Great photos of RONDO courtesy of Doug from KITE

Hope Town, Abacos, Bahama to Vero Beach, FL, USA

March 19th we left Hope Town and headed to Green Turtle Cay.  The wind was from 0 - 5 knots all day so it was a motor boat ride, but at least it was an easy passage through Whale Cay Cut.  Even with no wind it was still bouncy going through the cut.  On days with wind against the current a "rage" forms and this area is often impassable.  We were glad to get this little section of the trip home behind us.  We anchored off Black Sound and dinghied into the marina with a jerry jug to get another 5 gallons of diesel, unfortunately they were out of fuel so we had to dinghy back to the boat, raise the anchor, re-anchor outside of White Sound and dinghy past the boat aground (the full moon tides made the very shallow entrance channel even more difficult than usual) and into the Green Turtle Club Marina.  This marina had diesel and we had just enough Bahamian cash left over to buy ice cream.  Doug from KITE came over for dinner and to talk about the crossing to the states.  We had a great view of the sun going down and the enormous full moon coming up over the island.

Sunday we had a nice easy sail  to Allans Pensacola Cay. 

KITE

We went for a walk ashore on uninhabited Allans Pensacola.  When we returned to the boat we considered going for a swim until we looked under the boat and saw a nurse shark enjoying the shade from the boat.  Many people feel comfortable swimming with nurse sharks which is fine for them but not for us! 

Monday we had a fast downwind sail to Great Sail Cay.  For a change our problem was slowing the boat down.  We were often sailing between 7 and 8 knots with only the reefed mainsail up.Great Sail is a very busy place for an uninhabited island. There were 17 boats in the harbor at one point getting ready for the crossing.  All afternoon and evening boats were coming and going. 

Tuesday I spent the morning baking bread and cookies to prepare for the crossing and to keep busy until it was time to leave.  At 11:30 a.m. we left Great Sail Cay.  What a difference a day makes, we went from 20 knots of wind to a mirrorlike calm. It was so still the sky and water were the same color so it was hard to see the horizon.

We were traveling with KITE and had planned on having the option to anchor on the bank for a couple of hours if the seas were calm.  We decided to anchor as soon as it was dark and set our alarms for 1:00 in the morning so we could get under way by 1:30 a.m.  This turned out to be good timing because just as the sun went down we saw six other boats anchored on the banks so we anchored near them on the theory it would be easier for anyone else who was traveling at night to avoid a group of boats in one place rather than many boats scattered randomly about.  It was a weird feeling to be anchored miles from the nearest island. 

After a nice nap we had a cup of coffee and were under way.  The weather forecast was for winds out of the south which would have been nice.  The west wind was more of a hinderance than a help.  The wind on the nose combined with the gulf stream set us about 20 miles north of where we planned to be so we had to sail back down the coast once we were out of the gulf stream.  Although it was a slow crossing it was very easy with 1 -2 foot  seas.  We anchored in Ft Pierce at 5:20 p.m.    Before we had left Florida we had signed up for the Local Boaters Option which allowed us to call immigration and clear into the country by phone which was a lot easier (and less expensive) than taking a taxi to the airport.

Thursday we had a surpisingly nice sail to Vero Beach.  Our timing was good and we arrived in time for Bill to get a haircut before going to the Thursday potluck.  A nice treat was seeing Russ and Pat from CONSORT.

Marsh Harbor and back to Hope Town

We spent a couple of days in Marsh Harbor because we needed groceries and propane. On our way in Doug from KITE took some great photos of the boat.  Unfortunately we had the jib furled in already, but it was still a nice treat to have pictures under sail. The first day we were there ITS ABOUT TIME and LAST TANGO pulled in a couple of hours after we arrived and we all ended up on shore at the same time so we headed over to Snappas for a drink to catch up before walking over to Maxwells for groceries.  After months of very small grocery stores with even smaller selections we were like kids in a candy shop at the giant well stocked store.  That evening we went over to ITS ABOUT TIME and were joined by the crews from LAST TANGO, SOJOURNER and HOMEWARD BOUND.

Wednesday we had planned on heading over to Great Guana for the potluck at Grabbers but it rained most of the day so we stayed in Marsh Harbor.  We were thankful for the rain as the islands desperately needed it, especially Great Abaco where a large forest fire has been burning for over a week.  It was quite dramatic when the maintenance section of the power plant was on fire.  With the help of the rain the fire department was able to get the fire under control.

Thursday we  decided to go back to Hope Town for a few days as the dockage fee is the same as the mooring fee because we are under 40 feet.  Somedays having a small boat is an advantage. On our way out of Marsh Harbor DISCOVERY (formerly MAGPIE) was leaving the harbor at the same time we were, it is always nice to see a Lyman-Morse boat. 

In the afternoon we  climbed the lighthouse again and this time I was brave enough to crawl through the little door out onto the platform.  The day was so pretty that we spent quite a lot of time on the observation platform enjoying the cool breeze.  That evening we had dinner on KITE.  Doug is a good cook and eating outside with a full moon over Hope Town was wonderful.

Elbow Reef Light, Hope Town, Abacos, Bahamas

We climbed the Elbow Reef Light this morning.  Bill had to be the photographer for this one because I am afraid of heights and was too busy hyperventilating and digging my fingernails into the concrete to take pictures. The view from the top was worth the scary climb. 

Scenes from Man-O-War

We enjoyed our time on Man-O-War Cay and hope that you enjoy these photos.  The island roads are wide enough for one golf cart at a time. If two golf carts meet there is a traffic jam.  One night we went to a lecture at the school.  Rudy, who is 83 years young and fit, gave a slide show about climing 38 of the highest peaks in Europe, most of them in the last 10 years.  Another night we were invited to a party on Dickie's Cay.  We had a great time and met a very nice couple from Camden, Ruth and Cliff. Our last night in the harbor we had a get together on TAMURE with 8 other people.  The cockpit was crowded with 10 people but it was a lot of fun.  We are now in Hope Town for a few days.

Signs of Man-O-War

Lynyard Cay to Man-O-War

Monday, March 8th we had a fantastic sail from Lynyard Cay to Marsh Harbor.  We had 13-14 knots of wind all day which is the "Goldlilocks" amount for RONDO.  10 knots is too little, 16 is too much, 13 is just right.  We were sailing next to another red boat MERLIN at about the same speed so it was a lot of fun.  We anchored in Marsh Harbor next to BLUE RONDO then went grocery shopping. The grocery store, Maxwells, was a nice treat.  It is similar to a large supermarket in the states.  Shopping with a list and being able to find the things on the list is surprisingly enjoyable.

Tuesday we spent the morning doing laundry in an exotic place which is one of the definitions of cruising.  After lunch we decided it was too nice to sit on the boat in Marsh Harbor so we sailed over to Man-O-War.  The Abacos are a fun place to sail because the islands are close together.  We pulled into the harbor and picked up a mooring next to TAMURE.  The boat on the mooring on the other side of TAMURE was KATHLEEN ANN.  We had not seen Phil since Florida so it was nice to see him and hear about the great time he has been having.

Rainbow

Monday March 7th we were up before dawn to head for the Abacos.  The sunrise was dramatic and midmorning we saw a huge rainbow.  We had the wind pretty much on the nose the whole way so we had to motorsail the 56 miles to Lynyard Cay.  A nice surprise was having IOLAR come into the anchorage about an hour after we anchored.  They were headed south to the Exumas so we were very pleased to meet up with them as we have not seen Lynn and Walt since Vero Beach.

Dolphins

On Sunday, March 6th we left Hatchet Bay and headed for Royal Island.   The highlights of the trip were the 10.0 knots of speed as we went through Current Cut and having dolphins come for a visit.  One dolphin was swimming towards us and turned around to swim next to us and called for four friends to come for and play. 

Hatchet BayTrees

 I wish I had a book on the trees and shrubs in the Bahamas. Other than the bananas and the coconut palm I can't identify these trees.  The ones with the big limbs and the shoots to the ground are interesting.  They seem to send down little runners that combine into large root type structures to hold up the limbs.  The ones with the big dark seedpods are everywhere.  The ones with the lighter colored seedpods are very loud in the wind and make a clattering rattling kind of sound.

Hatchet Bay

We are still in Hatchet Bay and will probably be here until Sunday.  The wind has been in the 20 - 25 knot range since yesterday and is expected to continue until Saturday.  We walked to the oceanside beach today and after viewing the waves we were very glad to be here in a very protected harbor.

Rock Sound to Hatchet Bay

Monday afternoon we left Rock Sound and sailed to South Palmetto Plantation. The goal was to pick up one of the free government moorings for the night and get up in the morning and walk the mile or so to an organic farm and buy some fresh vegetables. The plan failed.  The government moorings were not in existence so we tried hiding out behind Sheep Cay, which was very small, to get out of the swells.  Because the island was so small the swells just wrapped around both sides of the island.  By this time it was 5:45 and the sun was going down.  We called the one marina in town but they did not answer so we headed over to see if there was room at the inn.  The marina looked pretty deserted, no one answered the radio, and we could not tell how much water they had in the extremely narrow entrance so we ended up anchoring very close to shore in some slight protection just as the sunset.  Surprisingly we had a relatively calm night with only a little bit of rolling.  We enjoyed the beautiful starry night until we had to close the hatches because of the no-see-ums.  In the morning we were going to anchor by the government dock but the seas were rough in what passes for a harbor so we decided to just head for Hatchet Bay.

We had a decent downwind sail to Hatchet Bay along the coast.  Eleuthera has a dramatic rocky coast with low rolling hills topped with palm trees.  As we were getting ready to take down the sails to go into the harbor we were greeted by two dolpins who swam back and forth under the keel for a few minutes.  The entrance to Hatchet Bay is impressive.  I am glad we have a narrow boat.

Wardwick Wells to Rock Sound

Thursday, Feb 24th we left Wardwick Wells and sailed to Staniel Cay. We anchored about 15 minutes before TAMURE pulled in which gave us just enough time to launch the dinghy.  I dropped off Bill on TAMURE as she was coming into the harbor then met them at the fuel dock. The crew from STRADIMARIUS did the same thing.  Altough Scott and Kitty are perfectly capable of going to the dock themselves it was easier for them to have help because of Scott's broken arm.
Friday Bill went fishing with Wilson.  In the evening Jay and Nichole from CHINA DOLL came over for sundowners.  Saturday we went fishing with Wilson and Gail.  Jay came with us. The guys spent quite a lot of time snorkeling.  No fish were hungry but Wilson managed to get a lobster.  Saturday night we went to Wilson and Gail's for dinner.  The dinner was delicious and they also let us bring laundry.  Thank you Wilson and Gail for your hospitality!

Sunday we were up at the crack of dawn and headed for Eleutheura.  The cut was rough as the tide and wind were opposing each other but after that we had an enjoyable fast sail for most of the way to Rock Sound.  We made the 55 mile run in 9 hours which is pretty speedy for a small sailboat.

Monday we went grocery shopping.  The store in Rock Sound is well provisioned and although expensive compared to the states it is relatively affordable for the Bahamas.  It was nice to have choices of what to eat.  After we went shopping we went for a walk to the ocean hole.  Ocean holes are very deep holes in the island that connect to the ocean through underground tunnels so they are tidal.  The local legend is that this hole is bottomless and that Jacques Costeau tried to find the tunnel to the ocean but could not find it.  I don't know if this is true but this is what the official looking sign says.  There are quite a few fish swimming around and apparently some sea turtles, but we did not see the turtles.

After visiting the ocean hole we went for a walk to the caves.  The trail in to the caves passes another smaller ocean hole that is very peaceful and reminded me of being at a quarry at home on a nice summer day.

The trail continued past the idyllic little ocean hole through the woods and to the entrance to the caves.  To get to the caves we had to climb down a homemade wooden ladder balanced somewhat precariously on a ledge and a loose piece of rock.  Walking into the caves little lizards were scurrying under our feet and there were cobwebs big enough for us to try to remember the name of the spider from the Lord of the Rings. As caves go the ones here are quite well lit because of the holes in the ceiling that the tree roots grow through.  I was having a fun time exploring the caves until we woke up the bats, then they were not quite as enjoyable.

The town of Rock Sound is very pretty although many of the buildings have been damaged by hurricanes.  One building will be missing a roof while the one right next to it will be immaculately cared for and surrounded by beautiful flowers.