Ahoy Mates!
After our stay in Treasure Cay it was off to Marsh Harbour, considered the main stop in the Hub of the Abacos. There are a myriad of shops, restaurants and services there, as well as, and international airport. We were able to sail most of the 17 miles to the Harbor View Marina, right in the center of restaurant district. Perfect for fresh fish dishes and a fabulous Conch Burger.
We spent four days at the Marina using it as our home base for some touring. We sampled many of the restaurants including Jamie’s, a local spot with great food and friendly service, Wally’s with a more formal atmosphere and superb dishes and Mangoes for fantastic fresh fish, prepared with local flair. They were all excellent!
One of the truly wonderful things about cruising, is the interesting people that you meet. We were privledged to spend time and share dinner with Dr. Randy and Linda. He is a recently retired ER physician who along with his wife, Linda a former nurse are starting a new life aboard their Absolute 60, a magnificent power yacht with a grand interior. We wish them all the best and hope for an invitation to join them on that floating palace! Hint, hint…
While in the Abacos I took the opportunity to schedule a dive trip with Dive Abaco for a two tank dive at the Fowl Cay Preserve about 5 miles east. I packed up my gear and walked only a block to the dive shop.
After a half hour ride in a seaworthy dive boat, we arrived at the site on the ocean side of Fowl Cay. After squeezing into my wetsuit, gear and camera please note the back roll with ballerina-like entry!
Since it is a preserve fish life were very friendly as evidenced by “Ash” who has a way with the lady Nassau Groupers!
The dives were well planned and included many “swim-throughs” in the narrow tunnels and caverns of the coral reef. There were schools of blue tangs and yellow tail snappers along with the usual arrow crabs and colorful cleaning shrimp. Of course, the highlight was the large group of friendly groupers!
The next day we executed our plan of returning to the USA via the Great Bahama Bank. The trip from Marsh Harbour heading south around Great Abaco and to Fowey Rock south of Miami via the Bahama Bank is 225 nautical miles (258 statue miles). The weather forecast was good with light wind and 1 foot seas. Great for a power boat, not so good for a “blow boat”. We decided to cross the Great Bahama Bank and stop and anchor in Cat Cay on the west end of the Bank. This 179 nautical mile trip would still involve an overnight so we readied the sea berth, which is nothing more than a lee cloth fitted to our port setee to allow sleeping without falling on the cabin sole (floor).
We motor sailed around Hole in the Wall on the south end of Abaco and then continued west, north of the Berry Islands.
This part of the Atlantic Ocean between and the Bahama Bank is Cruise ship alley. Since Saturday is a busy day for ship sailings, we encountered no fewer than 8 cruise ships from Princess, Celebrity, MSC, Norwegian and Carnival. We have and use AIS or Automatic Identification System that allows you to identify ships and gives a myriad of information, like name and description of vessel, course, speed and closest point of approach, etc.
If the closest point of approach is less than one mile we always call the bridge on the VHF radio make sure that the bridge sees us and offer to make a course change. More often than not the cruise ship or cargo ship will offer to change course to avoid us!
Morning bought with it another nearly windless day and more heat than was comfortable, but the Great Bahama Bank is one of our favorite stretches of water. The water color and quality is absolutely gorgeous! This part of the trip would require travelling about 70 miles in water only 10 to 40 feet deep. As you know, as sailors, we carry loads of technical gear, tactical equipment and specialized clothing for use in specific conditions. Crossing the Great Bahama Bank on this day required very special light cotton boxer shorts, which proved perfect for a mid-morning nap!
After a day of attempting to use the spinnaker to take advantage of what little wind we had we anchored just off of Cat Cay before sundown.
We settled in for the night in anticipation of our Gulf Stream crossing. Since we had cell phone reception our weather reports were very favorable, again predicting light winds and flat seas. Oh, how we were hoping for 10 to 15 knots out of the East for a spinnaker run!
Stay tuned for the the return to our home port of St. Petersburg via Marathon, Key West, The Dry Tortugas, Captiva and Cabbage Key.
Thanks for your wishes of fair winds!
Captain Bobby and the Admiral
After getting our share of rain on our golf cart outing we sampled another restaurant and were convinced that Green Turtle Club was the place to be. The staff was friendly and efficient and the food excellent. I just started a “Conch Burger Tour” and the contenders will have a tough time measuring up to the one at Turtle Cay.
I outfitted the dinghy with the outboard and we taxied over to the dinghy dock at the marina. 
We climbed back into the dinghy and explored the Eastern Harbor hurricane hole. Apparently, many boats are left here for the season. We toured both harbors by dinghy and were impressed by the tranquility and also by three visiting green turtles feeding just off our port beam. We enjoyed a dinner on board and a quiet evening with no wave slap.
It is pedestrian friendly in the Marina district, but you’ll need a cab for other destinations, like the grocery or ferry dock. No need to wave a cab down just call them on VHF channel 06 and they will be there pronto. Drivers were courteous and friendly with almost UBER vehicles
We treated ourselves to lunch at Wally’s, a wonderful restaurant just across the street from the Marina. This is probably the finest the finest Conch Burger served anywhere. Tasty, tender, lightly battered and served on a fresh Bahamian bun with fresh garnish… it was magnificent! 
Robin was now fueled for shopping and she poked into every shop within reasonable walking distance. Like the food the items they were very good, but not cheap.
We walked to Rental Wheels, LTD and picked up a not too ancient Buick Lucerne. It had a myriad of dents and dings so that the metal skin had the texture of a raisin and bad shocks to boot, but you know me… I don’t complain.
We drove the 25 miles to Little Harbor over a wide well-paved highway , but the last two miles or so were on a washboard dirt road. Emerging from the forested roadway we saw the lovely, small, but fully protected anchorage and drove the final approach on the sandy path just a few yards from the water’s edge.
An art colony was established here in the 1950s and a gallery featuring life size marine bronzes and jewelry is open every day. After I engaged in some intense browsing, Robin nixed the purchase of a bronze hammerhead for $17,500 that caught my eye. Too bad, it would have really pissed off the Home Owners Association when I put it in my front yard.
We then made our way to 
Albury’s Ferry runs a convenient, dependable service to many of the neighboring Cays. We thought it a great idea to hop the ferry for the 20 minute trip to Hopetown on Elbow Cay. Hopetown was founded in 1785 by Loyalists escaping the American Revolution. It is one of the most picturesque settlements in the Bahamas unmistakable with its candy striped lighthouse.
Hopetown would be complete without a visit to the Lighthouse. We took a water taxi across the harbor and then traveled a narrow curving path leading to a large working boatyard which led to another path along the waterfront and yet another up to the Lighthouse. There were many nice folks along the way giving us directions cheerfully and without hesitation; none of them accurate, but you know me….
After an exciting ride, we reentered the Sea of Abaco and headed WSW to Treasure Cay which is on Great Abaco Island. We called yesterday and reserved a slip at the Treasure Cay Marina and just as we entered the channel we were met with an afternoon downpour. We broke out the foul weather jackets, but by the time we reached our slip the sun made an appearance and we tied up and plugged in. Since we have been traveling almost daily, a vow was made to stay put and enjoy the Resort and it’s amenities for a few days.
Yes, it was a special night at the “Tipsy Seagull” and it’s usually a sellout. The on-site bar/restaurant was packed with locals and tourists alike. A local band was playing dance music and young and old were bopping around, while enjoying fresh baked pizza to order and their favorite beverage. The service was friendly and amazingly fast considering we were on island time. After having our fill and then dancing to familiar tunes, we called it a night.
National Geographic has rated this 3 plus mile crescent shaped beach one of the ten best in the world. Like many of you, I have seen more than a few beaches, but the crystalline water, cool, powder- like sand and lack of crowds make this one spectacular. Truly magnificent. We didn’t want to leave.
Saying goodbye to Treasure Cay with a promise to return, we cast off the dock lines and headed for Great Guana only 10 miles across the Sea of Abaco. We arrived at 1130 and picked up a mooring at Guana Cay Harbor, a vibrant, happy place on any Sunday. Now, it’s time to get the dinghy off the deck and give her the power of the outboard engine we carry along to make the trip ashore.
The main street was a sea of people in mid-revelrie and golf carts galore snaking their way through the crowd. Apparently, the masses were headed either to or from Nipper’s or Grabber’s, another hot spot. Along the way, we were warned about the scant possibility of scoring a drink at the crowded bar.
Through the well-marked path we found Nipper’s on the Beach side of the island. We heard the voice of Robin Thick and the beat of “Blurred Lines” before we glimpsed the throng at the wildly popular spot. As promised, the lines at the bar were three deep, but I managed to find one tucked away where I only waited ten minutes for a couple of Maragitas.
After a restful night we set off again to make landfall ih the Northern Cays. One that we had read about in cruising guides for its pristine beauty, sand bars and tidal pools is Double Breasted Cays. The entry to the anchorage was serpentine but worth the idyllic setting. We spend the late afternoon with a swim to the sand bar and some peaceful rest in the protection of the low lying barrier islands. We had some visitors from “Let It Be” a 42 foot Catamaran. Frank and Mary Grace were cordial, we had much in common and plan to meet up with us in Annapolis at the Boat Show in October. 
Making our way toward Green Turtle Cay we had two overnight stops, one at Allans-Pensacola Cay and another at Powell Cay. As we traveled south the appearance of the water increased in clarity and beauty and we were again treated to near perfect weather with 5 to 12 knots of wind, sunny skies and 1 to 2 foot seas. The leg to Powell Cay which is the across the Sound from Coopers Town on Little Abaco Island was the best yet.
Green Turtle Cay has a population of about 450 and a variety of anchorages and marinas. We chose the 
