Cat Island

March 16, 2016

First a quick update on passages:

We left Rock Sound, Eleuthera on March 4 after almost 2 weeks there.  Quick highlights were our time with our friends the Culmers and a service at the Methodist church to hear the new pastor.  She is a relatively young black woman from Atlanta and she can preach!  We think she will be a great addition to the church; unfortunately she is a 'circuit pastor' and will be at Rock Sound only about once a month.

We made a direct 77 mile trip from Rock Sound to New Bight on Cat Island.  Previously we have always broken this trip up into two legs:  one from Rock Sound to Little San Salvador; the second from there to New Bight.  Our worst case scenario on this trip was 15 hours of motoring arriving after dark, but a moderate southwest wind gave us a great broad reach motor sail and we arrived in around 12 hours, a little before dark.

On this trip we pass two 'private' cruise ship 'islands'.  Princess Cay on the lower southeast coast Eleuthera coast hosted the "Emerald Princess" as we passed.  Little San Salvador, or Half Moon Bay as the cruise ships call it, hosted the "Westerdam".  One of the reasons we bypassed Little San Salvador, is that it can get a little crazy in the bay when a cruise ship is visiting.

On March 12, we left Cat Island and transited Exuma Sound over to Black Point in the Exumas.  Another great broad reach motor sail of 58 miles.   Arriving about an hour before low, Dotham Cut was still a bit 'lively'  with an ebb current of 2-3 knots, but we entered without incident.

Now more about Cat Island:

Cat Island is definitely the most 'primitive' of the islands we visit here.  A lack of protection from west winds and relatively few services keep the numbers of visiting boats down, but we love the authentic island feel.

Cat Island has some beautiful beaches:

Beach at Old Bight

Starfish 'aground' at Old Bight

Beach at Shanna's Cove way 'down' north

Beach at Shanna's Cove

The 'Fountain' - a small blue hole near Orange Creek

A quick word on 'Up' and 'Down' in the Bahamas.  Here you go 'Down North' and 'Up South'.  I have never gotten a good explanation, but I believe it has to do with the orientation of the islands and the prevailing E ESE winds.  To go south down the chain, you are typically sailing up wind - thus 'Up South'.

We had a good time visiting our friends the Daniels at Alnor Bakery where we renewed a tradition by helping them shell some green (lima) beans.

We also frequented Missy's takeaway in Old Bight several times.  The food there is awesome.  Great food, big portions, reasonable prices, and friendly folks.  This year we got some time to talk to the owner, Miss Erika, where we learned she has a son living in Black Point - the Bahamas is a small world!

Worn sign, but great food!

One of the highlights of our visit was attending the annual Modern Languages Assembly at Old Bight High School.  It was billed as being entirely in Spanish and we were afraid we would not understand a lot, but a good portion of the program was in English.  The assembly featured presentations from eight age groups.  The primary school presentations were very cute (songs about numbers, days of the week in Spanish, etc.) and the older student presentations featured dancing and funny skits. One skit featured a 11th grade girl playing an old Bahamian, woman unsteady on her feet and rambling-on about an oft-seen slogan in the Bahamas.   We will never be able to see "Keep the Bahamas Clean, Green, and Pristine" without thinking of her.

We are currently planning on staying in Black Point for about two weeks, before heading 'Up South' to mainland Exuma.


Tom
Anchored Black Point, Exuma

Bahamian Farms

March 5, 2016

We have recently had the opportunity to visit two Bahamian farms; one in Abaco and one in Eleuthera.

When people think of farms they think of images like the following:

American Corn Field

American Tomato Field

This is NOT how a Bahamian farm looks.  The soil here is sparse and very rocky.  Typically they can not plant in nice straight rows, but rather they plant in the best available soil, which is often scattered between rocks.

A few pictures of a Bahamian Farm:

Tomato Field
Note the tree trunks left after clearing for tomato supports

We were given a quantity of these tomatoes and although they were somewhat small, they were sweet like only a 'home-grown' tomato can be!

Despite the looks, these farms produce substantial amounts of produce.  The tomato crop was weak this year, but last year this farm 'bottled' 4 75-gallon drums of tomatoes.  As a side note, the tomatoes are traditionally canned in recycled beer bottles here - hence the term 'bottled tomatoes'.  

Some bottled tomatoes given to us a few years ago on Cat Island (along with some green beans)

Green Beans - filling out nicely!

Lime trees -sweet and juicy!

 

Potato Field.

I grew up in the country working on farms and have done a fair amount of gardening.  I know that you want to plant any root crop in the cleanest, rock-free soil, so the roots can grow smoothly.  As you can see, this is not possible in this field.  I have dug potatoes before, but digging from this field is hard!  The potatoes grow around rocks they encounter and you must dig and pry, dig and pry until they surrender.

Hot peppers - being made into a 'seasoning salt'

Seasoning salt

These farms are typically located at the end of a series of progressively smaller and smaller 'roads'; at the end of the trip there, the vehicle is pushing through the foliage that lines the road.  This is necessary to reach available land, but also to protect the farm from 'unauthorized harvesters'.

The generosity of our Bahamian friends is amazing.  We were given more produce than we could use - I was constantly saying "Thank you so much, but we don't have a lot of storage room on the boat" to keep the gifts manageable.   Everything we received, however, was delicious - much better than what you buy in the store!

The two farms and their generous owners shall remain anonymous here - but much thanks to both of them!

Tom
Anchored New Bight, Cat Island

As a postscript, one of my favorite signs from Eleuthera
The logo says it all!

Continuing Series: Blue Holes of the Bahamas & On To Cat Island

March 3, 2016

In our 'continuing series' on the Blue Holes of the Bahamas - here are two from Eleuthera:

"Ocean Hole" in Rock Sound

"Boiling Hole"  South of Rock Sound
When the seas are up, this hole near the shore is supposed to have water movement
- obviously not happening when this picture was taken

On travel plans -  after a great time here with the Culmer family and other friends, we plan to leave tomorrow (Friday) for Cat Island.  Wind should be light - probably a long (15 hour) motor-sail.


Tom
Anchored Rock Sound
Eleuthera

Transit From Abaco to Eleuthera & Marsh Harbour Epilogue

February 23, 2016

Abaco 'Blue Hole'
After trying in vain to find this with directions from the internet, our bible study teacher, Elvane, led us here.  

We arrived in Rock Sound, Eleuthera late yesterday (Monday) after a 3-day transit from Marsh Harbour, Abaco.

Day 1 (Saturday) was a short hop down the 'Sea of Abaco to anchor off Lynyard Cay near Little Harbour Bar (Cut). This is one of those trips that is of 'many turns' as you dodge the numerous shoals that line the way south.  For the first time (at any speed anyway) we briefly hit a small uncharted shoal in water that was supposed to be 10-11' feet deep (we draw less than 5').  After bouncing over it, there appears to be no damage, that we know of, other than probably scrapping some bottom paint off from our keel.

Day 2  (Sunday) featured an exit from Little Harbour Bar to the Atlantic Ocean. Little Harbour Bar is one of the cuts or channels that connect the Sea of Abaco with the Atlantic Ocean.  None of these cuts can be taken lightly.  When a large ocean swell is running, particularly if it is opposing wind and/or tide - the resultant large breaking waves can be very dangerous as you navigate the relatively narrow 'cut'.  Sunday morning featured a 6' NE swell that at near high tide in the morning featured a somewhat bumpy, but safe exit to the ocean.

After exiting the Bar, we proceeded to cross what is known by professional mariners as 'The Hole in the Wall'.  The Bahamas create a huge 'wall' that large ships can not get across to reach the south-east or gulf coasts of the States.  One of the few places where there is a large deep-water channel that allows them to pass is the Northeast Providence Channel or 'The Hole in the Wall'.  Although only about 60 miles across, it consists of deep ocean water heavily trafficked by large ships.  Although much is made about crossing the Gulf Stream with its strong currents, crossing the Hole in the Wall is true 'ocean' sailing in that it is exposed to the North Atlantic swells.  Swells are waves that were created by wind a long way away and have traveled and built up, sometimes to monstrous size.  The swell on Sunday was a moderate 6-8', but even at that, when you are at the bottom of a swell, you sometimes look out of the cockpit at the side of a wave.

Day 3 (Monday) featured a transit through 'Current Cut',  an aptly named very narrow channel between northern Eleuthera and Current Island to the south, through which a huge amount of tidal water flows. We transited a little before a high tide with a modest 2 knot following current.  Then it was across the bank, arriving in late afternoon at Rock Sound, Eleuthera.

Already, we have had great visits here with our friends at Sammy's Place and 3-T's laundry and we are looking forward to our remaining stay.  Although we have done it several times before, the transition from Marsh Harbour, Abaco to here is always striking. Although we have great friends there, Marsh Harbour is the 3rd largest city in the Bahamas and although relatively small by American standards, still has somewhat of a 'city' feel.  Here almost everyone that passes says good-day, how are you - especially the school children - quite a difference from Marsh Harbour.

That said, our time in Abaco, especially Marsh Harbour was precious.  Our friends at Grace Baptist are like family and we enjoy our time together.  This year, in addition to Sunday worship, we joined the Wednesday night bible study and I attended 2 days of a men's conference.  Our time there was a great spiritual uplifting!

The text from one of Pastor Shawn's sermons has become a special passage to me:

Do not remember the former things,

Nor consider the things of old,

Behold,  I (God) will do a new thing

Now it will spring forth;

Shall you not know it?

I will even make a road in the wilderness

And rivers in the desert,

...

To give drink to my chosen people.

Isaiah 43: 18-19,20e

Tom

Anchored Rock Sound, Eleuthera

Good Friends and Bad Weather

February 7, 2016

We have been docked at Harbour View Marina in Marsh Harbour for a little over 2 weeks.

Our stay has been relatively uneventful, but can be summarized by Good Friends and Bad Weather.

First the bad weather.  January and continuing into February has been relatively cold and stormy. Some blame it on El Nino but, in my experience, January is always a tough month.  We have been having fronts come through almost every 3-5 days as opposed to the more 'normal' pattern of 7-10 days.  Each front ushers in a round of rain and strong clocking wind.  Although we are relatively well protected here, a West to Northwest wind can still build up a chop in the harbour that makes it a bit uncomfortable on the boat.

However, many comments over the years about how it is 'Too cold to go to Abaco early in the year - stay in the Keys until March or later" sparked my curiosity.  Although it is definitely not 'swimming weather', we have typically found the temperatures here to be quite comfortable.  Over the years, we have experienced our coldest weather in South Florida and the Florida Keys.  These events are memorable, because we break out our little propane heater (The Little Buddy) to help stave off the chill.   This is our only source of heat unless we are docked with shore power.

The Little Buddy heater

So I kept a record of temperatures in Marathon and where we were located in the northern Bahamas. In January, the Bahamas averaged 2 degrees warmer at almost 70 degrees,  Not exactly a scientific study, but it kind of bears out our experience.

Now on to friends.  The biggest reason that we stay as long as we do in Marsh Harbour is the great Bahamian friends that we developed through Grace Baptist Church.  They are like family to us!

In addition to great times of worship and bible study at the church.  Shawn and Jackie Robins joined us for a Chicken Roti  dinner (one of my specialties) on the boat, and Shawn joined us for a great car trip 'down north' to Fox Town and Crown Haven at the far northern tip of mainland Abaco. And we have also renewed friendships with many others from the church too numerous to mention!

Pastor Shawn at last year's Family Day

Elder Jackie at last year's Family Day

It is always hard to leave Marsh Harbour because of these friends, but tentatively we plan to leave late this week and head to Eleuthera.


Tom
Docked at Harbour View Marina
Marsh Harbour, Abaco

Loyalists in New Plymouth

January 17, 2016

One of the unique aspects of the Abacos is its Loyalist heritage.  New Plymouth, the settlement near where we are moored, is a very well preserved authentic Loyalist town.

What exactly is a 'Loyalist' you ask?  Well a Loyalist is an individual that remained loyal to King George during the American Revolutionary War, or as it is often called in the Commonwealth, 'The War of Rebellion'.  Notice the founding date of New Plymouth and its proximity to 1776 and the following war.

There are actually two 'lines' of Loyalists, one of African slave heritage and the other better known one of European planter heritage.

During the war, the British offered sanctuary to slaves if they could escape and flee to British controlled territory - New York City was a prominent area.  This was not a move borne out of abolitionist sentiment (the British at this time still supported slavery in their colonies), but rather a tactic to deprive the rebels of slave labor.  Towards the end of the war, the Brits held true to their offer and numerous ships bearing former slaves left New York and transported the people to various locations, including Nova Scotia and the Bahamas.

 A book that gives great insight into the entire slave experience and the slaves that went to Nova Scotia is http://www.amazon.ca/The-Book-Of-Negroes-Novel/dp/1443408980.  In brief, they were not well treated in Nova Scotia.

At least one of the ships departing New York traveled to the Abacos, landing in what is now Treasure Cay right across the Abaco 'Sea' from Green Turtle.  Those individuals formed a town near there and became the first Abaco settlers.

The other line of Loyalists, were British in heritage and largely planters from Virginia and the Carolinas.  The history, as written here, speaks of harassment. confiscation of property, and even fear of imprisonment or death as traitors to the rebel cause.  These were the people that fled the States and founded New Plymouth.

Their original goals were to recreate the plantation economy that they left in America, but the sparse rocky soil of the Bahamas did not support that end.  Some left, but those that remained, turned to the sea for their livelihood: wrecking (salvaging ships that ran aground on the numerous reefs of the Bahamas), boat building, fishing, sponging, and yes a bit of smuggling as opportunity presented itself (munitions during the Civil War, alcohol during Prohibition). A great historical fiction book that gives insight into the Loyalist experience is http://www.amazon.com/Wind-Carolinas-Robert-Wilder/dp/1877838098


New Plymouth stands as a monument to these hardy families.  The family names (Lowe, Roberts, Albury, Sawyer, and others) continue to echo through these islands.

Looking down from the 'hill' over the village and cemetery.

The Cemetery
New Plymouth has strong ties to Key West (how do you think they came to be named 'Conchs').
After a hurricane, a group from Key West came to help restore the cemetery.

Loyalist Memorial Garden

Statue depicting the first Landing of the Loyalists

Quaint - almost New England architecture

  

Narrow streets laid out long before cars and trucks

Inner harbour near the 'Wrecking Tree', where the wreckers brought in their spoils

Green Turtle Ferries - essential for travel to the mainland (Abaco)

Primary School

Our market here - Run by Scott and Martha Lowe - children of Sid Lowe the founder

Bahamian business combination - liquor store and cafe - good Chicken Souse!

You have to plan your business here - telephone office open only on Thursdays, same as the bank

Our home here, a mooring from the one and only Donny Sawyer!

After the cold front passing through here today, we hope to leave the middle of next week and travel to Marsh Harbour to visit with our friends/family at Grace Baptist Church.

Tom

Moored Black Sound

Green Turtle Cay,

Abaco, Bahamas

Laid back 'n low key - Down in Abaco

January 9, 2016

Laid back 'n low key...

Down in Abaco

        Alan Jackson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rp9XJnY5RPk

Well we finally arrived in Abaco, Bahamas - Green Turtle Cay specifically.

We departed Marco Island on December 28 and arrived early this morning January 9th.  We covered almost 400 miles in 5 travel days.  Since we travel about 1/10th  highway speed, this was equivalent to a 4000 mile car-trip.

Most of the trip was in somewhat adverse conditions: wind speed and or direction or rain.

Our last leg departed Old Bahama Bay early Friday morning to go through the Indian Cay Channel on a favorable tide and then 49 miles up to Great Sale Cay, where we anchored at around 4:30 PM for dinner and some rest.

We departed Great Sale at around 9:00 PM that same day in pitch black - no moon and heavy cloud cover.  It really doesn't make much of a difference in your navigation, but it is always a bit spooky.  Both the day and night passage featured wind on the nose (motoring only) which was expected.  The strength of the wind on the second leg, however, was  much more than forecast and unexpectedly, we got rained on!  For the most part the squalls did not feature high winds, but the rain was torrential.

The timing of our departure was to maximize our travel before the wind picked up (only partially successful)  and to hit the channel into Black Sound at Green Turtle at high tide.  After slowing down a bit to try to let the rain subside before reaching Green Turtle we entered Black Sound after 56 miles at about 45 minutes after high.  Unfortunately, no mooring was available there so we exited and picked up one in nearby White Sound.

We are currently moored off of the lovely Green Turtle Club; note: we are not staying at the resort

We hope to move to Black Sound when a mooring becomes available to better enjoy the unique Loyalist settlement of New Plymouth.

Today has featured some much needed rest and drying out of clothes and equipment.

Tomorrow we will start enjoying Abaco!

Tom
Moored White Sound
Green Turtle Cay, Abaco