A visit to Green Turtle Cay - Black Sound

Sat. April 28th - Tues. May 1
It was a tough day for Tom. Leaving Bakers Bay anchorage and going through the Whale Cut crossing back to the states was closing in on us and he is struggling with our fabulous trip coming to an end. Our  plan was to stop at No Name Cay for the afternoon to see the swimming pigs then move on to Green Turtle Cay but the wind direction was not going to make for a calm anchoring. Rough seas are difficult for Tom and Peanut because the Captain,( I am the Admiral according to Tom,) and our four legged first mate have difficulty with sea sickness when it gets bouncy! I know, I know, how weird is that to love the water and boating but struggle with sea sickness when the seas are rough? Green Turtle has two sounds, Black, which is near the settlement of New Plymouth and White which has two resort marinas. We choose to go to Black Sound first. We picked a mooring ball ( anchoring is not permitted in Black Sound) and started our exploration of the area.  As we approached the ferry dock a number of gulf carts with red flags adorning them were lined up in a parade like fashion.  As the ferry approached the group, all in red, left their carts and formed two lines on the dock. We stopped and spoke with one of the red shirted gentlemen to gain information about the gathering. They were there to welcome the Bahamian Prime Minister, who was making a campaign visit before the elections on the 7th. We learned that the political parties have specific color combinations. Red is FNM and purple/gold PLP. Upon his arrival the Prime Minister shook hands and jumped into the drivers seat of a gulf cart leading the parade through town. His body guard jumped into a jeep Rubicon with the local police chief, interesting! Our next stop was a little cafe' called the Wrecking Tree. While waiting for a cold drink and cracked conch the parade came past. The Prime Minister stopped and entered the restaurant to shake hands with everyone. He was nice enough to pause for a photo as well. Wow, I met a VIP! Later in the day, and each day following, we dinked over to Sundowners for their Happy Hour. We had looked forward to meeting Brian and Caroline, who manage the bar/restaurant ever since we met their son Eric, a student at ECC. We spent happy hour at Sundowners every day of our visit. We loved the atmosphere there.  Brian and Caroline are the only people working the restaurant and bar and were like two energizer bunnies. Caroline is an excellent cook!Tom loved to talk about fishing with Brian. Eric stopped in one evening. It was fun to see him again.  We really enjoyed the quaint feel of New Plymouth.

The wrecking tree restaurant - where I met the Prime Minister

Shaking hands with the Bahamian Prime Minister

                                                                  The sign tells it all

                                                   A photo of the Miss Emily's bar

                                       The inside is this small bar area with a chair and another room

                                                  The jail  - love the sign

                           The jail, probably why they have not needed it for 20 years - no crime

                                               A typical Bahamian cemetery

                                              Tom and Juice outside the wrecking tree

                                               Green Turtle primary school

Pineapple's - another local hangout

A visit to Bakers Bay Resort

The winds were with us to make a run straight across the Sea of Abaco to Bakers Bay from Treasure Cay on April 27th so we went for it.  We had decided that seeing Bakers Bay resort was a must. Tom and I met a couple who keep their boat at Harbor View Marina in Marsh Harbor most of the winter. Their slip is on the same dock as the very plush water taxi that takes guests to Bakers Bay.  They have shaken hands with Michael Douglas Jr., Oprah, and several professional athletes who walked down the dock to the water taxi. They have also seen groups of models come by on their way to photo shoots and a stay at Bakers Bay resort.  Just the other day I met a gal at Green Turtle Cay who was telling me her son was playing basketball on the local outdoor court and Leonardo DiCaprio joined in the game. He had come over from Bakers Bay to Green Turtle for the day, saw the kids playing and joined in. Her seven year old son didn't think it was a big deal but mom did.  This same gal ran into Martha Stewart and a famous Chef,( I can't remember her name, but she used lots of butter and now has diabetes) at different times in the local grocery store on Green Turtle as well. Hear say is that the developers are working very hard to get the stars to build homes on Bakers Bay so there is lots of wining and dining going on.  Rumor has it that those who have homes there like to host parties thus the famous attendees.  Bakers Bay resort is on the northern tip of Great Guana Cay. The only little village area is in the middle of the Cay where the two famous bars, Nippers and Grabbers are. Quite a golf cart ride away. We anchored outside the marina, in a designated anchorage near the beach.  There were several large homes being built along the beach and with binoculars we could see a very nice resort there as well. Unfortunately the beach is private so we could only get a look from afar.  We did dingy into the marina. It is small but the boats there were yachts. We were met by a gentleman who welcomed us to Bakers Bay resort and helped tie up the dingy. He asked if we were there for lunch. We weren't but told him we wanted to look around and have a drink at the tiki bar. We walked around the grounds which were very well groom and I was able to take a peek inside one of the condominiums that was being finished. They were very plush.  Tom sat on the patio overlooking the marina while Peanut and I walked over to the ocean. The beach was very pretty and we enjoyed our walk. Unfortunately we saw no famous people, or at least none that I recognized.  Our plan was to come back that evening for a drink at the tiki bar but we never made it back in from the anchorage. The next morning we pulled out and headed for Green Turtle Cay.

                          I love the little fenced in yard with all the plants in front of this condo

                                       Very nice landscaping and several of the buildings are around a commons
                                     area but none of them look out over the water
 

                                        The pool area, The pool water runs over the sides, pretty

            I think this is one of the newer buidings as they were working on a couple of the units  Forgot to take photos of the marina and tiki bar. Sorry

One last hurrah at Treasure Cay

Tues.April 24th
Having the rising sun wake us up Tuesday morning following the stormy weekend was a welcome sight. It was still pretty breezy outside causing us to continue to swing and bounce. We both felt a change in scenery was definitely in order. A month ago pulling up anchor in this wind would have caused much anxiety on my part but my confidence level has risen a notch or two so I was ready to take the helm.  We had hoped to anchor at Water Cay, which lies between Marsh and Treasure one more time to finish our beach combing but the wind direction was not going to allow that. The trip over to Treasure was bouncy but not bad because we were taking the waves on the nose.  The harbor was calm! Whoo Hoo!  There were quite a few boats , all sail, in the harbor but we found a spot quite suitable and settled in. We had two dingy visits while we were getting organized. The couples from Galatia and Tropical Depression who we have met and spent time with on several different occasions stopped by to say hello. They were heading through the Whale in the morning headed back to the states.  Dinner at Coco Beach Bar and listening to Stone McEwan play was on our evening agenda. It was a GREAT evening. Our new friend from Portugal and his date showed up at the bar so the four of us had dinner and danced the night away.
Wed. April 24th
Today we stopped at a couple of shops that we wanted to revisit, visited the beach then sat by the marina pool.  We met a young couple, Gary and Debbie from the Delaware area by the pool. They were chartering a sailboat with two other couples the next week so we talked about some not to miss stops in the area.
Thurs, April 25th
What a full day of activities!  We rented bikes in the morning and rode out to the Abaco Ceramic shop where I did a little Christmas shopping. The afternoon was spent burning the beauty of the light blue water, dark blue, cloudless sky and warmth of the sand under us on this beautiful beach to memory. I of course also took a few more photos! Thursday evening is pizza night at the tipsy turtle bar/marina area. The veranda and pool area are busy with activity as the workers cover all the tables with red & white checked table clothes, ready the pizza boxes, and the oven area which is also under the veranda.  I'm not sure where all the people come from but this was our second attendance at there isn't an empty table after 6:30 pm. This time our order number was 25. Last time we were 83 so obviously we got up and got ourselves in line to put in our order a little earlier!  It is said they sell well over 130 pizzas on pizza night.
Fri. April 26th
The weather forecast called for storms again on Saturday night, Sunday and Monday. We really wanted to stay at Treasure until Sunday but needed to move on if we wanted to see Bakers Bay before the winds picked up again. We pulled anchor and stopped at the fuel dock to feed and water Laughter before heading out. With her fuel and water tanks full again we headed across to Bakers Bay.

Peanut did just fine riding in the basket with Tom

                                               Kayaking at Treasure Cay Beach was amazing

Of course Peanut rode on the kayak with me

One of my better photos!

We used the kayak to provide shade for Peanut

She dug a hole in the sand so you can barely see her in this photo

There she is with sand on her nose from digging

A view from under one of the tiki umbrellas

A veiw of Treasure Cay beach from the restaurant patio

The marina pool

Stone McEwan at Coco Beach Bar & Restaurant

Coco Bar & Restaurant

Kelly who is from Portugal and his date

Are we in the Bahamas or Chicago - The windy city?

April 21st
This past Saturday we pulled up anchor at Water Cay immediately after hearing the weather forecast for high winds and storms. At the helm I could see the sky's change from their usual beautiful blue to overcast gray and the seas from flat to sloppy. We chose Marsh Harbor as our destination because we could restock while waiting for better weather.  Once anchored we completed our usual checks then decided to run a couple of errands in town before the big blow.  There were white caps in the harbor so we bounced in giggles(our dinghy) to the dingy dock and drip dried while we completed our errands. As we entered the harbor a voice from the past called us on the radio. Nauti Nel, our sister ship( another 42 ft Jefferson) was here.  We were excited to see them. We met Mike and Nel in Carrebelle, spent a week docked next to them waiting for a weather window then crossed to Florida with them. We had not seen them again except for a passing in Venice Florida.  They were docked at Harbor View so we walked down and had a great visit!  Our trip back to the boat included another soaking and change of clothes when we arrived at the boat. The winds were uncomfortably strong the entire night. I spent most of the night climbing up and down the steps of the fly bridge checking our position. The anchorage was full and I did not want to drag anchor on someone around us. The winds kept up on Sunday with an occasional gust of 30-32 knots. About mid morning a boater announced on the radio that a squall would arrive in about 10 minutes. We double checked everything, closed windows and waited.  We could see it come straight in from the entrance to the harbor. As it neared the boats disappeared in the fog like wave of torrential rain. We bounced, twisted, and turned from one direction to another. The wind gusts were strong, clocked by a few boats at 42-47 knots!. I found myself talking to our anchor, please hold, please hold.  I think I said this before but will say it again; " I HATE storms".  During the storm one of our bow cushions blew off. Tom called to all the boaters to keep an eye out for it and keep us posted at its whereabouts.  When it settled down a bit Tom took off to retrieve the cushion. When he returned we brought the remaining cushions inside. Just about then I looked out toward the harbor entrance and announced "Hear we go again"! Another wave of rain came through but shorter and less intense than the first.  We collected  20 gallons of rainwater in our buckets during the storm. The wind continued to blow Sunday night, Monday and Tuesday. Not as bad but enough to add a few new bruises to my body as I moved about the boat. We spent Monday visiting a special needs school and finishing up our errands. We also had another nice visit with Nauti Nel. On Tuesday we headed for Treasure Cay in hopes that it would be a calmer anchorage and to hear Stone play again.

                                                The squall as it nears Marsh Harbor

                                            The rain movers closer and closer

                                                    The sailboat anchored beside us

                                                 The same sailboat almost hidden by the rain

The rainbow at the end of the storm

                                              Our friends Mike and Nel on Nauti Nel

                                    

                                               

Hope Town - The Mayberry of the Abacos

The red and white stripes of the Hope Town Lighthouse came into view. It is a beautiful classic lighthouse that you want photos of from all angles. At idle speed we move into the harbor and instantly know we are going to love Hope Town. The harbor is lined on one side with pastel colored homes that are just too cute! There is no anchoring in Hope Town. Mooring balls only, so Tom is out on the bow with a boat hook. My job is to put Laughter's bow at the ball, Toms is to grab the line hooked to the ball and tie it to the bow cleat. There are always people watching because mooring ball catching can be quite a show. No show here, we caught it on the first try and were tied. The nice thing about being tied to a mooring ball is that you sleep soundly! No worries about anchor dragging in the middle of the night, so let the wind blow!!  The actual town is situated on this end of the island and the only vehicles of any type allowed are utility vehicles. Even golf carts are taboo. The streets are lined with pastel colored homes with white picket fences around them. Everyone speaks to each other as they pass, something we have lost in the states! There is one police car and one officer, they don't need anymore than that! If you look like you have a question or a need, someone stops to ask if you need help. We spent four days in Mayberry, I mean Hope Town. After settling in on the mooring ball we just walked around town and went in the four shops they have. The morning of our second day I went to the ocean side beach with a couple of other gals to hunt for sea glass. We did find some and had a good walk down the beach.  That afternoon we went to lunch at Harbor view lodge with Harvey and Nancy and the folks on Galatia. On the third day Tom and I climbed the light house and enjoyed the beautiful view. We also visited the pasty lady who sets up a booth once a week at the dinghy dock. We really enjoyed her Guava bars. Our fourth day in Hope Town was a Sunday and the grand opening of a new marina and resort. Stone McEwen was playing. We were excited about hearing him again.  Twelve of us enjoyed the buffet and music on the pool deck of the marina/resort. Our last day in Hope Town Tom and I rented a golf cart so we could see the other end of the Cay.  We had a ball!  I stopped and visited a primary school.  We bought lunch at a little joint we saw along side the road on the other side of the island.  We enjoyed a drink at a beautiful resort/marina called Firefly then stopped along the ocean side to watch some surfers. Firefly is owned by Firefly vodka company so all of their specialty drinks are made with Fire Fly. Mmmmm. We also stopped to climb a sand dune and hunt for sea glass and surprised a couple of boaters we know who were anchored out at Tahiti beach. Why were they surprised? Because we were all anchored out together at Tahiti five days ago. You should have seen their faces when we walked up to them on the beach! I did all the driving on the cart and lets just say, when we go to England in the fall it would be best if I did not rent a car!  Tom asked a couple of times "Are you trying to kill us" your on the wrong side of the road but I was literally on the right side, donya see.

                                    Your view of the ocean from the deck of Harbor View Lodge

                                                    Tootled around the Cay on a golf cart

                   The pool and deck at Harbor View Lodge which is also open to the public

                                                    One of the cool rental homes

                    Hope Town Lighthouse one of the last hand fired lights. We watched the keeper pull back
                   the curtains and fire up the lamp. It was amazing

                                 A view of the glass reflective mirrors in the light of the lighthouse

                                A view of Hope Town from the top of the lighthouse - 101 steps up

                                   A view of the Sea of Abaco from the top of the lighthouse

                                             See Tom walking down the steps of the lighthouse?

Another cute Hope Town Home

                          Visiting with Stone McEwen during a break. He was playing at the
                          Grand Opening of the new resort and Marina in Hope Town

This cute little house for curly tail lizards is the front yard of one of the houses

Notice the little lizard house just to the left inside the yard

The swimming pool with bar at the new resort/marina. Stone McEwen is playing in the gazebo in the background

                                                    No other explanation needed

                                                        Hope Town Primary School

Fire fly marina and cottages

                                           Another view of Firefly - tiki bar and restaurant

Flowers like this are growing throughout downtown Hope Town

                                                                 Sunset at Hope Town

To Close For Comfort or "OMG" Theres a boat on our butt!

Tom and I were asleep when I heard a clanging noise and Peanut barked. I shushed her but about a minute later she barked several times more. Tom woke and said she must be dreaming. I disagreed, Peanut doesn't bark without reason. It was barely light out and I leaned up and looked out the port hole on my side of the bed. I then yelled "Holy Shit" the guy behind us is pushing off our boat with a boat hook!. Tom looked out his window and yelled we'll be right out.  It was a rental catamaran that had anchored uncomfortably close to the front of our boat the day before. We were not happy about it but what can ya do?  Overnight the winds died and the water was now flat as a pancake. The boats had changed direction and his boat was now directly behind us. He was standing on the front pushing our dinghy( which is tethered behind us) off his boat. I rolled up the plastics on the back door and said good morning. Sorry to wake you was his reply. Ya think?  Tom went out on the bow and pulled up about 30 feet of our anchor line. We then asked the gentleman to back up towards a large spot between two boats behind him. He backed up alright, straight back toward another sailboat! Now awake and still uncomfortable with the situation we sat up on the fly bridge with a cup of coffee and watched the sun rise.  About an hour later the sailboat decided he was to close to the other sailboat behind him so he moved forward... you guessed it right next to us again. What is he thinkin? He was so close I could tell that the game two young people were playing on their deck was chess! We knew that at least two sailboats were leaving the harbor this morning so we just waited. When they left we pulled anchor and moved far away from the rental!  Later, while walking near  the beach a gentleman approached Tom and said " I hope you don't wake up tomorrow morning and have to yell "Holy Shit" there's a boat on our butt. Guess he heard me! They laughed and we figured out the problem. We had 75 foot of anchor rode out. He only had 30 foot.  There in lies the difficulty with anchoring to close to your neighbor. You never know how much rode they have out compared to you and you could end of in a situation that is "To Close For Comfort"!!