Eleuthra to Abaco

Eleuthra to Abaco

Plantation Ruins at Royal Island, Eleuthra

I was really excited about coming to Abaco. Danny has been here before and wanted to share it with me. We had a fifty mile crossing over the open Atlantic. We estimated we could easily do it in 8 hours. We got up early and departed with about 10 other boats, mostly trawlers. The current was so unbelievably strong that even with the motor running we were unable to cruise more than 4 knots. Also we were heading due north and that is precisely where the winds were coming from. I felt like we were in a perpetual GPS zone. The estimated time of arrival reading was 7 ½ hours for an eternity. Then the engine started overheating and we had to back it down, which caused me even more stress. I abhor navigating at night in unknown territory, but there was simply no turning back. We were forced to speed up the engine and I prayed feverishly that we would make it into the cut before sunset. This cut was extremely shallow with reefs on either side of the entrance. Fortunately, my prayers were answered and we came through at 7:30. We went 50 miles in 12 very long hours.

We decided that we would have to take a slip at a marina to see if Danny could fix the overheating problem. I was really looking forward to a hot shower and a poolside bar. We had only about 8 miles to travel, but my long awaited marina stop would have to wait another day. When we were only 4 miles from Hopetown, I ran the boat hard aground (actually Danny was steering, but it was at my insistence). Did I mention we did this at HIGH tide. We tried pushing her off, but our little 8hp dinghy motor was hard pressed to move 30,000 pounds. Our calls for help went unanswered, although I did get emotional support from a boat called Whisper who had experienced the same thing in almost the same place. Thanks Dan and Jennifer for the much needed comic relief. We had no choice but to wait for the next high tide at midnight. We arranged for a local boat to come around 11:00 to pull us off. While we waited, OPA eventually ended up on her side. Tears flowed from my eyes as I watched all of our precious water dumping overboard. The last time we were aground was in Bimini about 16 years ago, but that was a fluke storm that put us up on a mound, again at high tide, so that when the tide dropped, our deck seams went under water and sea water came pouring into OPA. You can imagine my apprehension as the boat gently laid on her side. Truman Major, a very nice gentleman on a boat called Lucky Strike called me at 8:00 pm and said there was a good chance that we may be able to get off ourselves. He explained that the night tide was sometimes about 4 inches higher and we had also lightened our load by 800 pounds when all the water departed our tanks. I explained that I had a hard time navigating this area during the day and was certainly not looking forward to doing it at midnight; but, for the four hundred dollars that it would cost for him to come out, I was willing to put my fears aside. The old girl started to float at midnight and we were able to get her relocated without running into anything else...what a relief!!

We are now in Hopetown. 

First sight when approaching the harbor.

Signs on the wall at Captain Jack's, Hopetown Abaco

Excellent food, great people!

I call this...dinner!

We took the dinghy across to town and had a very enjoyable afternoon. Hopetown is a lovely community with very few motorized vehicles. What a switch from Spanish Wells. The houses are beautiful and the gardens magnificent.

Of course, we had to get a photo of ex-firefighter Dan.

The highlight of our stay here would have to be the Hopetown Lighthouse. When Danny was here 30 years ago, it was operated by a gentleman named Sam McFee. Sadly, Sam has passed on, but, fortunately, the next generation has taken over and it is still operated by Sam McFee. It is one of the three lighthouses still operational in all of the Bahamas. We met Sam when we checked into the Hopetown Inn and Marina (beautiful place). He was such a sweet young man and he invited us to join him when he fired up the light. Sam does get a small stipend for tending, and they do provide a place for him to live. You can feel his passion as he explains the process of keeping it illuminated, as he has done since he was merely 6 years old. It requires 2 gallons of kerosene and winding every two hours and in the morning he must put up the curtains or a fire would ignite.  The view was phenomenal and it was such a thrill to watch the process and hear the pride in Sam's voice. We really appreciate all that he does to keep all mariners safe from harm. My photos may be a bit fuzzy...I was recovering from my grounding.

The long journey up...well worth it!

The view from the lighthouse...where's OPA!!

Beautiful Hopetown Harbor

Sam takes his responsibility very seriously. Thanks!

Job well done...again and again.

The weather here has really gotten a lot worse, so we will be staying in Hopetown for at least another two days. That's really not a bad thing,  as I could definitely have another cup of that creamy conch chowder at Captain Jack's. Next stop...Marsh Harbor and a Kentucky Fried Chicken!! It's the little things in life. 

Please keep us in your prayers. 

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Exuma to Eleuthra

Exuma to Eleuthra

During the two weeks that we have been underway, we have had 11 weather days (can’t move), 2 motor-sails (motor and sail) and 2 days under sail (i.e. FREE!!). We traveled 148 miles at an average speed of 4.5 knots, 2.3 being our lowest, and 7.2, our max hull speed. 

Our course through the Exumas took us near the private islands of Johhny Depp, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, David Copperfield, Nicholas Cage and Tyler Perry. I guess my invitation to come ashore got lost in the mail.

While sailing with the caravan of other yachts that were waiting weather in Black Point, we were approached by the Bahamian Defense Force. They cruised next to us for a few minutes, waved and continued on. They caught up to a boat that was flying no flags. It is customary once you drop the yellow quarantine flag that you fly both a Bahamian courtesy flag and the flag of your own country. By the way, thanks Deb for sending us that flag 3 years ago!

We had a 10 hour motor-sail  to Eleuthra, an island 30 miles northeast of Exuma. I liken our crossing to riding a spirited stallion occasionally leaping obstacles; someone must remain at the reins and sometimes you just gotta hang on!! During our journey, the transmission developed a leak…yikes!!! After adding 4 quarts during the crossing, Danny was able to put a band-aid on the problem when we got anchored in Rock Sound.

It has been hard to slow down, but slow down we must! We will have to sail as much as possible and nurse this transmission back to the states. We have been able to sail for the last two days and it is absolutely breathtaking. We only travel about 20-25 miles a day. We have had numerous dolphin sightings.

The sunsets have been spectacular or maybe we just slowed down enough to enjoy them.

The cruising guide pointed us to a nice little anchorage just north of Governor’s Harbor. Sometime during the night, as always, the wind switched, and our idyllic anchorage turned into a bubbling cauldron that tossed OPA around like a pair of sneakers in a dryer. Needless to say, sleep was elusive. Danny would have pulled up anchor at 2:00 in the morning, but I was unwilling to cooperate.

Our next stop was in Spanish Wells, at the northern tip of Eleuthra. Upon approach to the harbor, this quaint community reminds me of a cross between Tarpon Springs, FL and the Florida Keys. There is a thriving seafood industry here and the community is filled with pristine house with phenomenal gardens. The people living here are descendants of the Eleuthra Adventurists who came here in 1648 seeking freedom to work and worship their God. There are three churches and they are all Methodist. The people here are very wealthy, made obvious by the number of motor vehicles on this tiny, tiny, island (one per household, still trying to figure out where they drive on an island only 2 miles wide)?

                             

Longing for a good nights sleep, we picked up a mooring (a permanent anchor) just off the main dock. After being on the boat for 6 days, we were looking forward to a night on the town. After walking the entire length of the 2 mile rock (only 1/2 mile wide), I found it quite amusing that we managed to find the only dry island in all of the Bahamas…not even a beer to be found!  The culmination of our excitement was watching to see if the streetlights actually did go off at 9:00. We were fortunate enough to attend a church fair the next day and I loaded up with homemade baked goods. YUMMY!

We are still in Spanish Wells and hoping for a break in the weather tomorrow. We are heading to Little Harbor, Abaco and around to the west end of Grand Bahama, where we will undoubtedly have to wait for another weather window to cross the gulf stream into the United States. We have been advised by other cruisers to make our landing in Lake Worth, and then proceeding to the Jacksonville/St. Augustine area. I will update as our situation permits as I’d forgotten that some of these settlements don’t have internet capabilities. We are in Hopetown, Abaco, so stay tuned for our adventures from Eleuthra, not quite so rosy. The good stuff definitely makes up for the apprehension that I sometimes feel when exploring new territories. 

Blackpoint, Exuma

Blackpoint , Exuma, Bahamas

Blackpoint is a small settlement boasting a population of approximately 350 very friendly people. One of our favorite spots on this island is the Scorpio Inn because they have great deals for happy hour and FREE tasty appetizers.It is also a great place to meet some of the other boaters, catch a Rays game, or access the internet.

We enjoyed some very tender conch and an awesome snapper filet sandwich at Lorraine’s Café while we caught up with our buddies on Silver Girl, who we met while cruising here three years ago. Robert and Diane supplied us with a plethora of  helpful information from here all the way to the Chesapeake. What a great reunion we had. One of the best parts of the cruising lifestyle is meeting old friends along the way.

Where's the street?

We took a wonderful stroll through the community and because it is Easter break, there are children here from many of the surrounding settlements. Their antics were visible all around the community, but they were all very well-behaved and polite as they are used to strangers arriving daily to invade this small picturesque town.

Making straw baskets

After being anchored here for two very calm days, we awaited for the approaching front. Many more boats poured into the harbor for a respite from the storms that were heading our way. We had loads of much needed rain which helped us replenish our water supply. It’s amazing how quickly two people can use 100 gallons of water.  

Where's OPA? That is Danny on the dock.

Georgetown, we just changed our view.

Where’s OPA?

We moved from the house in Hooper’s Bay on Good Friday and made it to Monument Beach, inside the harbor. We had several things break while waiting for weather and just like always, Danny handled them all. Since we had to readjust to the cruising lifestyle, this was really a welcome break. 

Where’s OPA?

This was taken from the monument overlooking our anchorage in Elizabeth Harbor.

This was taken from the monument overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

The Bahamas is a very religious country and so on Good Friday, everything was shut down. All bars had to remain closed until 6:00p.m. Then everything was closed again for Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. I discovered that our new alternator cannot support our toaster oven…one of the reasons we are still in port. I am so glad that everything happened here in the harbor. We even put up all the sails and made sure all the rigging was properly tuned. It also gave us the opportunity to stow all the stuff that we just threw on board when we left the house. Our first night at anchor, we had a severe thunderstorm, the next night we had 20-25 knot winds. I kept asking myself…why are we doing this? But, after 4 days on board, the weather moderated and I think we finally got our sea-legs. It’s Tuesday and we’re off to see about an alternator!

Four days of relocating within the harbor cleansed the beard of sea life that was calling our anchor line home. Our mechanical issues allowed the Atlantic a few days to calm down and we had cool, gentle NE wind at about 15 knots, with the uniform of the day being sweatshirts and shorts. We departed the cut and within minutes, the water changed from turquoise to a deep purple and the depth sounder no longer registered. Just a few weeks ago, a boat about the size of ours hit a container that was jettisoned from a freighter and the boat sunk within 20 minutes.  Apparently, several of these were said to be lost and remain lurking just below the surface. Fortunately, this is a well traveled path and they were rescued in 30 minutes. That incident was the source of a little of our apprehension. We had a 50 mile sail to a magical cut that took us from 2000 feet of water to 20 feet of emerald green seas. What a return we had to cruising, as the day was perfect in every way. We are now anchored in Black Point, Exuma and have to wait for weather once again. 

What a wonderful life!

Preparing OPA for the trip North

I remember when we purchased OPA 20 years ago. It was during the zero-tolerance drug policy and the boat was owned by an elderly couple. They were boarded by the U.S. Coast Guard as a suspected drug vessel. They took them to a hotel and when they returned in the morning they found the boat completely destroyed. It was then purchased by two young men and gutted, but they quickly lost interest in the project. When we got her, she was pretty much a hull with a 48 hp Westerbeke diesel, which Danny promptly replaced with an 85 hp perkins. Danny made the trip from Miami with two of his buddies. It was a trip that none of them will ever forget. We had a goal of five years to restore her and depart. It was almost five years to the day that we started our first cruising trip. We cruised for 5 years and then returned to the states and work. We lived on board for several more years and then moved ashore. OPA had pretty much been neglected as we resumed our former lives. After our house burned down, we decided it was time to start cruising again. We left in February, 2009, and by September, we had to fly back to the states because Danny started passing blood. And the poor old  boat sat again.

When we returned Danny had to address every single system on the boat, starting starting with an overheating problem. He ended up replacing every single part in the cooling system. Next came the electrical system. We had to replace all 3 8D batteries upon our return. A lot of the wiring had corroded and had to be replaced, which took me back to my Fortune Bank days of running cable (thanks Greg, those skills did come in handy), but,  fortunately when Danny originally ran the wiring, he used plastic conduit complete with pull strings. We replaced  the 12 Volt lights in the main salon. We had to rerun the cable for the depth sounder and install a new transducer, and that is one piece of electronics that you can’t be without here, because Bahamas, translated, means shallow water. It has been said that if you haven't put  your boat on the ground, you don’t use your boat.

We had to deal with a lot of mold, because a few small leaks soon turned the inside of the boat into an incubator for microorganisms. We pulled every cushion, towel, sheet and article of clothing, brought  it ashore, drove it to the laundromat and back, and then returned by dingy it back to OPA. Every glass, container, pan and dish had to be washed again and again. 

Our refrigeration system has failed, so we will have to use an old fashioned icebox until we can sort it out in the states. It’s been a long time since I have done any cooking on board, so I will have to readjust to my tiny galley.  I have a coffee pot, microwave, toaster oven, propane stove, and bbg grill at my disposal. I am excited about the challenge of once again providing tasty meals aboard our traveling home. Although I felt bad for all those who lost their jobs, we were fortunate enough to be able to stock the boat for our return trip at 75% off when Emerald Isles (grocery store nears Sandals resort) closed their doors. That was a bonus for us and I’m so glad we were here for that windfall. We are on a fixed income and the food here is outrageously expensive. Food costs are 2 1/2 to 3 times more expensive here and I depleted my boat inventory some time ago. 

Once all the systems had been repaired and tested, we started working on the exterior. We painted the deck and applied 2 coats of Seatol to all the bright work. Then we moved below and painted every surface that could be painted or varnished. We used approximately 10 cans of acetone or mineral spirits (at $12.00 a quart) and about 30 disposable brushes and came home each day covered with dust, paint and varnish. It was well worth the effort and then we had the unenviable task of removing all that dust from every nook and cranny on the boat.

When we went for fuel, we discovered that Exuma Yacht Club is  not open for dock fuel sales on Sundays.  In 1996, when we first started cruising, it cost us $189.00 for 100 gallons, today it is $590.00. Danny calls it expensive camping.  After we fueled on Monday morning, we moved OPA back behind the house. It was to our delight that we were greeted by the dolphin Nicky and one of her pups as we came back in to Hooper's Bay. This was a blessing and a very good sign for me.  We are staged just off Conch Cay cut so that we will be ready for an early departure Thursday morning.  

Gazing at this turquoise harbor, I suddenly feel a bit  of sadness. Our boat sways gently on her anchor, as a 21 foot Sea Pearl, built in Tarpon Springs, Florida, sails by. The sun sets as the children next door (visitors from PA and MD) are out in kayaks on a harbor that is a sheet of glass. Hooper's Bay is a wonderful community with some delightful neighbors and located only 3 miles from Georgetown. We are walking distance from Smitty's grocery store, CNK liqour store, Darville's hardware store and Garden Creations (find them on Facebook), where we get the freshest produce on the island at the most reasonable prices. Our neighbors across the street at Hoopersbayvillas.com are also our neighbors in the states. They live about 20 minutes from us in Clermont, Florida. Talk about a small world!

I will definitely leave this house with a lot of wonderful memories. Thanks again to our friend, Lorraine, for giving us this most incredible opportunity. Thanks to all of you who came and shared our bit of paradise and many more thanks for all the treats that came with you. It was remarkable. I will have these moments for life.