PORT LUCAYA

May 17-19th

We left Great Sale and headed for the Lacayan canal. We now had a better understanding of the tides so we knew we had to time our entry to high tide. We inched our way in making sure we stayed squarely between the markers. Once in we again enjoyed the hour ride through the canal. our conversation was the same. What a great place it would be to live if they had the money to put in a taller bridge and keep the entrance dredged.  Since we were on a time schedule and could not stay and enjoy Port Lacaya on our way through to Marsh Harbour we had already decided to stay a couple of days on the trip back.

We anchored in one of the bays that wasn't to far from the marina, settled in and went ashore. I checked out the shops while Tom visited with people from one of the benches.  I returned to find Tom visiting with a local gentlemen. He talked about how they rely on the American tourists and do not want anything to happen that would stop us from coming. While visiting I dropped the straw to my drink. He insisted on walking over to the booth for another despite the fact that it was about a block away. We thanked him for his kindness and he again thanked us for visiting Port Lacaya.

On our second day we took a bus to a flea market slash shopping area.  We were the only nonbahamians on the bus. I am not sure if I looked nervous or what but the young man sitting in front of us turned around in his seat and asked how we were being treated during our visit. He also reiterated that it is important for the Bahamians to treat us nicely because we are vital to their economy.  When we returned to the boat we found it surrounded by jelly fish!  I very carefully climbed out of the dingy and made sure Peanut did the same. Originally Tom said he was going to go for a swim when we returned to the boat but changed his mind when he saw the jellies.

                                                                          The canal

A scary day on the water!

Tues. May 15th, 2012

Storms rolled on by our anchorage yesterday afternoon and evening. The majority out in the distance provided quite a light show. One squall did pass overhead but we enjoyed the fresh water bath it provided for Laughter.

Today was one of those experiences that causes you to think about the need to have all your affairs in order. .A bit of an exaggeration, maybe, but when the weather turns ugly and mother nature is in control rather than you many things start to cross your mind.

Sitting on the beach when black thunderheads roll across the water and waves of blinding rain that hide the horizon pass in the distance is fascinating to watch but to find yourself in its midst is another story. This morning looked as if cloudy skies would prevail but no sight of a storm so we pulled anchor and headed out.  it looked as if we would might catch up and follow several sail boats that were off in the distance.  We were about a mile out of the anchorage when the first squall came into sight. We put the pedal to the metal, so to speak, to out run it and were successful. Once we knew it was behind us Tom put out the fishing lines hoping to catch dinner sometime during the 35 mile trip to Great Sale Cay,  All was going well until we made our turn, the sky directly in front of us was black!  A few moments later Tom spotted a water spout forming. It too was now in our path. There were three boats in front of us, chattering on the radio about what to do. Two of them  choose to keep going through the squall. About  the same time we spotted a second larger water spout. At that point the third boat, a trawler turned coming toward us. He was going to attempt to go behind this storm. We chose to do the same.  We came around the back side, turned and headed toward clear sky’s. I started to relax but it only lasted a few minutes..It was apparent that we were going to catch the tail end of the squall. The wind kicked up and Laughter bounced and rolled as we found ourselves in the midst of rain so intense we could barely see the bow of the boat.  Somewhere out there were several large rocks that we had to keep well off our port side and we had to rely on our chart plotter and radar to make sure we kept them there. Thankfully the intense rain only lasted a short time.

We were the 5th boat to pull into the anchorage late this afternoon. The sky’s behind us still black the thunder loud and the lightning bright. We were thankful that our experience with the squall only involved intense rain.  We watched as boat after boat appeared from under the squall line as if they were passing through a curtain on a huge stage. By nightfall there were 14 boats in the anchorage.

We are often asked if we were ever afraid on our travels. Today I was.

 

 

Adding our name to the famous boaters tree on Allen Pensacola

May 13-14, 2012

A visit to Allen Pensacola was a must.  On the Cay was a tree that was the home of a hundred plus signs made from material found on the beach. Each sign had the name of the person or persons, their boat and the date they visited. Some were on the tree, others around it.  The tree was located on the ocean side of the Cay.  We had to walk the distance on a narrow sandy path with many branches of unknown bushes and trees hanging in our path. This made me a bit nervous as I did not want to come in contact with a poison tree. The result was a rash much worse than poison ivy and known to reappear several times after you thought it was finally gone.

We packed a small cooler with water, took a marker for writing our name and went to shore.  The start of the path had been decorated with floats, ropes and such that people had found which was helpful.  it was a warm day and the walk was a long one. Fortunately with the overhanging trees and bushes we were not in the sun the entire time.  Once on the ocean side we explored the area. The beach was covered in drift wood and there was quite a bit of debris, making it easy to find a suitable piece to write our name on, decorate it with bits of rope and place it on an agreed upon spot on the tree. We spent a little time reading all the other signs finding several people that we knew. Peanut played and played on the beach. When it was time to head back she started to slow down, then would stop and vomit. By now it had to be 90 degrees, and i was really afraid she was overheating. after the second time she stopped and vomited I picked her up and carried her back to the dingy. Tom put her in the water to cool her body temperature down and we headed back to the boat. Once on the boat she drank some water and found a place in the breeze to rest. By nightfall she was back to her old self, thank goodness.

This make shift structure was near the beach at the anchorage. Notice there are chickens living on the island, the only inhabitants.

                       The trail                                           our sign

                                 the trees

             The ocean side beach

Spanish Cay – A different kind of place

May 11-12
When asked about Spanish Cay, the answer was ‘don’t bother’.  The guide books indicated it was a private island with a very nice marina. A full page add indicated it was open to the boating world, so we choose to check it out despite negative boater comments. There were two boats in the anchorage outside the marina harbor which made it easy to find.  We were a little disappointed with the anchorage.  We were on the same side of the Sea of Abaco as we were at Powell Cay but the water was much rougher. We hoped it would calm down by nightfall. Now late afternoon, we dinked to the marina, tied up at the dock and checked out the little store, bar/ restaurant and amenities.  I was quite impressed.
While I took Peanut for a walk Tom struck up a conversation with two gentlemen who were in the pool. They have been coming here to fish for the last five years.  A while later we watched the boat captain clean their catch of the day and feed the scraps to a group of six or seven Bull sharks that gathered under the dock for supper.  Watching the sharks fight over the scraps was quite a show and the price of admission was right. i kept Peanut, on a short leash as she wanted to hang over the side and watch the shark show as well.
The restaurant chef was going to prepare the abundance of mahi caught in a variety of ways and we were invited to join the fishermen and their wives for dinner. We declined dinner but agreed to come back for a drink afterwards. Our dingy was tied near the area where the sharks ate dinner so we waited until we were sure they left the area before climbing down the ladder.The thought of becoming dessert in the event one of us slipped on our climb down made for a very slow and careful decent 
We returned after dinner and had a great visit. The ride back to the boat in the dark was a little nerve racking, now that I knew there were lots of sharks close by, but soon we were safely back on Laughter.  The next morning we completed a few jobs around the boat then headed to shore to use the computer and check out the beach. i made the mistake of asking permission to leave my computer in the marina office while we walked to the beach. We were respectfully told that it is a private island and only guests staying at the marina or in the condos could move around freely. He also explained that anchored boats are welcome to shop in the little store but are not really supposed to use any other part of the facility, including the restaurant/bar. A shame because boaters enjoy gathering at a bar.  We sat on the rocking chairs talking with other boaters anyway then moved to a table to get online to pay some bills. We bought a couple of drinks to show that we were patronizing the bar, hoping that would keep the peace a little.
When the fishermen returned from today's  trip we walked out to the dock to watch the feeding of the sharks again. We learned that these gentlemen are free divers. no poles and bait, they spear the fish. Tom and i had never heard of free diving before coming to the Abacos, but have since met several free divers. The Abaco’s are a popular spot for free diving.
  Because we were not really welcome at the restaurant/bar we left for the boat when all the fish were cleaned.  We departed the next morning headed for Allen/Pensacola Cay.
  A few tidbits of information: The owner of Spanish Cay is from Texas. He also owns Richmond Yacht company and 11 restaurants. We were told his purchase of Richmond Yachts resulted from a conflict he had with an employee of the yacht company. He had gone to check on the progress of his yacht. He expressed his displeasure that the progress was behind schedule. The employee stated to the buyer that he didn’t know anything about building yachts, that they are often behind schedule and stick to what he knows. The frustration resulted in the buyer buying the company and announcing that timelines would now be met. We were told he is a really nice guy and when he is there he hangs out and cooks at the restaurant for those staying there. The Cay has a landing strip for small aircraft that has been there for years. It was apparently used for drug running at one time. The fishermen that we met fly in on their plane several times a year.                                                         Spanish Cay Marina Pool
                                     Spanish Cay Marina as we approach the dock                                           One of several gliders at the marina
                                             One of the Bull sharks being fed
                                          A bull shark going after the fish skins
  The fish they speared while free diving the long ugly one with the teeth is a barracuda
                                          Brian holding a hog fish he speared
                                  Laughter is on the left at the Spanish Cay anchorage                                             The owners Yacht

Powell Cay

May 9-12, 2012

On the morning of May 9th we said goodbye to Coopers Town and headed to Powell Cay. It is another uninhabited Cay with pretty beaches to explore.  We anchored took the dingy to shore and looked for treasures. This was another Cay that had a walk through path to the ocean side.  We of course followed the path to the ocean. As the sun began to set we enjoyed watching beautiful cloud formations pass colored by the setting sun.

                                                           Approaching Powell Cay

Coopers Town on Election Day

MAY 7, 2012
We had heard mixed information about Coopers Town settlement. There are no marinas, dinghy docks or beaches. The docks that protruded off shore were destroyed by the last big hurricane and never repaired or rebuilt. The anchorage area is open so we will have to monitor the winds and weather closely while here. 
To dingy ashore you have two choices. Pull your dinghy up on a small rocky shore area next to the destroyed marine services dock or go down to an old dock down a ways and carefully climb up an old ladder.  On our first visit to shore we did notice a stack of lumber sitting near the marine services dock and a group of gentlemen rebuilding on a bar on the water front.  A rock wall lined the waterfront protecting the street and sidewalk on the other side. There were several benches along the wall and a gazebo type structure. During our two day stay we noticed that groups of men gathered throughout the day on the benches and in the gazebo. On our walks down the waterfront it appeared most of the conversations were politically centered. This made sense as today was election day.
The schools and many businesses were closed. Children and adults walked along the water front in their red shirts, the political color for the present prime minister.  Red flags adorned the cars that went up and down the road. it appeared that the entire settlement was supporting the present prime ministers reelection. occasionally you would see a car with the opposing candidates colors, purple, but that was rare. A gentleman from a  boat anchored near us told us that we were all invited to a rally that was to take place in the park following the closing of the poles. Tom was excited about it but not knowing the climate of the area i said i was not going unless we went with the other boaters. Evening came and we dinked over with our fellow boaters. We were greeted on approach by several local Bahamians and treated well. It was an interesting people watching event. Everyone in their red shirts discussing politics.  When the final poll results were in the present prime minister had lost. Next thing we know cars with purple and yellow flags were coming down the street honking their horns and yelling to brag that they had won.They drove around the park then left.  I was concerned about how this was going to play out but found there was no need. Everyone in the park remained quiet. They did not respond verbally or with hand signs. All remained calm. I was impressed.
The following day we walked to the local grocery. Tom stood outside the store and enjoyed a beer. He asked what a case of it costs.  $72.00 was the response, ouch! No beer for Tom.  Tom went back to the boat and i remained to walk the rocky shore looking for shells while the tide was out. There was an area on the rocks that was covered with conch shells that had been cleaned. i climbed over the wall to check them out and was joined by four children who were playing on the rocks on their way home from school and picking up these very large snail type shells. I asked why they were picking up the big snails and was told their mom boils them for dinner.  We had a great conversation about school. These little guys were so cute. They kept picking up conk shells and announcing “how bout dis one”.  I bet they followed me up and down for 45 minutes. It was great fun.
i was amazed that most of the houses had boards covering several of their windows or at least the holes where windows were supposed to be.  I am told they have been up since that very bad hurricane in the 2009? Most houses had the front door wide open.  “I  asked the kids how they kept cool in the summer since it was obvious here and in most of the Cays that air conditioning is nonexistent and the only air flow was through the front door here in Coopers Town. Mind you the temperature today was 80 so I can’t imagine the heat in the summer! We walk up and down the waterfront  to catch the breeze off the water was the response.  We love these real life experiences with the people of the villages we visit here in the Abaco’s.

The marine services dock and bar                 A photo from the anchorage


Local home, typical in size and shape                            Sunset behind the town


The present Prime Minister, who lost the election.  I met him earlier in the month.this is his home in Coopers Town.
 

Manjack

May 6, 2012
This morning we headed out from Green Turtle to Manjack Cay.   We had been told by many boaters that there is one house on the Cay and that the couple in the house are former live-a-boards that love to have boaters come and visit.  We anchored in a very pretty cove and took our dingy ashore to see if we could connect with the couple.  The gal was actually at waters edge when we arrived so we were able to meet her.  We didn’t walk up the hill path to the house because they were expecting company. I was impressed with how they had fixed up the shoreline to welcome boaters. There was a little beach and a really nice swing and trails that they had cut going through much of the wooded/jungle like area surrounding their home. We explored around the Cay by dinghy stopping on several little beaches to look for treasures, Just before sunset the couple and their company sailed around the cove in a beautiful little sail boat as we enjoyed another beautiful Bahama sunset.