Author: BobS

We hoped to be off the dock 7:30 ish  but when at 7:15 there were no signs of life at the marina office Bob cycled over to the Resort office by the restaurant. The staff all arrived in a minibus at 8am so whoever told Bob the office opened at 7am was a little off. We were off the dock at 8:30 and then calamity struck, another fender overboard incident, this time the big heavy one. Peter & Wilma struggled to get it on board but with no line grab, which is why it went overboard, only one end had a knot, it was impossible to lift out of the water, heavy and slippery. Using a boat hook, they guided it to the back of boat where I was standing on the open transom. I was able to get a finger into the hole for the line at one end but no way could I lift it, it just slipped out of my hands. Wilma then leaned down to help me so with Bob hanging onto the back of my pants so I didn’t fall in, we managed to get the fender back on board. We all saw the shark feeding  frenzy yesterday, fender or no fender, no one was going into water.

It was high tide when we left so we didn’t have to be quite as careful as when we arrived yesterday at low tide. The forecast was for 13-15 knot winds but after a couple of hours of sailing the winds got flukey and reduced significantly. It was 40+nm distance to George Town and an estimated 7 hours at a decent speed so we had to bite the bullet and turn the engine on. We kept the sails up which did help keep the speed up without doing max engine revs. There was the odd short shower but nothing major and the sun was shining most of the way. Once we turned into the channel, it was about 3nm to the harbour where we planned to anchor. There were boats anchored all along that stretch and beyond the harbour where we turned. We were surprised that it was 95% cats and mono hulls, very few motor yachts/boats.

We anchored in the harbour near the yacht club which has seen better times. Some of their docks look really beat up and there are only two boats at the marina. There is no break wall of any kind, natural or man made so being at the marina would not provide any additional protection from wind and waves. We’re going to town tomorrow so we chilled on the boat, enjoyed the usual afternoon cocktail hour and dinner.  Once it got dark the view of all the anchor lights across the channel was amazing. Bob has a good data connection through a new Bahamian company called ALIV and we can all tether via his device. The plan includes tons of data so among other things we’ve been able to keep up with the Olympics. Go Canada Go.

 

We said farewell to Bennett’s Harbour at 9:30am and had beautiful sail to the south western tip of Cat Island.  For you sailors reading this, we were able to maintain a 6 knot average beam reach for the 5 hours it took to get here.

We heard Hawks Nest  being called on the VHF a few times so we were hopeful that the Marina was open. The water colour contrasts around the point where the Marina is located are amazing, from deep blues to various turquoises in bands. Bob was able to raise the Marina on VHF once we got close and they did have space for us. We arrived at low tide, Peter kept watch and gave directions from at the bow as we came in the narrow entrance channel. I found out after from the dock master that the depth is five feet at low tide, we draw 4.5 feet !

Docking was easy this time, a proper long finger dock and minimal wind. All the other boats here are various sizes of fishing boats. The Marina is on a mangrove creek with a lot of sharks hanging around the dock.

We found out later the fishermen throw their leftovers to them. We rode bikes over to the resort office, had to cross the airstrip, a first for all of us. We stopped for a beer  at the beach near the office, not good for swimming but gorgeous. We also booked dinner for 7pm and watched a bit of Olympic coverage on the big TV in their lounge. Dinner was good, and we tried to watch the men’s skating short program after dinner but the number of commercials finally got to us and we headed back to the boat.

We decided to stay in this lovely spot for another day. After many mugs of coffee and breakfast we got in the dinghy for the trip to shore and a bit exploring and lunch at Yardy’s. We met Fred from Connecticut on the beach who gave us directions to Yardy’s. He spends 8 months here. It was a short walk to Yardy’s, the conch fritters were as good as advertised and the beer was really cold !

We picked up a few essential supplies, wine and mix for Peter’s rum. On the way towards the beach we met a lovely local, 96 year old Minerva MacDonald Rolle who kept us company for part of the walk to the beach.

She told us about her 99 year old sister who lives in Nassau and was about to go on a cruise. She has a sister who was 100 and six months and her father lived to well over a 100. Good genes all around. We had a nice walk along the beach back to the dinghy, Willy swam back to the boat while Peter allowed the outgoing waves to get us back to the boat with minimal rowing. Bob, Peter and Wilma went for a ride into the creek while I stayed back to get caught up with the blog 🙁 Tomorrow we leave for Hawksnest Resort which we hope will be open.

Bob’s had no luck raising them on the radio or via email. We asked at Yardy’s if the resort was open and were told it should be. She also said of no one seems to be around to just help ourselves to a slip -exciting times, we were hoping to top up on water and fuel

The cruise ship arrived around 7am and came surprisingly close to shore. Peter figured they draw about 25 feet, we were anchored in 10 feet. The picture is deceptive, the ship was a lot closer than it looks. The tenders started heading from the island to the ship by 7:30. Willy looked up activities offered to the passengers, there was horse back riding on the beach, snorkelling, etc etc, so it was time for us to depart, especially as the music started blasting from the beach, it sounded like the speaker was ten feet a way from us.

Sailing was not an option today, lots of wind, 20+ knots and even bigger waves than yesterday, max 6-7 feet, and some of the big waves close to each other,  – but not confused and pretty much on our nose. It was not fun so we decided to head for the closest harbour on Cat Island instead of the one further down we’d planned on. We did motor sail for several hours so the reefed main helped our speed against the waves. We left shortly after 9am and pulled into the lovely calm Bennett’s Harbour around 2pm. The seas did calm down a fair bit for the last two hours when we were in the lee of Cat Island. Interesting fact about Cat Island, Sidney Portier was born on Cat Island.

Willy found a bit of snorkeling not far from our anchorage, and basically we just chilled for the rest of the day and had great BBQ’d chicken for dinner. Peter and Bob are checking out weather and places to stop for the next three days, we want to be at George Town by Friday. Willy and Peter fly home on Sunday so that gives us a full day in George Town on Saturday. We may stay here another day, depending on weather.

It was a very bouncy, 7.5 hour trip today. The winds were 20+ knots and the max wave heights were six feet. Peter & Bob tried to chart a course that we could sail all the way but finally had to give up after 4.5 hours and turn on the motor. It was not a fun ride, very mixed seas so waves coming from many directions – confused seas I think it’s called. The highlight of the last three hours was being accompanied by a pod of dolphins for 3-5 minutes.   Willy got some fabulous shots of the dolphins. The rocking and rolling didn’t give up until we got very close to the bay. The interesting thing about the bay, which we didn’t notice until Peter read it on the chart when we were already   close to the island was that it has a “perpetual surge” hmmmmmm. Yup, it did. It was a lovely bay with a beautiful beach but yes, there were continual small ground swells. Made for an interesting time moving about on the boat and sleeping. The island is owned by Holland Cruise Lines but boats can anchor there as long as they keep away from the designated swimming areas and do not try to go on land. No ships here tonight.

After consulting the weather forecast for winds,  which had not improved, Bob & Peter suggested we stay another night. After a hearty poached eggs & toast breakfast we went for a 8.5km walk around part of the point. The resort has rental cottages and we were able to peak into one of them, they looked very cute. Willy looked them up,  the little semi cottages were $250 a night, from what we could see, they are for two people.

It was a hot day and the walk in the interior felt like a long one, we cleverly remembered to take water with us – came in very handy. We came across a couple of private harbours that we thought were maybe hurricane holes. The walk along the shore was beautiful, not a sandy beach but interesting rock formations.

We even found a swing hanging off a tree so Tarja could revisit childhood playground memories. Peter & Wilma went for a swim to the real beach in the afternoon while Bob & Tarja chilled on the boat.

We pulled out of the harbour around 10am and had a good sail to Cape Eleuthera Resort. We had no luck raising anyone of VHF so just headed to the fuel dock. Still no one in sight so we had to phone the office to get some service. Our impression coming in was that this is not a very busy place, at least not right now. There were a couple of large yachts, one called Electra that appears to belong to Carmen Electra, but most of the many slips were empty. It was a bit of a gong show docking as by now it was quite windy but Cleveland the dock hand/fuel guy was a big help. The slip was a typical half finger with the sets of big pylons past the finger. We went bow in, not fun trying to go in reverse in windy conditions. Our slip is close to the showers and laundry and the office and Marina store. The forecast for tomorrow is 20+ knots of wind so we may stay here for another night. We all had showers – yea, and decided to have dinner at the resort restaurant, it turned out to be very good but all agreed that the decor, which in many ways was very nice, needed a little something more.

We are anchored in Governor’s Harbour having sailed from Hackett’s Harbour to meet up with Tarja who is arriving this afternoon.  It was a good sail except for the fender overboard incident – it was rescued. All of Tarja’s flights were on time, she arrived at GHB airport at 4pm. Brad very kindly picked her up at the airport and Bob was bringing the dinghy on shore just as Brad & Tarja pulled up. This picture is the dinghy approaching the boat with Peter enjoying the cooling waters.

It’s Friday Fish Fry at the harbour tonight so we enjoyed some G&T’s on board before we headed to the fish fry.  It was lots of fun and the food was good, there were non fish options of BBQ’d chicken or pork for those that didn’t want deep fried fish. We were joined near the end of our meal by six women from Kitchener who were staying on Windermere Island – they were having a very good time !

There was a limbo contest, two of the Canadian women participated, one of them beer bottle in hand until the limbo stick was placed fairly low – good entertainment. ! As Brad said, the early part of the evening is the visitors and as they leave the locals come out and party on. Music went to 2am …. we did not.

 

Our friend Brad picked us up at the dock in Hatchet Harbour and took us on a grand tour of Eleuthera. We went north through Gregory Town to the Glass Window Bridge. This was a natural bridge to the northern part of Eleuthera but a huge storm took it out in the 90s. The storms exert an enormous pressure and have shifted the man-built bridge more than a foot from its original construction points. When the tide comes in the flow of water pours through the square “window” under the bridge. In big storms it washes in big waves right over the road and the bridge.

We walked the beach off of Preachers Cave where in 1648 two

ships were wrecked on a reef now known as the Devil’s Backbone. It was a religious group  from Bermuda seeking religious freedom. All but one survived along with some of the ships’ stores and cargo. Just off the beach the group discovered  a huge cave where they

established a settlement where they lived for some years. After languishing for some time the more industrious of this group set off to establish a more permanent settlement that is today Spanish Wells.

We next saw the two ferry points, one for Dunmore Town on Harbour Island which is right next to a small airport with many high end private jets — Dunmore Town is a very high end place these days. At the other ferry dock to Spanish Wells we saw the Amish family that runs a single car ferry to

Spanish Wells. The young mother has been kept busy producing and maintains quite a brood. Most do not take their cars over and some enterprising soul has built a parking lot and garages for those who leave their vehicles on the “main land”.

 

In Govenors Harbour, we had a lunch we ordered from  Pammy’s and ate in the

church yard of St Patrick’s Anglican Church looking out over the anchorage of Laughing Bird Cay.

 

 

 

 

After lunch we went to the abandoned US Naval Station built in 1950 to track

Soviet submarines and other communications work. It was abandoned in 1980 with most of the equipment left to rust when the US could not renegotiate a favourable contract with the Bahamian gov’t. There is a beautiful beach there that is mostly known only to locals. One result of the base was a major 2 mile long runway that is still in use today. Tarja will fly in here tomorrow from Toronto/Nassau.

One often sees abandoned houses which are spirit houses. When the owner dies that house is left for the spirit and the others build a new home.

Dinner was at the Rainbow Restaurant dry near Brad’s house. It was pizza night baked on an outdoor oven. The restaurant is owned by a couple and their son from Ottawa.

 

Happily read another guide book that stated the Cut should be done at either high or low slack. Low slack would occur within the hour so we busily got the boat ready and went through the Cut about 9:30. There was only about a knot of current on the north side so the Cut was easily traversed.

Had a good sail down the shore to Hatchet Harbour with some tacking. Saw the Glass Window Bridge that Brad will take us to tomorrow. Quite a sight with the Atlantic waves washing through the “window”.

The coast line had beaches and jagged rocks/coral with many caves. The water was about 20’ and we were able to get in to only a few hundred yards offshore.

The man made cut into Hachet Harbour is very narrow and required a lot of concentration especially with crew bodies in the line of sight!

We anchored close to the dinghy dock where Brad met us, gave us a brief tour of Alice Town and drove us to his place. Brad built his place which is high on a hill and overlooking the non-Atlantic side which for some unknown reason is referred to as the Caribbean side. The front is all porch and windows and is a very pleasant place to hang. Out back they have a platform that gives views onto the Atlantic. We did laundry and a few drinks were consumed before heading back to the boat.