Monday, March 31, 2014
Saturday, March 29, 2014
'It Don't Get Better Than This' - the title of a Barefoot Man song.
The day of the Barefoot Man concert dawned clear and blue. The docks at Orchid Bay Marina were abuzz from early morning with plans for the big day ahead. The concert (party) was due to start at 1 p.m., but the sandy path leading up to Nippers Bar was thronged with Barefoot pilgrims from early in the day.
How to describe the day? The only way is to use the title of a Barefoot Man song - "It Don't Get Better Than This"! The sun shone, the beer flowed, we were surrounded by so many boating friends from around the Abacos, and we became so hoarse with singing along with Barefoot Man, that we had to order more beers, and then some more. We wandered down to the lovely beach and cooled our heels in the warm Atlantic waters, and then, once more, joined the throng. Barefoot Man didn't seem to need a break, and carried on and on as the audience danced and sang this lovely afternoon away.
But all good things must eventually come to an end. As the sun sank closer to the horizon we wandered down the sandy track back to Orchid Bay and had a lovely dinner watching the sun set over the crystal clear waters of the Sea of Abaco. As a perfect ending to a perfect day, some of us actually saw the 'Green Flash' - a prismatic effect of the setting sun and only rarely to be seen in the tropics on crystal clear days.
The next day we set off for a sail of about 10 miles across to 'Treasure Cay'. The wind got up on this short trip and we managed a nice sail. Our crew, John & Alex, were happy to have the engine turned off and the sails full! We stayed at Treasure Cay for a night and sunbathed and swam at the lovely crescent-shaped white sand beach. The next day we made our way back to Hope Town. The day was perfectly blue, but the wind was light and on the nose. We sunbathed and relaxed. We had left 'Reserved' cans on our mooring ball in Hope Town harbour as we had paid for a month's stay.
But would you believe it......we found a boat had tied up to it! The air was blue with our comments as we headed for this rogue boat and asked (told) it to move off!! Mary was steering 'Southern Vectis' with first mate Alex, and we just skated past the side of this offender! They left quickly, and we tied up successfully at the end of our five day sailing adventure with our perfect crew.
John and Alex had three more days back at the Hope Town Marina Hotel, and we dinghied over most mornings to meet them for coffee and/or breakfast. We rented bikes and cycled to the south end of Elbow Cay one day, and had lunch at the Abaco Inn. We had dinner at Capt'n Jack's but didn't manage to get there early enough to snag a table for the Bingo! On our last night we had a lovely dinner at the Hope Town Harbour Lodge. And then we sadly had to say 'goodbye' to our lovely guests as they left for their flights over to the next part of their Bahamas adventure on Harbour Island, Eleuthera. We miss them, but hope they will return soon.....most people do!
How to describe the day? The only way is to use the title of a Barefoot Man song - "It Don't Get Better Than This"! The sun shone, the beer flowed, we were surrounded by so many boating friends from around the Abacos, and we became so hoarse with singing along with Barefoot Man, that we had to order more beers, and then some more. We wandered down to the lovely beach and cooled our heels in the warm Atlantic waters, and then, once more, joined the throng. Barefoot Man didn't seem to need a break, and carried on and on as the audience danced and sang this lovely afternoon away.
But all good things must eventually come to an end. As the sun sank closer to the horizon we wandered down the sandy track back to Orchid Bay and had a lovely dinner watching the sun set over the crystal clear waters of the Sea of Abaco. As a perfect ending to a perfect day, some of us actually saw the 'Green Flash' - a prismatic effect of the setting sun and only rarely to be seen in the tropics on crystal clear days.
The next day we set off for a sail of about 10 miles across to 'Treasure Cay'. The wind got up on this short trip and we managed a nice sail. Our crew, John & Alex, were happy to have the engine turned off and the sails full! We stayed at Treasure Cay for a night and sunbathed and swam at the lovely crescent-shaped white sand beach. The next day we made our way back to Hope Town. The day was perfectly blue, but the wind was light and on the nose. We sunbathed and relaxed. We had left 'Reserved' cans on our mooring ball in Hope Town harbour as we had paid for a month's stay.
But would you believe it......we found a boat had tied up to it! The air was blue with our comments as we headed for this rogue boat and asked (told) it to move off!! Mary was steering 'Southern Vectis' with first mate Alex, and we just skated past the side of this offender! They left quickly, and we tied up successfully at the end of our five day sailing adventure with our perfect crew.
John and Alex had three more days back at the Hope Town Marina Hotel, and we dinghied over most mornings to meet them for coffee and/or breakfast. We rented bikes and cycled to the south end of Elbow Cay one day, and had lunch at the Abaco Inn. We had dinner at Capt'n Jack's but didn't manage to get there early enough to snag a table for the Bingo! On our last night we had a lovely dinner at the Hope Town Harbour Lodge. And then we sadly had to say 'goodbye' to our lovely guests as they left for their flights over to the next part of their Bahamas adventure on Harbour Island, Eleuthera. We miss them, but hope they will return soon.....most people do!
Friday, March 21, 2014
Adventures with John & Alex. Part 1.
Mary's brother and sister-in-law, John & Alex, arrived in the Abacos on Monday. They had flown from London, England, and spent a night in Nassau en route. We went over by ferry from Hope Town to Marsh Harbour and met them off their Bahamas air flight. As we had a few hours to wait before our return ferry to Hope Town, we had lunch at 'Mangoes' on the harbour. We were also lucky enough to catch a sighting of the 'Barefoot Man' himself as he passed by on his way to the Guana Cay ferry to prepare for his concert on Friday! More about him to come later! John and Alex are staying, while not on 'Southern Vectis', at the lovely Hope Town Hotel and Marina. Their room overlooks the harbour. They are breaking up their stay at the hotel with a four day cruise around the Sea of Abaco on 'Southern Vectis'.
A 'cold front' rolled into the Abacos the day after their arrival, but although the winds blew up and the Sea of Abaco looked like a washing machine, we didn't mind. John and Alex needed a day to just relax and wander, and that is what we did. We walked to the north end of Elbow Cay, and had lunch at the Hope Town Lodge, dodging the occasional rain squall.
On Wednesday the clouds had disappeared and the weather forecast for the next few days was set to fair if not perfect! John & Alex came aboard and we set off for a sail and an overnight anchorage to the south of Elbow Cay, beside Tahiti Beach. The sea and the sky were a matching blue as we dropped our anchor. Beside us was 'Grey North', with Glen, Louise and their family. We dinghied in to the beach, which is only uncovered at low tide, and wandered and swam in the warm sunshine. Later we went for drinks on 'Grey North', and then back to 'Southern Vectis' for a steak BBQ. We had a perfectly calm night just swinging gently on our anchor.
The next day our destination was Orchid Bay Marina on Guana Cay, where we had a dock reserved for two nights to see the 'Barefoot Man' concert. On the way we had a lunchtime anchorage off 'Man O' War Cay' and dinghied in to have an ice cream and wander along the quaint main street. After a refreshing swim off the boat we made our way to Guana Cay. It seems that most of the boats from the harbours in and around the Abaco are here too! We contacted our boating friends from last year, Ron and Jane, who are staying at 'Grabbers', and had a great evening beside the beach at Fisher's Bay. As the crimson sunset turned to night, the anchor lights of the fifty or so boats anchored in the harbour looked like a whole floating city, and competed with the bright and starry night sky.
The next installment will tell of our adventures at the 'Barefoot Man' concert later today at 'Nippers Bar'!
A 'cold front' rolled into the Abacos the day after their arrival, but although the winds blew up and the Sea of Abaco looked like a washing machine, we didn't mind. John and Alex needed a day to just relax and wander, and that is what we did. We walked to the north end of Elbow Cay, and had lunch at the Hope Town Lodge, dodging the occasional rain squall.
On Wednesday the clouds had disappeared and the weather forecast for the next few days was set to fair if not perfect! John & Alex came aboard and we set off for a sail and an overnight anchorage to the south of Elbow Cay, beside Tahiti Beach. The sea and the sky were a matching blue as we dropped our anchor. Beside us was 'Grey North', with Glen, Louise and their family. We dinghied in to the beach, which is only uncovered at low tide, and wandered and swam in the warm sunshine. Later we went for drinks on 'Grey North', and then back to 'Southern Vectis' for a steak BBQ. We had a perfectly calm night just swinging gently on our anchor.
The next day our destination was Orchid Bay Marina on Guana Cay, where we had a dock reserved for two nights to see the 'Barefoot Man' concert. On the way we had a lunchtime anchorage off 'Man O' War Cay' and dinghied in to have an ice cream and wander along the quaint main street. After a refreshing swim off the boat we made our way to Guana Cay. It seems that most of the boats from the harbours in and around the Abaco are here too! We contacted our boating friends from last year, Ron and Jane, who are staying at 'Grabbers', and had a great evening beside the beach at Fisher's Bay. As the crimson sunset turned to night, the anchor lights of the fifty or so boats anchored in the harbour looked like a whole floating city, and competed with the bright and starry night sky.
The next installment will tell of our adventures at the 'Barefoot Man' concert later today at 'Nippers Bar'!
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
And so to Hope Town, beautiful Hope Town.
We left Treasure Cay on a blustery, warm day, to sail 12 miles east across the Sea of Abaco to Marsh Harbour. The water was quite choppy, but still crystal clear so that we could look down and see the sandy and sometimes rocky bottom. The Sea of Abaco is only about 12 foot deep, after all!
In Marsh Harbour we docked at our favourite marina, 'Harbour View', and soon met up with some old friends from previous years. Richard, keeper of the Sunday afternoon bocce ball game trophies, was there, as were Patrick and Sarah, the crew of a large and luxurious motor cruiser, which sits at the end of the dock awaiting occasional visits from its' owner. We had a good evening meeting other dock residents at a BBQ and Trivia evening, and discovered that we are not good at trivia, particularly when it's all about basketball!
After three days we sailed over to Hope Town. It was a sparkling day and we were excited that we were heading for the end of the rainbow - lovely Elbow Cay with Hope Town as its' pot of gold. The entrance to Hope Town harbour is very shallow, and, with our five foot draft, we can only enter two hours either side of the tide. The harbour is very busy at this time of year, and we were happy that we had reserved one of Capt'n Jack's mooring balls. As we entered the harbour we saw boats cruising through the tight mooring field, searching for somewhere to tie up. It's a competitive sport, and one we didn't want to get involved in! We had called Capt'n Jack on our VHF radio, and, as we entered the harbour, there he was, waiting to hand us our mooring line, on the same mooring ball as last year. It turns out that he had to shoo three boats off before our arrival! What service! Capt'n Jack also owns the pink restaurant just off our stern and we'll visit there often for Happy Hours!
Next to us in the harbour is 'Gray North', with Glen and Louisa aboard. We first met them six years ago, and it's always good to see them again. They jumped on board to welcome us after we tied up, and much gin was consumed as we swapped news and views! Glen and Louise are building a house here on Elbow Cay, and they took us to see its' progress. It's a very exciting project with some very unique design features. We all went for lunch at the lovely 'Firefly'.
There are so many boats here that we know from previous trips, and people are referred to by their boat names first, before their actual names. 'Diva', with Benoit and Margaret from Kingston, Ontario, is docked at Hope Town Marina, as is 'Bohemia', with Pierre and Francine from Quebec. Yesterday afternoon we took 'Southern Vectis' out of the harbour, and went a little way south to swim. When we arrived back at our mooring, 'Tosmo', with Steve and Debbie, was just tying up. We joined them for drinks on board, and then dinghied over to Capt'n Jack's for dinner.
We love being on our mooring and we love being in Hope Town and watching the world go by. Next week our guests, John and Alex, arrive. We are looking forward very much to showing them how very special the Abaco Islands are.
In Marsh Harbour we docked at our favourite marina, 'Harbour View', and soon met up with some old friends from previous years. Richard, keeper of the Sunday afternoon bocce ball game trophies, was there, as were Patrick and Sarah, the crew of a large and luxurious motor cruiser, which sits at the end of the dock awaiting occasional visits from its' owner. We had a good evening meeting other dock residents at a BBQ and Trivia evening, and discovered that we are not good at trivia, particularly when it's all about basketball!
After three days we sailed over to Hope Town. It was a sparkling day and we were excited that we were heading for the end of the rainbow - lovely Elbow Cay with Hope Town as its' pot of gold. The entrance to Hope Town harbour is very shallow, and, with our five foot draft, we can only enter two hours either side of the tide. The harbour is very busy at this time of year, and we were happy that we had reserved one of Capt'n Jack's mooring balls. As we entered the harbour we saw boats cruising through the tight mooring field, searching for somewhere to tie up. It's a competitive sport, and one we didn't want to get involved in! We had called Capt'n Jack on our VHF radio, and, as we entered the harbour, there he was, waiting to hand us our mooring line, on the same mooring ball as last year. It turns out that he had to shoo three boats off before our arrival! What service! Capt'n Jack also owns the pink restaurant just off our stern and we'll visit there often for Happy Hours!
Next to us in the harbour is 'Gray North', with Glen and Louisa aboard. We first met them six years ago, and it's always good to see them again. They jumped on board to welcome us after we tied up, and much gin was consumed as we swapped news and views! Glen and Louise are building a house here on Elbow Cay, and they took us to see its' progress. It's a very exciting project with some very unique design features. We all went for lunch at the lovely 'Firefly'.
There are so many boats here that we know from previous trips, and people are referred to by their boat names first, before their actual names. 'Diva', with Benoit and Margaret from Kingston, Ontario, is docked at Hope Town Marina, as is 'Bohemia', with Pierre and Francine from Quebec. Yesterday afternoon we took 'Southern Vectis' out of the harbour, and went a little way south to swim. When we arrived back at our mooring, 'Tosmo', with Steve and Debbie, was just tying up. We joined them for drinks on board, and then dinghied over to Capt'n Jack's for dinner.
We love being on our mooring and we love being in Hope Town and watching the world go by. Next week our guests, John and Alex, arrive. We are looking forward very much to showing them how very special the Abaco Islands are.
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Sunshine and squalls
March 1, 2014
We spent four wonderfully relaxing days at the Green Turtle Club. We rented a golf cart and drove through the narrow, bumpy lanes into the picturesque 'settlement' of New Plymouth. Lunch was a plate of delicious conch fritters at the 'Wreckers' Tree Cafe. We visited the tiny museum which charts the settlement's history from the 1780's, when those loyal to the British Crown fled the U.S. mainland in the hope that they could continue their gracious lifestyles far from the harassment of those disloyal colonials over the water. All their belongings, including the family silver, and, of course, their slaves, came with them to these beautiful but windswept, sandy shores. Most failed in their initial endeavours, but the hardier ones stuck it out and diversified. Logging, sponge fishing, sisal and pineapple farming and wrecking all had their day, only to fail in the end. Gun running for the Confederates in the American Civil War, and booze running during Prohibition gave the islands a temporary boost. Nowadays tourism is the main industry.
Back at our dock we met some fellow boaters and got together for drinks and dinners in the Green Turtle Club's cozy bar. Dave and Judy on their Bristol 31, 'Wren', were on their return journey back to the mainland after lots of adventures in the Abacos and Exuma Islands. Pierre and Francine from Quebec invited us for drinks aboard their super-luxury 72 foot Marlowe cruiser and joined the gang for dinner. Each day we wandered the lanes and beaches making the most of each calm and sun-filled day.
On Sunday 23 February it was time to move on. We waved a fond farewell to our Green Turtle heaven and set off to get ourselves across 'The Whale', the tricky 'cut' in from the Atlantic Ocean, which can boil up in a rage under certain conditions. That day looked perfect. The weather forecast was good and there were just a few puffy white clouds sitting on the horizon as we left at midday to get through the shallow White Sound entrance channel. As we approached the Whale Rock we noticed that the puffy white clouds had suddenly become black clouds and were rapidly moving our way. The seas were quite calm still and so was the wind, but the sky was becoming black. We took in our sails as the rainstorm hit. Visibility, as we passed the rocky channel, closed in, but there was nothing we could do but carry on, so we did! Thank goodness for Chart Plotters and GPS. As visibility lifted a little we saw a sailboat heading our way, struggling to get its sails down. We each managed a resigned wave as we all had our hands full!
But all's well that ends well and eventually the dark skies lightened and the shores of Great Guana Cay hove into view. We picked up a mooring ball in the sheltered harbour and spent the next two days enjoying the delights of Guana which, of course, included dallying at Grabber's Bar on Fisher's Bay, and, of course, Nipper's Bar, high above the blue ocean, and home to the 'Barefoot Man' concerts. We'll be returning here for this year's concert with my brother and sister-in-law, so we managed to reserve one of the last slips at the Orchid Bay Marina for our return. Great Guana's anchorages, moorings and slips will be filled to bursting that weekend.
From Guana we made a short passage towards Treasure Cay. We anchored for lunch and snorkelling en route and met some more friendly boaters - all Canadians. We tarried longer than we should have at anchor and thunder was growling as we made our way quickly to a dock at Treasure Cay. A bad 'cold front' was forecast and the docks were filling up fast. We had a day and a half of idyllic weather - time to swim and sunbathe on Treasure Cays miles long white sand beach. Then the cold front arrived with 30 knot winds and two days of heavy, squally rain. Despite this we managed an enjoyable evening out at 'Pizza Night' at the Tipsy Seagull Bar and enjoyed hearing 'Burner's' crooning once again.
Today the sky is a clear blue once again and we have a busy day ahead of us. The library is holding book sale (Ahhh....books - the cruiser's lifeline, especially when your Kindle is out of action, as ours is!) This afternoon our favourite local singer, 'Brown Tip', will be performing at Coco's Beach Bar. We'll be there!
We spent four wonderfully relaxing days at the Green Turtle Club. We rented a golf cart and drove through the narrow, bumpy lanes into the picturesque 'settlement' of New Plymouth. Lunch was a plate of delicious conch fritters at the 'Wreckers' Tree Cafe. We visited the tiny museum which charts the settlement's history from the 1780's, when those loyal to the British Crown fled the U.S. mainland in the hope that they could continue their gracious lifestyles far from the harassment of those disloyal colonials over the water. All their belongings, including the family silver, and, of course, their slaves, came with them to these beautiful but windswept, sandy shores. Most failed in their initial endeavours, but the hardier ones stuck it out and diversified. Logging, sponge fishing, sisal and pineapple farming and wrecking all had their day, only to fail in the end. Gun running for the Confederates in the American Civil War, and booze running during Prohibition gave the islands a temporary boost. Nowadays tourism is the main industry.
Back at our dock we met some fellow boaters and got together for drinks and dinners in the Green Turtle Club's cozy bar. Dave and Judy on their Bristol 31, 'Wren', were on their return journey back to the mainland after lots of adventures in the Abacos and Exuma Islands. Pierre and Francine from Quebec invited us for drinks aboard their super-luxury 72 foot Marlowe cruiser and joined the gang for dinner. Each day we wandered the lanes and beaches making the most of each calm and sun-filled day.
On Sunday 23 February it was time to move on. We waved a fond farewell to our Green Turtle heaven and set off to get ourselves across 'The Whale', the tricky 'cut' in from the Atlantic Ocean, which can boil up in a rage under certain conditions. That day looked perfect. The weather forecast was good and there were just a few puffy white clouds sitting on the horizon as we left at midday to get through the shallow White Sound entrance channel. As we approached the Whale Rock we noticed that the puffy white clouds had suddenly become black clouds and were rapidly moving our way. The seas were quite calm still and so was the wind, but the sky was becoming black. We took in our sails as the rainstorm hit. Visibility, as we passed the rocky channel, closed in, but there was nothing we could do but carry on, so we did! Thank goodness for Chart Plotters and GPS. As visibility lifted a little we saw a sailboat heading our way, struggling to get its sails down. We each managed a resigned wave as we all had our hands full!
But all's well that ends well and eventually the dark skies lightened and the shores of Great Guana Cay hove into view. We picked up a mooring ball in the sheltered harbour and spent the next two days enjoying the delights of Guana which, of course, included dallying at Grabber's Bar on Fisher's Bay, and, of course, Nipper's Bar, high above the blue ocean, and home to the 'Barefoot Man' concerts. We'll be returning here for this year's concert with my brother and sister-in-law, so we managed to reserve one of the last slips at the Orchid Bay Marina for our return. Great Guana's anchorages, moorings and slips will be filled to bursting that weekend.
From Guana we made a short passage towards Treasure Cay. We anchored for lunch and snorkelling en route and met some more friendly boaters - all Canadians. We tarried longer than we should have at anchor and thunder was growling as we made our way quickly to a dock at Treasure Cay. A bad 'cold front' was forecast and the docks were filling up fast. We had a day and a half of idyllic weather - time to swim and sunbathe on Treasure Cays miles long white sand beach. Then the cold front arrived with 30 knot winds and two days of heavy, squally rain. Despite this we managed an enjoyable evening out at 'Pizza Night' at the Tipsy Seagull Bar and enjoyed hearing 'Burner's' crooning once again.
Today the sky is a clear blue once again and we have a busy day ahead of us. The library is holding book sale (Ahhh....books - the cruiser's lifeline, especially when your Kindle is out of action, as ours is!) This afternoon our favourite local singer, 'Brown Tip', will be performing at Coco's Beach Bar. We'll be there!
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