Saba carried us a total of 1,210 nautical miles (or 1390 “land” miles) over the past 36 days. The Admiral and I enjoyed 14 ports of call and plenty of adventure along the way.
We sailed through the night on five passages sharing watch every 3 hours or so to enable visiting the more distant spots. As you may imagine, travelling on a modest sailboat sharing about 300 square feet over a five week time span is something few couples could accomplish. Let’s just say my first mate is tolerant…
Leaving the Conch Republic of Key West with the promise to return soon we headed north to Captiva Island for a few days of vacation from our vacation at the South Seas Island Resort . The 330 acre resort offers a beach, pool, golf course, dining and a myriad of activities. It’s a spot we often visit when we want to indulge ourselves a bit.
After reharging, we returned to St. Petersburg via Venice spending a night at the Fisherman’s Village Marina and enjoying dinner at the Dockside Waterfront Grille.
Safely tied to our slip at the Vinoy Marina in downtown St. Petersburg, we were already planning our next adventure on SABA. We were delighted to have you aboard and hope you’ll travel with us again soon.
For now, I’m preparing to check off another item on the Bucket List…I leave for the Kingdom of Tonga on Sunday. Tonga is an archipelago in the South Pacific about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand.
Tonga is austral winter home of several hundred humpback whales who leave Antartica and arrive here to calf and mate. I guess we’re in for some whale voyerism as these giants perform courtship displays and mating rituals….I’ll try to keep out of the way of these 50 foot giants as I try to capture the action. Wish me well!
The sea hates a coward.
– Eugene O’Neill
Hope to have you aboard soon.
Captain Bobby
We arrived in Normans Cay, famous for drug running in the 80s, but there was no sign of that activity when we anchored off of Battery Point for a quiet night on the hook. As usual, we took a dip in the shallow, pristine water before a sundowner cocktail and dinner.
Saturday, we took the brief stroll to Atlantis to enjoy all of the amenities. As you may know, it is a fabulous property with every conceivable water sport and water park feature imaginable.
Robin found this to be her ideal way to do some shark diving as opposed to my usual method of back-rolling off of a panga into a sea of dorsal fins around a bait ball!
There are hundreds of species represented in the aquaria throughout the resort giving everyone an excellent chance to view the underwater world just as an experienced diver would.
We’ll be untying the lines Monday morning and heading for the Northwest Channel, entering the Bahama Bank with its mesmerizing 8 to 15 foot shallows.
Near dawn on Tuesday, we’ll be approaching Bimini and then start the Gulf Stream crossing with great light allowing us to dodge the heavy traffic of cargo ships in the Straights of Florida. We will enter Hawk Channel at Fowey Rocks, just south of Miami before sundown.
After a short walking tour of neighboring Leaf Cay we returned to SABA and prepared to move on to Shroud Cay which is known for its mangrove creeks.
Driftwood Beach is truly one of the most exquisite and serene beaches I have experienced. A hike to the top of the hill gives spectacular views and that location was used in the 80’s by federal agents to observe drug operations on neighboring Norman Island.
How can you not have a smile on your face when watching these porcine puppies? They have organized a feeding station since we were last year to avoid a feeding frenzy. Robin got stomped by an eager piglet in the past and still has the scar to prove it! As you can see she has forgiven the little devil.
Have a great Celebration!!
We had a lively sail throught the Hawk Channel paralleling the Florida Keys, wind was a brisk 15 to 20 knots with 3 to 4 foot seas in this protected area. The promise of moderating wind and waves never occurred. Weather reports I guess can be like the main street media….FAKE NEWS!
Morning had us walking the three blocks to Starbucks for a coffee and some internet tasks and then on to the Fresh Market next door. Nothing better than a well stocked grocery with a great bakery to replenish our stores.
South Seas is one of our favorites and is a great spot to vacation, relax and enjoy the wonderful amenities, the ambiance of the manicured grounds and the friendly staff dedicated to providing a near perfect experience.
Now that we are back safely to our slip at the 
Thank you for following our sojourn in the Abacos. Our 18 day visit to these islands rich in history included stops at uninhabited islands, small settlements and busy harbors. The experiences were varied but locals and visitors alike were always friendly and welcoming. We spent our last evening at Wally’s in Marsh Harbour celebrating our stay in these wonderful islands. We left the friendly environment of the Harbour View Marina with some trepidation as we cast off the lines starting our journey back to the United States.
Our route planning involved transiting a tricky channel from the Sea of Abaco into the Atlantic Ocean then traveling south along the inhospitable lee shore of Great Abaco. There are few anchorages along the way, so we enjoyed some magnificent sailing and just kept alternating our watches and continued on. We rounded Great Abaco at an iffy anchorage called Hole in the Wall then transited the the Northwest Providence Channel and the northern section of the Great Bahama Bank toward Bimini. Already with 32 hours in and 172 miles under our keel we bypassed the popular “island in the stream” because wind and waves were favorable. I guess we just wanted to continue to be cradled in the arms of Mother Ocean.
We have tied up here in the past and as usual the staff was friendly, helpful and courteous. Their recommendations for restaurants and activities bests Trip Advisor. After 69 hours, nearly 3 full days and 345 nautical miles…time to celebrate like a Conch!
Key West is quirky, artistic and laid back where happy hour is every hour. If food, drink, music and debauchery excites you…you have found paradise. People watching is beyond compare as it is an international destination. Also notable are the great number of 19th Century wooden structures many which serve as bars or eateries. Shopping also seems to be a market driver due to the number of tourists. Since Robin is a lover of hats there was one painting that I couldn’t resist.
Here we met an affable couple now part of the Key West fabric. Chris and Dani are business owners, singers, songwriters and all around great people. We had the pleasure of taking in their performance at Grunts, a wonderfully intimate bar and patio lounge. Chris has written a few songs aimed at live-aboard boaters, cruisers and, of course, the residents of Dildo Key. So as you know, it’s not always the miles traveled, it’s the wonderful people you meet.
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 
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.
