pink interior of the tower. The stairs are circular, steep on the inside, only 2 small windows for ventilation so there is very little light. And the topmost stairs are slatted just like a ladder — you are literally standing at a five degree angle as you are trying to squeeze around the circle to get up to the top. You climb through a 3' window frame (now I know what cat doors feel like) to the open mesh lookout with a rickety handrail that did little to relieve my anxiety of vertigo. Of course the view is awesome of the bay, sea and neighboring cays Hope Town is the dream realized of how cruising paradise should look. The streets are narrow concrete paths with only pedestrians and bicycles allowed. the wee colonial houses are painted every shade of green, blue, pink and yellow combinations with gingerbread eaves and picket fences carved into whales, hearts, pineapples painted yet another bright hue. Flowers and shrubs add more to the riot of color with glimpses of the backdrop of exotic blues and greens of the Atlantic in between and from hilltops The sandy beach is quite pink and an inshore reef awaits snorkellers. We wandered all the streets several times enjoying the view, snapping photos and searching out Vernon's famous for his bread, pies and internet access. There was no sign, and we finally realized it was a building we had passsed at least 5 times. The cluttered store, local characters and bread was worth the search. We enjoyed drinks and lunch at Harbour's Edge chatting with other yachties while awaiting the return ferry. Man 'O War and Little Harbour will have to wait 'til next time, as will snorkelling at fowl Cay & Sandy Cay.
Return Passage We enjoyed a beautiful calm starry night with light SW winds crossing the Gulf Stream. At dark we lowered the staysail and started the engine to get us across the the current pronto. Despite flat calm seas and no wind, the Gulf Stream affect is very strong to within a mile of the coast, so the leg south was a slow go. At noon I heard a sound like a flying fish flopping about below. We had seen many during the morning. I peeked into the engine room and saw the alternater belt flapping. George is adept at belt changes and we were quickly underway. At 1530 hrs we reached our slip in Ft Lauderdale, 32 hours after leaving Great Sale Cay. It was Memorial Day weekend and with a shower and some sleep we were ready for the holiday dock party and swapping winter cruise stories, some of which might even have been true.
e-mail messages from Abacos
Sent 05/12/2000 Last Unicorn, our buddy boat from ft lauderdale, has been here a week & stayed over to spend some time with us to share digital photos & have dinner at Mangoes,a longtime hangout for cruisers, which just re-opened from hurricane Flloyd damage repairs I don't like busy towns, but this is a safe place to be in the anticipated bad weather. when space is available we will move to a marina for fuel, water, showers, laundry and boat cleanup. George can hardly wait for a dose of yakking with boaters and walking docks eyeballing all the boats. Many trawlers and catamarans Electric is $6 per day even for fishing boats with freezers & cabin cruisers with air conditioners, water is $8 per day including filling tanks and hosing down boat. A number of boaters come to gas dock, wash boat, fill tanks and then are surprised to be charged for water...a few come in after hours to "bootleg", but the cruisersnet often announces their name and a friendly reminder that water is not free.
Y'all would like it here
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Marsh Harbour i had 10 min of excitement about 0948 hrs when i saw a dolphin go by from the am cruisers net on vhf 68 heard an announcement about counting sea life sightings, so radioed "patty on blue dolphin" to report it. she said that colin, the local marine biology contact, was right at a dock here in town. i radioed him & he set off in a skiff to catch a few photos it was a merry chase. twice we both saw it across the harbour, and 20 min later, it came right by our boat, so i radioed colin again to come back to this side... then nothing. must be a shy one haven't seen any since 8 visited the schnauzer rosco on ""andiamo"" at great sale cay 3 wks ago colin did get a couple of photos tho' and thanked me for helping. he told me the dolphin was "rocky" a lone immature male not ready to mate. he got his name because he chases feeder fish under rocky ledges where they are stranded and become his dinner. Dolphins are id'd by distinctive marks or scars on the dorsal fin, and named, so photos of fins with date and location are welcomed too. with multiple book donations to the abaco wild horse charity, that makes 3 community good deeds this week alone these are 5-vertebrae horses said to be direct descendants [no cross breeding here as no imports] from horses the conquistadors brought in 1500's no govt agency feels this is important, so a woman named mimi, a cruiser from usa, has been a one-woman crusader to make funds available for dna testing & other research for several years the herd grew from 6 to 22, but is down to 18 with only 1 foal expected this year. alas, this drought and brush fires near the citrus groves habitat has cancelled the weekly treks mimi leads to see them
ain't life grand check it out in late July |
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