Holed up in Hatchet Bay

We are sitting out a cold front here in Hatchet Bay, “Home of the Country’s Safest Harbour”, on the west coast of Eleuthera. We spent five days at Spanish Wells waiting for the last cold front to move through on Friday, so when a short weather window opened up on Sunday we took advantage of it to move further south. You may wonder how we get weather forecasts while afloat. Well, it’s not that easy, but a weather picture of the next few days or so can usually be cobbled together through a variety of sources, depending where in the Bahamas you are. The most popular method for boaters in the Bahamas, and those making passage throughout the rest of the Caribbean area and the Gulf of Mexico, is to tune in to Chris Parker’s broadcasts on the Single Sideband Radio (SSB) if you have one. We do, and we listen to him give a general synopsis of the weather patterns at 6:30 each morning, followed by a question and answer period for specific boats who have paid for this personalized service. (Carole and Bob have signed up to get e-mail forecasts, and can also phone Chris.) Unfortunately our SSB reception can be very poor to non-existent at times. Weather forecasts for the Abacos can be heard on the Marsh Harbour ‘Cruisers Net’ which broadcasts on channel 68 at 8:15 a.m. There are also various forecasts to be found on the internet, provided you can find an internet connection. (We have been using out enhanced wi-fi antenna, and usually we’ve been lucky to find signals so far. but our luck may run out when we get to the small islands of the Exumas.) In addition to all of the above, you’ll usually get the drift of what meteorological delights await you by just chatting with other boaters……and so many of them are Canadians who are, of course, very much attuned to weather!

Our trip from Spanish Wells to Hatchet Bay was not without excitement as we had to pass through the ominous sounding ‘Current Cut’, pick the right time of the tide and, once through, turn sharply to starboard (right) thus neatly avoiding the craggy rocks to the right and sand bar on our left. Sea Change paved the way, and we followed along in their wake! So far so good. However, now we were head-on into the 20 to 28 knot winds and 6-8 foot swells for the 18 miles or so to Hatchet Bay. We made it only to be confronted by an almost invisible and unbelievably narrow entrance between limestone cliffs which would lead us into Eleuthera’s safest harbour! Well……we made it, but as the mooring buoys were all taken, and the holding for anchoring was not too secure, we were advised by a neighbouring boat to tie up at the old town dock. So here we are, tied up against the crumbling concrete wall of what was once, before hurricane Andrew’s 200 mph winds, a thriving marina*. We can walk into the little town of ‘Alice’ – not at all like it’s Australian equivalent. Yesterday we spent some time at the Internet Cafe, and later had lunch sitting outside admiring the turquoise seas and clear blue skies.Today, if the stormy winds and rain drift off into the Atlantic, we hope to do the same. Later we may all take a taxi into Governor’s Harbour, about 15 miles south, for dinner. We are not sure when we’ll be able to squeeze between the rocky sentinels and navigate the dizzying swells at the harbour mouth to carry on with our passage south to Powell Point, the jumping off spot for the Exuma chain of islands. We’ll be in touch!

P.S.* A footnote on hurricane Andrew. Hatchet Bay, with its reputation as Eleuthera’s safest harbour, was packed with boats when the hurricane hit head-on. Many of the wrecks are still to be seen around the harbour’s edge and further afield! We should not complain about a mere 40 knot blow-out!