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We stayed up too late and the alarm clock woke us at 8. We listened to the
cruisers net and the weather report. They said the winds would decrease during
the day and the next few days would be light and variable. I am not sure I
believed them although the wind was lighter with lesser gusts. Lots of people
pulled up anchor and left and we prepared to leave also. We had repaired the
rips in the mainsail cover a few days ago with sail tape but did not put it on
while the heavy winds were blowing. After the cruisers net I transferred fuel
and put the main sail cover on and pulled up the number 2 anchor. We prepared
dock lines and fenders and then pulled up the main anchor at about 11. It was
caked with the heavy mud of the bay and I could not wash all of it off. We
motored around for a while until the fuel dock at Harbor View was clear. The
dock master Barbara was busy doing a fax when we called and the boats already at
the fuel dock also called her. When it was our turn we made it to the dock
without much problem and dumped our garbage, filled the water tanks, filled 2
fuel cans and bought 2 bags of ice. We departed about noon and proceeded out of
the harbor. The wind was still quite strong from the NE and there was a breaking
chop outside. As we passed Matt Lowe's Cay we saw the same mega yacht anchored
there that was there when we came up from Little Harbor, have they been there
all the time? Once we got passed Matt Lowe's we were running with the wind and
waves and things settled down although we still got splashed occasionally. Hi
tide was at noon and we entered at 2 PM with plenty of depth. The harbor was
pretty full. We had hopped that after the long spell of windy weather everybody
there would be sick of the place and leave as just about everybody had already
left Marsh Harbor. This was not the case. We motored around the harbor looking
for available moorings. We passed 2 that had reserved signs on them and finally
found one that looked OK. I called the marina but it was not here mooring, it
belonged to ‘Lucky Strike’. I called several times and heard other people call
them but never got a reply. We dingied in to the Harbors Edge and had a Goombay
Smash to celebrate the crossing and to commemorate the first Smash. We walked
around town for a while and asked several people about Lucky Strike and they all
said just call on 16 so we returned to the boat and tried again with no luck.
Then we took a tour around the harbor and down the 2 creeks S of the harbor
looking for anything resembling Lucky Strike but again no luck. The ride was
interesting with a number of nice houses built on the shore of the creeks. We
returned to the boat and Jill remembered to call for reservations at Club Soleil.
They had said on the cruisers net to get reservations for Saturday and we got
them for 7. I tried Lucky Strike again and got a response this time. They said
they would be around later so we set out the cockpit cushions and relaxed for a
while. All of a sudden we realized it was 6:30 so we started to get ready for
dinner. The man from Lucky Strike came around a few minutes later and we paid
for the moorings and Jill took a picture of him and his 2 children. I shaved and
we set off for Club Soleil. Dinner was good but there were only 4 tables
occupied while we were there so I am not sure reservations were really required.
After dinner we walked around the Hope Town Marina facilities and looked at
their pool and patio deck. Although it was almost dark by now it looked nice and
brand new. We could hear a band tuning up in the distance and when we returned
to the boat we decided to continue to the Harbors Edge and see what was going on
there. The place was packed and the band New Image was playing loudly. We could
not sleep with this noise so we pulled in and had a beer. There was just a
little light left in the sky and we could see clouds and the lighthouse outlined
against the lighter sky, quite a sight. When we returned to the boat we could
here the band, probably better than sitting right next to them. We sat in the
cockpit listening to the band and watching the start. The moon does not rise for
several hours yet and the clouds have disappeared and there are lots of clouds.
The wind is still blowing 15 Kt from the N and it is a little cool out but we
should enjoy it while we can. The Hope Town Lodge behind us has lights in their
palm trees and they twinkle in the night as the wind blows the fronds around.
Every AM we listen to the Cruisers Net for weather and local Abaco information. Very informative. Sure lets us know about parties and the good restaurants - and there are lots of them. It's 10 AM. Rich just pulled up anchor #1. Boats are leaving here like a train... for fishing and boating to all the fun spots.
Island Chiropractor: Beverly and Bill - want to go to Exumas and Berries.
We arrived at Hope Town about 2 PM. We picked up a Luck Strike mooring. Quite a few boats here. I took a picture of the Hope Town Lighthouse as we entered the Harbor. We dingied to the Harbor Edge. Rich had a Goombay and I had "an edge" with banana rum - good :). We walked around a ways and found a good bike rental by the Edge. We explored up and down the creeks. One dead ends by oily looking water. The other follows the road past some beautiful homes where we walked 3 years ago. We remembered how hot it was :). I made a 7 PM reservation at the Club Soleil :) (Sõ-Lãy). Later: Dinner was Good. Ha, ha.
We stayed up too late and were still sleepy when the cruisers net came on but
afterwards we packed up our stuff and dingied in to the public dock. We decided
to take the masks but not the fins or booties. We got to the Harbors Edge just
after 10 and picked up the bikes, $8 a piece for 24 hours, a real bargain. We
decided to head to the N end of the island first and then back S to Abaco Inn
for lunch. We made our way thru town to the road that runs down to the water at
the entrance to the harbor and contains the range marks for entering. There is a
bench at the end of the road looking out over the Sea of Abaco towards Marsh
Harbor and someone is always sitting there enjoying the scenery. The road
branches off N from there and after a few more settlement type houses, the old
Bahamian style the settlement ends and the concrete road turns to dirt. The road
follows the shore for a ways past several docks and houses and then runs inland
with bay houses on one side and ocean houses on the other side. The houses
outside the settlement are quite modern and nicely kept with gardens and
landscaping. Many or most are rental properties. The road goes over several
ridges and then splits into a circle around the N end of the island. We take the
Ocean side road and come to a ‘Beach’ sign which is a narrow public access to
the ocean beach. We climb over the dune and walk down to the beach. The wind is
still fairly strong from the NE and the swells are breaking on the outlying
reefs. There are numerous houses overlooking the beach with stairs down the dune
to the beach. We continue around and come to another ‘Beach’ sign, this one
leading to a nice beach on the inside. Jill finds several nice shells. There is
a nice view of Matt Lowe's Cay and lots of boats are out going every which way.
On the way back to town we meet an elderly couple out picking herbs. They are
long time residents and live near Vern’s grocery store. We check the dingy on
the way thru town and then head S. We walked this road the last time we were
here when it was blistering hot. Now it is fairly cool and a nice breeze is
blowing. We quickly peddled as far as we had walked previously and were into new
territory. The last time I was down this road it was in a Jeep to the Abaco Inn
and the road was very rough, just a dirt path cut thru the coral. Now it was a
nice paved road and there were very few cars out, we had the road to ourselves.
There numerous houses and developments along the way on this side of town also.
The road turned W and then forked. At the fork was a sign indicating the Abaco
Inn and Rudy’s Place but it had been knocked over and was just lying in some
scrub brush. We headed S down a valley but soon had to peddle hard up the next
hill. Several smaller roads lead off to either side, one advertised a 12 home
ocean side development, Contact Chester Thompson. We had just finished reading
the autobiography of Leonard Thompson who developed property in the Abacos, this
must be a relative. After a few more hills the road ran along the ocean and we
got a spectacular view from the top of an almost vertical cliff down to the
beach and the seas breaking on the reefs below. A little further on to the W we
saw the White Sound and a little further down the road was the Abaco Inn
. We
were quite tired and hungry by now and leaned our bikes against a palm tree, not
even noticing that 50’ further was a bike rack. We climbed the path to the Inn
and they said that lunch starts at noon, in 10 minutes so we found a table on
their patio overlooking the ocean. We ordered drinks and lunch and afterwards
walked down the path to the beach. We bought several items from their gift shop
including another autobiography by Chester Thompson and a CD of Abaco music. The
lady behind the counter said that she sang in one of the tunes.
Feeling much refreshed we continued S. A short distance further at the S end of the White Sound we came across the Seaspray marina. This is a new facility with docks for 30 boats, fuel, a restaurant, pool and an outdoor bar. They were still working on the breakwater with a barge and tug and a small dredge. We walked around to check it out before continuing. We took a side road W over a steep hill and down to the channel between Elbow Cay and Lubbers Quarters. There were a few houses and a dock there. The road continued back E over the steepest hill yet. We pushed our bikes up what seemed like a 45 degree slope. At the top and for the rest of the way E to the main road were smaller side roads, the start of another new subdivision. Back at the main road we continued S to the end of the road and then W to a loop that runs to Tahiti Beach. At the end there are lots of keep out signs, the property is part of a resort and only for guests use. We continued around back to the main road and then started N. We stopped at the Seaspray and had a drink at their outdoor bar and recovered after the last few hills. We continued N past the turnoff to town and the knocked over sign looking for Rudy’s Place which we heard about on the cruisers net. It was a little further up the road. It looked like an ordinary house but was closed today. We rode a little further over progressively older and worse roads and down to the bay side of the island again. Returning to the town we took the high road that runs S down the ridge in the center of the island. This has many nice older houses and a steep drop-off to the W down to a few houses and the main road. At the end of the high road was an old cemetery. We stopped at the phone company office to call home and meet another cruising couple who had just been snorkeling on the reef. Returning to town we stopped at a small park that has a rickety stairs in back leading down to the beach. Last time it looked dangerous and this time some of the treads were broken but we made our way carefully down it without incident. We put on our goggles and went for a swim. The water was a little cold and somewhat cloudy. The reefs started about 50’ off shore. From a sandy bottom 12’ deep, large rocks covered with corals rose to within a foot of the surface. We saw some colorful fish but they had not been trained like the ones at Mermaid reef and kept their distance. Just N of the beach was a large overhanging outcropping of rock and an old man sat there with numerous fishing lines out into the water. There were only a few other people out on the beach this afternoon. We returned to the park to dry off and knock the sand off our feet. Then we headed for the Hope Town Lodge which is located on the high ridge. The Lodge overlooks the harbor and on the ocean side it has a pool and bar. We tried their excellent drinks and then returned the bikes at Harbors Edge. Back at the boat we relaxed after a full day of adventuring. Shortly after the sun set I heard a dolphin blow and saw him 100’ behind the boat. A few minutes later I heard something splash near the houseboat next to us. A minute later the dolphin surfaced just a few feet behind our boat with a loud snort. We sat in the cockpit for a while after dinner and watched the stars. The sky was clear and the moon had not risen yet but the town lights were too bright for really good viewing. I did see one shooting star. The wind was light from the NE and the temperature was too cool to stay out long without a jacket. What a change form the normal weather.
What a day we have had ! :) By 10 AM we had ourselves tied up at the Ferry dock (the dingy). We brought our snorkels and a drink and 2 cameras and towels (in our back pack) and off on our bikes! We peddled down the harbor road. There were just beautiful homes! It seems to be the practice to 'clean' the woods as your yard. We then rode back through town and headed South to find the Abaco Inn and have lunch. We rode past a lot of new developments. Abaco Inn is set at a beautiful spot. Their pool is high above the ocean. The food was excellent. Their drinks were good too. I picked up a brochure for Nanc because this is a primo spot! We then rode on past Sea Spray Resort and to the very end of the island. We could not ride to Tahiti Beach and see Burl Ives house because there was a private road. We rode back and stopped at Sea Spray for a drink. I had one frozen with cranberry juice and coconut milk. The girl at the bar mixed enough for 2 large drinks and poured it all in my glass. Then off we went the other way. Past our original right turn. We found "Rudy's'" but it was closed. We followed that road to the end but found what looked like an old resort closed with heavy equipment parked near it. There were lots of up and down hills - mostly paved. Smile. We rode back to town and went swimming where there is a public beach and some coral rocks (through a nature garden). The garden steps are getting old and a couple are broken. We saw some brain coral and quite a few fish. It's real near shore - 60 yards. Next we called Rich's folks. All is well. Then we went to the Reef Bar and Pool. And checked out Hope Town Lodge. Quite a drink there too. I had the P. O. B. (Like M. O. B.). We turned in our bikes after 6 PM and drove our dingy home :). I made potato corn soup and the last of our Bahamian bread for supper. There are many boats in the harbor. The lighthouse is freshly painted. All of the stores and restaurants are hopping. We should sleep well tonight :).
And did
We slept well after all our exercise yesterday. My arms and hands were
particularly sore after gripping the handlebars all day. The wind had swung
around to the E but was still light and the cruisers net reported good weather
for the next few days. We went ashore at 10 when the museum opens and toured it
until around noon. They seem to have put in more exhibits and it was very
interesting. They are planning a new building for the museum closer to the
center of town. We talked with museum operator, it is a volunteer operation. He
recently moved to Hope Town from the states and is building a home on the N end
of the island. We had lunch at the Harbor’s Edge and threw fries to the fish
under the dock. They also liked orange peels but not limes. We then walked
around and did some shopping and picked up a still warm loaf of bread at Vern’s
Grocery Store. That was plenty for one day so we returned to the boat and
relaxed until 6. We dingied over to the Hope Town marina which is the same
outfit as Club Soleil. They were having their first Monday cookout around the
pool and served Fosters beer and great rum and cokes. We wandered around the
place for a while and after dinner we dingied over to the Harbors Edge for a few
more drinks and listened to the Rake and Scrape band for a while. Somehow we
made it back to the boat and slept soundly.
We listened to the NET, Cruisers' then went in to the Wynnie Malone Historical Museum... It is a very old house - they also have a kitchen. We took a picture in there. And we met Tom Maxfield of new house on North side of Elbow Cay called Sleepy Hollow. Wife Ann. He says they are using a cistern 4000 gallons of a neighbor (who is away during the drought). Rich bought the essays pamphlet by Byrle Patterson of Hope Town history. We had delicious lunch at the Harbor Edge (where Jerry went round and round in the past. ha, ha.) We had the fish. Then we went shopping for more Bahamian music and souvenirs. Then back to Phoenix for a couple hours. We had reservations for Club Soleil's dinner and pool party - "Foster's Party". $18 with $3 drinks - all good :). Then we went back to Harbor's Edge where Rake and Scrape were playing. Fun as always. They have the Junkanoo beat. We met 3 young women Stacy, Aaron and Tracy. Aaron just graduated from teachers collage at ___ DC. Aaron is going to Louisiana and teach 3 years for Americore. I gave her Liz's #. :)
In the morning I woke up with the best hangover of the voyage yet. The wind
switched around to the SW and was very light in the morning. Looks like another
nice hot day. Around 10 we went to the old concrete dock below the lighthouse
and got our exercise touring it. It was a nice clear day and we got some great
pictures. Afterwards we dingied over to Captain Jacks, a new restaurant on the
waterfront for lunch. Their special drink was a Jackhammer but I was not
particularly interested in booze at the time. We visited the new grocery store a
short distance from Captain Jacks and then walked around town for a while to
take videos of some of the more interesting houses. It was getting hot so we
returned to the boat, put up the sun shades and relaxed for the rest of the
afternoon. At happy hour we played cards and RummyCub and watched the sun set
and the lighthouse start operation for the evening. There are no clouds in the
sky and it should be a good night for stargazing.
We went to the light house - 120' up. We took video and some pictures. First
we listened to the Net at 0815. We had lunch at Capt'n Jacks in Hope Town -
delicious. We walked a bit - took some pictures of a cat (for Leah) and a
glorious frangipani tree. Now lazing and reading and coloring my lite-house. :)
Going to Tahiti Beach tomorrow... Calm seas and low winds. Very sunny. :)
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