Walt & Dex on Manjack Cay

Anchorage at Manjack Cay overlooking the wildfires on Great Abaco  Island

Windspell in action

Shelling at Powell Cay

Sand dollars strewn along the beach at  low tide on Powell Cay

Cracking coconuts Dexter knocked down

Sailing on the Bahama Bank enroute nonstop from Powell Cay, Abacos, Bahamas  to Fort Pierce, Florida.  

Sunset as we approach the edge of the Bahama Bank before the Gulf Stream crossing

Arrival at Ft. Pierce, Florida requires removing the tattered Bahamian courtesy flag and raising the Q-flag

Lunch at Coombs Landing, Ft. Pierce prior to Dexter's departure

Sailing from Ft. Pierce to Cape Canaveral we had a songbird hitch a ride on the migration northbound.

Tuesday evening Dexter arrived at Green Turtle cay after a flight to Marsh Harbour, taxi to the ferry dock by Treasure Cay, and then a ferry boat ride over to Green Turtle cay where he was dropped off boatside!  We were re-living our time with  him when he joined us aboard our s/v Puff, thirty years ago!
We hauled anchor the next morning and sailed to Manjack Cay where we dinghied out to the reef to snorkel and try our luck looking for lobster.  We saw plenty of lobster, but only managed to snag one!  It was fun trying!  Later that afternoon we went ashore and walked the ocean beach.  From our anchorage that evening we could see the wildfires that had been burning for a week now on Great Abaco Island.  It's a natural phenomenon, and they do not try to put them out (no equipment?).
On Thursday we sailed north to Powell cay and hiked to a hilltop to look out over the anchorage.  Afterwards, we walked along the beach at low tide seeing lots of sand dollars, starfish, conch, and sea biscuits.
At that time, we had a short weather window to cross over to Florida or stay in the Bahamas until Saturday when Dexter was scheduled to fly out.  He kindly cancelled the flight from the Bahamas, and helped us sail nonstop 170 miles across to Ft. Pierce, Florida.  We sailed all day (100 miles), reaching the Bahama Bank at 10:30 p.m.  We had a northeast swell of 3 feet, but a light easterly wind overnight that made our motorsail a bit rolly.  We had a lovely almost-full moon to give us some light.  We took turns sleeping, with 2 persons on watch and 1 person sleeping for 1 hour, then rotating through.  It worked well.  We arrived at 9:30 am, pulling in to Ft. Pierce marina.  We phoned in to clear customs since we had a Local Boater Option card that we had pre-arranged before our departure to the Bahamas back in December.  That worked well, with just a slight hiccup since we had a new passenger onboard, Dexter.  We got him cleared in and we were free to shower,  and enjoy lunch ashore.  Dexter then caught a flight back to Toronto; and Walter & I washed down the boat, did laundry, etc.  We were so tired that evening, we managed to sleep through a rock concert that was blaring only a few hundred metres away.
The weather was beautiful the next  morning, so we decided to sail from Ft. Pierce to Cape Canaveral to avoid the numerous bridges that dot the ICW in Florida.  We saw lots of seabirds-gannets, pelicans and seagulls, but no right whales.  We arrived at the inlet just as 3 cruise ships were departing.  We managed to get through the lock and drop anchor just as the wind started to howl.
Today we motorsailed to Titusville where we got haircuts, groceries, showers and published our latest blog!

Fellow Muskokans, Brad & Karen Jackson at Treasure Cay marina

Nippers pub on Great Guana Cay during Barefoot Man concert

Saltwater bath in tidal pool off Atlantic Ocean at Great Guana Cay

View from Nippers pub overlooking Atlantic Ocean

Walt cleaning the conch he "conquered"

Enjoying lobster and conch burgeers

Vertram Lowe, model ship builder

We sailed into Treasure Cay and took a slip at the marina to re-supply water, do laundry and clean the boat.  We knew that Karen & Brad Jackson, also from Bracebridge had a slip at this marina.  We met them and enjoyed "happy hour" with their group of friends they have got to know well along dock "L".  We walked the 3 mile beach of Treasure Cay...it's lovely.  After doing laundry the next morning, we sailed over to Great Guana Cay where we anchored at Fisher's Cay.  We walked through its town and over to Nippers bar that overlooks the Atlantic Ocean.  We walked along the beach where Walt had a dip.  The next day was the Barefoot Man concert held at Nippers bar.  By 13:00 there were well over 1000 people there!  As Brad Jackson said, "It's like Spring Break for the geezers!"  We had a lovely afternoon there.  Later in the day we sailed back over to Marsh Harbour.  We re-provisioned and had to get more propane.  Once the chores were done,  we headed once again over   to Great Guana cay but went to the north end of the island, Bakers Bay.  We left the next morning to go around the Whale Cay passage-a section out on the Atlantic that can be very rough.  We had a smooth passage and motored into No Name Cay.  We snorkelled there for the afternoon on some fabulous reef and fishes.  In the late afternoon we took a mooring inside Black Sound, on Green Turtle Cay.  We have been here 1 week now since the winds have been strong and from the southwest to northwest.  Unfortunately, the other Abacos islands here in the north do not have protection from this wind direction except for this harbour.  However, there is lots to do here.  There are some fabulous beaches to walk looking for shells and swim.  We rented a golf cart to tour the whole island one day.  We did manage yesterday to get out for a snorkel off of Pelican Cay.   Walt found a conch.  I spotted a lobster that he then attempted to spear.  Unfortunately, it didn't get on his spear.  Determined not to lose it, I grabbed it by its antennas and yanked it out of its hole.  Then I grabbed its tail.  (Spiny lobsters do not have claws!)  We had our dinner!  We did some shelling and I found some lovely sea biscuits.  Back at the boat, Walt managed to coax the conch out of its shell.  He'll keep the shell for a souvenir.  Then he pounded the conch with a mallot, marinated it in lime juice, then fried it up with an egg/crumb mixture with lots of Old Bay seasoning.  I boiled my lobster tail.  It was a yummy Bahamian dinner.
Yesterday it was rainy so we visited the museum which describes the settlement history of the island.  There were beautiful painted portraits of Loyalist settlers and local folk-and the artist was there!  We learned that the house holding the museum used to be his father's house.  He donated the house to the town when his father passed away.  Many of his portraits have been used by the Bahamian government for stamps!  We also met his brother, Vertram, who is a model ship builder.  A talented family!  We are now waiting for our friend, Dexter to arrive on Tuesday.  We hope to explore some of the islands further north, weather permitting.

Gaily painted house in Man O War Cay 

National Tree of the Bahamas-Lignum vitae

Canvas bags made at the old sail shop in Man O War Cay

Narrow section on man O War Cay where Atlantic O (RHS) meet Sea of Abaco ( LHS)

Dinghy ride behind islands by Snake Cay

Sunset at Cormorant Cay

Hope Town harbour

Hope Town Lighthouse

View from lighthouse overlooking Hope Town harbour and Elbow Cay reef (in background)

Firefly resort for dinner

Sunset overlooking Sea of Abaco at Firefly resort

Surf's up at Hope Town beach Atlantic side

Soaring over the surf...

Wading at low tide

Stone crab and starfish at Tahiti Beach, Elbow Cay

Rage conditions seen from Abaco Inn

Rage conditions seen from Abaco Inn

Avoiding the surf...

Walt at Abaco Inn

Walt and I visited Man O War Cay aboard Windspell.  Man O War Cay was originally settled by the Albury family of Marsh Harbour.  They had purchased 50 acres from the crown in the early 1800s for agriculture.  The story goes that while the father was visiting the island with his daughter to till their garden, they heard voices.  When they went to explore on the ocean side they discovered several sailors from a wrecked boat.  The daughter fell in love with one of the sailors who was from Harbor Island, near Eleuthera.  They married and established themselves on Man O War Cay.  Many generations of that family still live on the island today.  They have turned to boat building and repair and sail making. Walter & I walked the island from one end to the other.  Man O War Cay seems very conservative.  Their homes are modest, the people very religous.  The houses are very neat and tidy with lovely gardens. 

We sailed from there to Cormorant Cay where we had a lovely secluded anchorage…the first anchorage we have had to ourselves since being in the Bahamas!  We dinghied to Snake Island and explored a passageway behind several islands through shallow waters.  A lumber industry was there back in the early 1900s.  They harvested the island pine/casuarina trees.  When the trees were gone in just a few years, the industry collapsed. 

From there we headed over to explore Hopetown.   Hopetown is known for its candy-striped lighthouse built by the British in the mid-1800s.  Back then, many of the local people protested the building of the lighthouse, and attempted to sabotage its construction since they made their living by “wrecking”…that is going out to salvage shipwrecks off Elbow Cay reef.  However, it was built and it remains today just like it was then.  The light burns  kerosene, and the light rotates on a bed of mercury!  We visited this lighthouse 28 years ago and learned that it caused the lighthouse keepers to die from mercury poisoning because the heat of the kerosene lamp vaporized the mercury.  The lighthouse keepers were inhaling the mercury vapour!   

Today, Hopetown has beautiful little houses gaily painted in a rainbow of pastel colours.  Pickett fences outline the properties and colourful flowering shrubs drape over the fencing.  Many of the homes are rental properties.  You can walk over to the ocean side and stroll the beaches.  There is a little museum that did a great job of describing the history of the area and portraying life as it was back in the late 1800s and early 1900s.  

Porpoises joining us on our sail to the Abacos islands from Spanish Wells

Ocean beach along Lynyard Cay

Sponges along the beach...

Pete's Pub at Little Harbour

Front approaching.....

Bahamian speed bump!

Bronze sea turtle sculpture- Johnston Gallery

Help!  What is this?  Found on beach.  Soft, gelatinous, transparent...

Lighthouse ruins at Little Harbour

Little Harbour lighthouse ruins

On Monday, February 25th, we awoke to ideal conditions to sail over to the Abacos islands crossing the Northeast Providence Channel…a distance of 50 miles of bluewater sailing.  There were several sailboats that crossed with us. We had a light southeasterly breeze and two-foot swell under a beautiful sunny sky.  By 16:00 we had entered the Little Harbour cut and anchored in the lee of Lynyard Cay.   The next morning we had one more day forecast of southerly breezes before the winds were supposed to swing into the north for the foreseeable future.  We took advantage of the wind direction and sailed up to Marsh Harbour on Great Abaco Island.  There we anchored among 50-60 other boats.  It is a town where you can do laundry and re-provision in a supermarket that is equivalent to any found in Canada.  What a treat to have a whole aisle of produce and vegetables instead of a few small bins of onions and yams and plantain, and possibly a few bananas and tomatoes.  The variety was much appreciated….

After the chores,  we left on Thursday,  February 28^th and sailed back south to Sandy Cay where a Land & Sea Park provides a beautiful coral reef to snorkel.  There was a large swell that made launching the dinghy a challenge, but the snorkeling was superb.  Immediately we spotted a hawksbill turtle that nonchalantly swam by, and several huge spotted rays that with huge tails!  There were lots of varieties of coral including elkhorn coral as well as a huge variety of reef fish.  After lunch we sailed back to Lynyard Cay for a walk on the beach.  On Friday, March 1^st we ventured into Little Harbour at high tide and picked up a mooring ball.  We went ashore and visited the Johnston Gallery.  We visited this gallery twenty-eight years ago when we did this trip.  Back then, Walter had discovered a ring buried in the sand on a deserted island  beach.  Many of you have heard this tale and seen the ring….amethyst stones around a huge pearl with small diamonds.  It looked like costume jewelry to us, but we took it into Johnston’s Gallery back then and Pete Johnston told us it was actually real gold and quite a valuable ring.  Walt had found buried treasure!!!  Pete is still running the gallery. His father, Randolph Johnston, has since passed away.  Randolph was originally from Toronto.  He and his wife Margot with their four children sailed on their schooner here back in the 1950s.  They originally lived in a cave while they built their small house in Little Harbour and established a foundry.  Randolph made bronze sculptures.  His son, Pete, has continued that tradition as well as establishing Pete’s Pub…a popular hangout for cruisers at Happy Hour!  We explored the community including the abandoned old lighthouse.  We did do one small snorkel just outside of the harbor where there were lots of fan corals, but not much else.  We left  Saturday, March 2nd to go back to Marsh Harbour in anticipation of a week of strong northwest winds…Unfortunately, the other safe havens, Hopetown and Man-of-war cays were full with boats on moorings and no anchoring is allowed.  We stayed aboard for the rest of the day on Saturday and also Sunday since the winds and waves were too strong to attempt to go ashore.  On Monday, March 4^th we got ashore to explore Marsh Harbour, pick up some new books to read from the “buck a book” , and arrange an internet connection.  And now we are caught up with our wanderings!

A few pictures when Frank was still visiting us in the Exumas....

Blowhole at Black Point Settlement, Great Guana Cay

Frank feeding iguana at Bitter Guana Cay

Eating celery

Windspell at anchor at Bitter Guana Cay

Farewell dinner at Staniel Cay Yacht Club

After Frank departed we sailed over to Eleuthera to Rock Harbour and then onto Governor's Harbour.  A few pictures from Governor's harbour....

Governor's Harbour, Eleuthera

Fishermen cleaning fish at Governor's Harbour

Waiting for the wave...

Catching the wave at Governor's Harbour beach

Street on governor's Harbour

The "Glass Window" on Eleuthera Island

Bahamian Alarm "cock"/clock

Entering Spanish Wells harbour

Dunmore Town Beach, Harbour Island

Lunch overlooking beach at Dunmore Town

Golf cart ride in Dunmore Town

From Governor’s Harbour we sailed on Friday, February 22^nd to Hatchett Bay.  It has a narrow opening cut into the rock with a harbor inside that provides complete wind protection.  We stayed there overnight then continued on the next day past the “Glass Window”….a very narrow stretch of Eleuthera Island where you can see from the bank side to the Atlantic Ocean.  It is traversed by a bridge that has been removed by various hurricanes and rebuilt numerous times!  We passed through Current Cut that can have a wicked 6 knot current against you if you don’t time it right…fortunately we did get it right!  We sailed into Spanish Wells late in the afternoon.  We went ashore and walked around the small community.  It is known for its fishery.  We arranged to visit Dunmore Town on Harbour Island with Walt & Erin from the sailboat, Santosha using a water taxi since using our own boats would mean traversing a tricky coral reef called Devil’s Backbone.  Dunmore Town is known for its beautiful wide, pink coral beach and quaint streets lined with bougainvillea and hibiscus shrubs.  The town lived up to its reputation.  After walking through the town streets, Walt & I rented a golf cart to explore a little further afield.