Abacos

     We have been making our way north along the chain of cays to the east of Great Abaco. Our 60 mile sail from Eleuthera was glorious, thanks to a 8 - 14 knot southerly breeze all day. 

The beautiful deep blue. The depth was over 13,000 feet at one point.

Boomed out jib, stay sail and main sail carried us along.

      We were here in the Abacos over thirty years ago. The first time was in 1980 when 7 of us chartered an Out Island 41 sailboat during Spring Break from Connecticut College. Needless to say it was a wild time involving bonfires, fire walking, Guana Grabbers, and going where others didn’t dare. Later, we came back around 1990 with Joe and Lisa and had an equally memorable, but not as wild, time. It makes me feel old to say that things have changed. We suffer from “Cruisers’ Midnight” which is 9:00 PM and we are so ready for bed. The area has changed too. There are so many more boats, especially catamarans, and the protected harbors are packed. We are in a marina right now because strong west winds were predicted and we weren’t sure we would find room to anchor or available moorings in the few spots out of the wind. The simple little shack that we had our first Guana Grabbers on Great Guana is now a large complex with VERY LOUD music and $8 Bahamian beers. Another similar place called Nippers had equally loud music and was packed with sunburned, very drunk Americans. They get shipped in by fast boats from Marsh Harbour or Treasure Cay to have a “Bahamian” experience.

     However, there are still lovely, unspoiled spots. Man O’War Cay was still very low key with the economy based on boat building rather than tourism. 

Honoring the boat builders. Just like Spanish Wells and Harbour Island, Man O'War was settled by loyalists in the 1700's. It is still very much a white community. Thirty years ago black workers on the island had to get off by nightfall. This is one case where I hope there has been some change. I don't know what the situation is officially but I know I saw a lot of black workers getting on the late afternoon ferry.

Some boats that are being produced are the older style.

Some are new.

One of the older boats

The Sweeting House. They raised twelve children in it. Now it is a lovely coffee shop and heritage museum.

Typical road on the island. Golf carts are the main mode of transportation.

The Methodist Church

They pre dig the graves because it takes a while. The older ones were in the sand and they got washed away by a hurricane.

Their graves have character. This man was a boat captain.

We got a mooring in the crowded harbor of Hopetown which is another lovely town. Nearly ran aground trying to enter at low tide.

We climbed the lighthouse - the only kerosene lit lighthouse left. It's a pressurized lantern like a giant Coleman lantern. It was brick and then they put another coating in concentric rings when it started to crack.

Climbing up the hundred and one steps.

The view part way up.

At the top, looking down at Far and Away

Looking to the north west towards Man O'War Cay. Our anchorages here have been totally dependent on the direction of the wind and surge from the ocean so we don’t spend all night rolling or pitching. As a result we have been zigging and zagging around.

At the top

The huge fresnel lens like the one in Portland Head Light.

The gears and the pressurized system which float on a circular trough of 1,200 pounds of mercury. It is driven by a clock movement which needs to be hand cranked every two hours by the keepers.

The lighthouse was built in 1864 and the equipment, which is being used today, was made in the early 1900's. 

Custom furniture for lighthouses

Typical Hopetown home

I imagine that was most of the population.

Although I mentioned how much Great Guana Cay had changed, we had a nice time meeting up with other Cabo Rico sailboat owners in a mini rendezvous. We socialized and toured each others' boats. We were the smallest at 34 feet and the largest was a majestic 56 footer.

Lots of boat talk.

So much talk that the dogs got bored.

Ten feet longer than Far and Away

A year ago, when this trip was just a dream, Nico and I watched a series of You-Tube videos produced by a young Australian couple, Riley and Alyana, on board Vagabonde. We mostly watched their adventures in the South Pacific. Imagine our surprise when we found the boat next to us was them! For us it was a major celebrity sighting.