Long Island to Eleuthra

Salt Pond on Long Island is a very typical anchorage: rock ledge with run-down houses on the fringe; low. scrub filled hill behind. This is the furthest south we'll get this trip. From here we set sail to Hog Cay(23° 36.251N, 75° 20.590W) a lovely crescent shaped sand beach surrounded by two resorts and several private homes. Poor snorkeling, however.

Next stop, New Bight on Cat Island where Father Jerome (1876 - 1956) build The Hermitage. Seems the converted Anglican, Roman Catholic priest who was also an architect and mule skinner came to the islands to build churches. He did a fabulous job. This was his retirement home.

The Hermitage

Two stations of the Cross

Off for Frenandez Bay (24° 19.076N, 75° 28.421W), around Alligator Point to Bennets Harbour (24° 33.834N, 75° 38.461W) and then on to Half Moon Bay on Little San Salvador. Two huge cruise ships took up a good part of the anchorage along with the swimming designated areas, para sail boats with tourist attached 100 feet up, Hobie cats, wave runners, etc. All pretty uneventful. Rock Sound (24° 51.777N, 76° 09.733W) on Eleuthra was just the same as we saw it two years ago. Water still too cloudy to make water (silt clogs the water maker filters), no fuel except to lug it from the gas station in jerry cans, and no RO water. Good grocery, 'though.

Soon as the weather was right, we took off for Governors Harbour (25° 12.136N, 76° 14.869W: third anchorage we tried due to the hard bottom and the strong (25 - 30 knot) NE, E winds. The passage to Grand Bahama Island and the Abaco's Little Harbour is way too rough for a relaxing sail: waves up to 20'. So we'll wait here at Governors 'till the winds shift around to the S and knock down the seas, probably this weekend.

Well, I managed to dump my butt, and my camera, in the ocean getting back into the dingy. So, no pics 'till I can get a replacement or pics from our friends on Semi-Aquatic and Caper. We're still together, having dinner and Mexican Train almost every night. Even Magic the Andersen's cat comes over to check things out.

Sailing has been great using both the "regular" working sails and the spinnaker. The spinnaker moves us along down wind at about 65% of the apparent wind speed. We even tried a whisker pole on loan from Caper. Although about three feet too short, it still kept the jib out and full getting us up to 9 knots at one point!

Oh, did I mention (No!) we caught two mahimahi of 6 and 7 lbs. We also lost Byrl Raper's pole and reel to something huge just after we landed an Almaco jack of 5 lbs. Must have been a great lure! Sorry Byrl!

Warderick and Beyond

The sail to Emerald Rock at Warderick Wells was very pleasant: winds and seas cooperated sending us along at over 7.5 knots. Unfortunately, no luck fishing, though there is a no fishing zone all around Warderick as it is a marine park.

Warderick Wells looking N. from the park headquarters

Poor weather sent us south to Big Majors Spot (24° 11.2N, 76° 22.5W) which is just a short dingy ride to Thunderball Grotto (24° 10.8N, 76° 26.84W) where 007, James Bond, jumped through the roof into the water below. The grotto is about 40 yds. in diameter and 10 yrds. tall. Full of little, colorful fish 'cause people bring food for them. Big Majors is the anchorage for Staniel Cay and is also famous for the herd of pigs that run down into the water to greet the cruisers who come by to stare.

Linda and Harry, the guy with a beard, at Staniel Cay (L background) and Thunderball (R background)

From here we set sail for a short jaunt to Black Point settlement (24° 6.15N, 76° 24.1W) 12 nm further south. Weather kept us there for four days. In fact on the third morning (4 a.m.) Linda got up to find the wind had swung around and into 0.8 m of water (we hit at 0.7m) with the beach 30 yds. off. Wow! Pulled up the anchor in 3 ft. seas and a head wind of 20 knots and moved out to deeper water. Mighty cold and wet. More than enough excitement for one morning.

Black Point settlement

Kuhela at Black Point just off the beach/flats

After four days there due to the passage of another front we headed south to Galliot Cut (23° 55.6N, 76° 16.6W) and transited out into the Exuma Sound bound for Lee Stocking Island and the Caribbean Marine Research Center (23° 46.274N, 16° 6.315W) for the night. We had picked up a left laundry bag for another boater which we were able to deliver high and dry.

Next day at 6 a.m. sharp we hoisted our anchor and headed for Hog Cay (23° 25.1N, 75° 29.5W) at the southern approach to Georgetown. We missed G'town intentionally as we were close on the heels of Jose and Bill Andersen of Caper who were already at Long Island where we set down our anchor at 5 p.m. after 11 hours of NE winds at 20 knots and seas up to 4 feet. Sure enough they were there at Thompson Bay (23° 20.451N, 75° 7.504W)

NE shore of Long Island on the Atlantic

I ditched the beard this morning as Jose said I looked like a pedophile.