Only a Few More Stops

We left Hope Town for a one-night anchorage off Great Guana Cay. On the beach, we could see evidence of the beginnings of a resort that was never finished, not an unusal sight in the Bahamas. The next morning we traveled the Whale Cay Cut and Passage. The Passage goes through the cut to the ocean and then back through a narrower cut into the Sea of Abaco. Rocks and coral close to the marked passage make this passage a little intimidating, but the channel is deep plus we had fairly calm seas and winds and motor-sailed though the passage uneventfully.

Green Turtle Cay was a short twelve miles away and we dropped anchor just off the settlement of New Plymouth, the only settlement on the island. We enjoyed walking around this historic town that has retained its old-world charm. In the center of town is a large bronze sculpture garden in memory of the Loyalist settlers. We had been told to be sure to stop at Miss Emily’s Blue Bee Bar for a Goombay Smash, so we did and we certainly were not disappointed. Somehow, we knew to limit ourselves to just one. We bought a few groceries and enjoyed browsing a shop that was filled with specialty and island-made gifts.

We would have liked to stay another night, but lots of wind plus squalls with even higher wind were predicted. Like our friends on Mariah and Gypsy Song, we planned to sit out the weather between Manjack and Crab Cays, just a few miles from Green Turtle Cay. Before we left, we motored into the Green Turtle Cay Marina for our last opportunity in the Bahamas for fuel and water. The marina is in a small body of water on the cay called White Sound. The channel is less than six feet, so we went in on a rising tide. We pulled up to the dock for fuel and water; as soon as we moved off the dock, Solar Eclipse pulled up. As we motored out of White Sound, the tide was already going down, and we were all relieved to be back out in 8-10 feet of water for our short trip to the anchorage. Who would have thought we would be glad to see 8-10 feet of water?

Five miles later, we pulled into the protected bay of Manjack Cay. We quickly saw why this lush island is popular among cruisers. The area is beautiful with several beaches and the anchorage is a large protected bay. We had over twenty boats, but we were not at all crowded. Surprisingly, we could get wifi, if we sat in the cockpit and had direct line of site to the tower. A family in one of the two inhabited houses on the cay has erected a tall tower and is OK with cruisers picking up wifi. They also encourage cruisers to explore the beaches. In shallow water just off the beach by their house, they have built a small tiki-style hut that has drop-down swings and hammocks. Several trails have been cleared and are well-marked, including one to the ocean side beach. We enjoyed beachcombing and spotting rays, starfish, turtles, conch, and fish in the crystal clear water. We walked the ocean trail that had been cleared of mangroves and other shrubs/trees. Those of us on Solar Eclipse, Mariah, Gypsy Song, Ariel, and Lapidus plus guests from a few other boats gathered for a breakfast on the beach and an evening cookout with a bonfire on a different beach.

Aware that our days in the Bahamas were numbered, we wanted to enjoy all the last precious days. We had several rains with increased wind, but the weather was more enjoyable than stormy.

On Saturday, May 16, at 6:30 AM, Chris Parker reported that Saturday and Sunday offered a fairly good weather window; then weather would deteriorate again. This was a surprise; we thought we would be tucked in for a few more days. Ron from Sea Dancer and Southern Estates had anchored in the bay the night before. Ron checked with Chris on leaving Saturday with the destination of the Ft. Pierce Florida inlet. We also called in during Chris’ SSB weather report requesting information about going feven further north than Ft. Pierce. Our destination of Brunswick, GA was probably too far for just two days, but we hoped we could go in the Ponce de Leon inlet (Daytona Beach). Chris encouraged everyone to be in by Sunday evening before a cold front developed around 30N, the Jacksonville area. By 8:30 am, Sea Dancer and Southern Estates were underway; an hour later Solar Eclipse and Lapidus were also headed across the Sea of Abaco, USA bound.