Riviera, FL to Green Turtle Cay, Abacos, Bahamas
At 6 am with darkness surrounding us, we disconnected the power and untied the boat lines at Rybovich Marine. Dream Chaser followed the channel markings through Lake Worth, slipped out of Lake Worth Inlet, and motored into the Atlantic Ocean. The water had been glassy smooth as we left the dock, but now have 2-3 ft. waves in the Atlantic Ocean, and the stabilizers have been activated. We bid farewell to land as the lights of Singer Island twinkle back at us.
Somewhere we read that if you have a compass and a watch you have what you need to get to the Bahamas; the old way works just fine! Well, we will rely on our Garmin navigational electronics, but we also have other guides which are very helpful. Last night we programmed the GPS coordinates for the first two days to make travel easier. We also purchased the yellow 12"x16" quarantine flag (to fly until we clear customs in the Bahamas) and the Bohemian flag to fly for a goodwill gesture.
As the sunrise began, we still have the sailboat in our sight ahead of us. Later as we pass, they hail us, and we find they are also headed to the Bahamas. Harvey and Nancy are on Stardust, a 45 ft. sailboat and they shared information about the Abacos as we cruised along. Keith and Bobby on Kim Jo IV, also Loopers, were departing from the Riviera area about 7am and will join us this afternoon.
The sun is bright, temps are in the high 70's, there is a mild breeze, and puffy clouds dot the sky. Along the way radio and CD tunes drift through the upper helm, and we treat ourselves to bagels and cream cheese. We are not eating much due to possible sea sickness, and bagels just seemed to settle the best today. Occasionally, flying fish would skim by and jelly fish float by in what is truly the "deep blue" ocean. The water has taken on an impressive deep shade of blue-very pretty!
We motored to Memory Rock (a small rock jutting up on the west edge of the Little Bahamas Bank-used as a marker for boaters) and hit the shallow table top with aquamarine waters of the Bahamas. The depths here range from 10-15 ft. About 2 pm, we spot Wood Cay (pronounced key) off our starboard side and receive our first radio contact with Kim Jo.
About the Bahamas: The Bahamas are a 700 mile long archipelago (chain of islands, cays, and reefs). Most islands are rocky and low, surrounded by coral reefs and sandbars. Only 22 islands are inhabited. The Bahamas were discovered in 1492 by Christopher Columbus, and there was a race of peaceable people called the Lucayans already there. These people were either killed by the Spanish or taken to Cuba as slaves. In 1629, the islands passed to the British and various groups over the years struggled to survive.
For 100 years, pirates used the area for refuge. One well known pirate, Charles Vane or Vain the Great Pirate, began as a privateer, but turned into one of the most cut throat of pirates. He based himself at Green Turtle Cay in Abaco after fleeing Nassau. It is said that he gathered great wealth, but was caught and hung after a short reign of terror.
After the American revolution, Loyalists (those Americans favoring England) came to the Bahamas and attempted to develop plantations, farming, and later resorts. The late 1700’s saw numbers of black slaves brought into the area, but slavery was abolished in 1833 and later, many became citizens. Wrecking (gathering the remains of wrecked ships) became the profession of profit. The Bahamas have witnessed pirates, liquor smuggling, and drug smuggling. The Bahamas became independent in 1973 and has seen tourism boom.
The Abacos are a number of islands to the north of the Bahamas consisting of Grand Bahama Island, Abaco Island, and a number of small islands. Some of the little islands have quaint villages and others are uninhabited. There are also larger communities like Marsh Harbor and West End with marinas and services.
Around 8 pm (after 15 hours of motoring) and two hours of darkness, we reached our anchorage, Great Sale Harbor,-dark and unfamiliar. It is uninhabited, 5.5 miles long, low, and marshy. No Starbucks to be found here! The day has been long and exhausting with wind and waves. We safely enter the bay where numerous boats are already anchored for the night. As we slip into place and drop the anchor, the waves are still strong enough that they rock us to sleep (for awhile, anyway). About 3 am, the anchor skips (due to the winds and heavy rocking) and finally catches again to hold firm. It is not a night for restful sleep.
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
At 6:45 am with faint beginnings of light, we pulled anchor from Great Sale Harbor and point Dream Chaser out of the harbor and set the autopilot for Spanish Cay where we will clear customs.
At 2:30 pm, we pulled into Spanish Cay Marina and secured the lines. The winds were picking up out of the south and the waves were rocking us in spite of being at the dock. Perhaps, one more line tied on the starboard side would help!? But, how do I reach that pole?............
The Bohemian Customs entry was fairly simple, so with that done- it was a walk on the beach and a dip in the pool! There was even time for a nap on the cabana bed by the pool.
Back at Dream Chaser, we tried to settle in for the night, but with the boat crashing around, Steve gave up and headed to a cabana bed by the pool. The waves finally calmed down about 11 pm.
Steve ended up back at the boat sometime during the night, and our night’s sleep turned restful until the waves began really rocking Dream Chaser about 5 am. We made our way off the bobbing boat (which was an athletic feat!) and headed up to (Steve’s) cabana bed by the pool with blankets and pillows. We must have slept almost two hours, when the captain saw the sun and said, “we’re outta here!”
With assistance from other boaters, we untied, waved farewell, and motored into the Sea of Abacos with our destination Green Turtle Cay.
Our trip to Green Turtle Cay took about two hours and was actually very comfortable due to following seas. We were docked, secured, and sitting down to brunch on the boat by 11 am in Black Sound Marina. Our marina is located within walking distance to the old village of New Plymouth on Green Turtle Cay (an island 3 miles long and 1 mile wide). Soooo glad we moved out of Spanish Cay! Dream Chaser has had very little rock n' rollin' due to the protection of the famous Black Sound.
We enjoyed the Loyalist Memorial Garden, an interesting memorial to prominent Bahamian citizens, with a life-sized sculpture of two young women (one black and one white) depicting the arrival of the Loyalists from the United States. New Plymouth was founded by these Loyalists and became the most important settlement in Abaco in the 1800's.
The houses in town are small and brightly painted with beautiful flowers in abundance.
The Wrecking Tree Restaurant and Bar was our choice for late lunch of cracked conch and fries. Mary has learned to like conch, and this place has conch everything. Yum! The location of this restaurant has an interesting history...
In 1856 half of all the able-bodied men in the Bahamas held wrecking licenses as wrecking was one of Abacos main industries. It began with Spanish treasure, but also included cargo from American and European ships. The salvaged goods were taken to Nassau, sold at auction, and profits split (50 % to the wreckers and 10-15% to the government). Up to 17 vessels operated out of Green Turtle Cay (the wrecking capital) and brought their salvage here, under the “Wrecking Tree”, to be recorded and readied for shipment to Nassau.
After a brief nap, (we are still trying to catch up on sleep) we relaxed and enjoyed the day.
At 5:30 pm, we joined a docktail party and dinner given by Rob and P.J. (neighboring boaters from Florida) at the end of the dock, and met many locals and a few more boaters (none were loopers). It was delightful to meet such an eclectic group of people and learn about their life on the island.
Friday, March 14, 20014
Today, we are investigating Green Turtle Cay via a golf cart (the mode of travel here), so we can see the whole island from New Plymouth to White Sound on the north. The winds switched from out of the north and it has cooled down enough to need a light jacket. After a checking out a new bakery and then a quick breakfast at McIntosh Bakery and Restaurant, we are off...
Just Sittin'
"When the day's work is done and the cool evening breeze blows on shore as the sun sinks in the western sky, the men of the island gather in small groups along the edge of the roads to reminisce. The young boys gather round as they listen to the men tell tales of the sea, farming, fishing, and
times past."
We, also, checked out some of the cute little shops, but most goods are twice the cost of what they would be back home, so it isn’t tempting. Bananas were $1.79 per pound.
Whizzing along in our golf cart, we explored the northern part of the island, including Bluff House (a former ritzy dining experience), the Green Turtle Club and Marina, White Sound, saw LOTS of cottages for sale or rent and walked the beaches.
Some of the beaches were rugged with coral and others were sandy and inviting.
On our return to New Plymouth, Steve hunted again (now for two days) for phone services, but had little success. Our I-Phones are suppose to function here, but the phone company is only open on Thursdays, and they did not have the correct SIM card on our visit. Still Trying!
Steve noticed some locals with their catch of conch and was delighted to be offered free conch shells!
Due to their horrific odor, it remains to be seen if the shells will be allowed on Dream Chaser.
At 5 pm, we took the dinghy over to Stardust for cocktails with Harvey, Nancy, Buster, Don, and Dorthy. Besides enjoying all the boating conversation and great appetizers, we found out that we missed the Friday lunch special of fried lobster at Two Shortys (take out restaurant) which we understand was wonderful! We missed the sunset due to great conversation.
About 10 pm, we hopped back into our golf cart and took an delightful evening ride through New Plymouth. Besides lots of golf cart traffic, there was a church service happening at the basketball court area. What an interesting village and friendly people. We love it here!
At about midnight tonight as Mary was finishing this blog, on shore a rooster began crowing non-stop. This continued for about 10 minutes and then there was dead silence...Perhaps, the menu at one of the local restaurants will have chicken as a special tomorrow!
Our plan is to leave Green Turtle Cay tomorrow morning, Saturday, but it will depend on weather which dictates the plans for boaters. Weather is the factor in passing through "THE WHALE" or Whale Cay Passage. This passage is necessary to get to other cays in the Abacos. Boaters are to never attempt to pass through in strong onshore winds from north or northeast or in a rage sea. We are looking for fair weather and calm seas.
We will add new postings as internet is available. :)
No comments:
Post a Comment