Meandering Magees

Sunday, April 15, 2018

Treasure Cay and Green Turtle Cay

Saturday, April 14, 2018
Day 377

30 miles to Green Turtle Cay

Treasure Cay was indeed a treasure. It claims to have one of the top ten beaches in the world and we would not argue. There is not a lot in Treasure Cay but the beach, the beach bar/restaurant, sheltered marina, pool, tiki hut pool bar, and Florence’s cinnamon rolls rank it as one of our favorite stops. At the beach, there are umbrellas and thatched roof shade poles with 2 beach chairs for rent. Cost is $30. But because we were staying at the marina, we only paid $10 and got 4 chaise loungers. I guess membership does have its privileges.

Two back to back strip malls with maybe 4 or 5 stores each constitute the commercial enterprises of Treasure Cay. From the marina, we just had to walk across a makeshift soccer field to get to the hardware store (small but well stocked), grocery store (more lettuce), bakery and gift shop (postcards).

Tuesday we spent all afternoon at the beach. I swam the whole time, Mike joined me in the water for a little while, and for Greg, the conditions were perfect for a nap - shade from the thatched roof umbrella and a slight breeze. (When I finally came out of the water, the skin on my fingers was shriveled like a prune. I have enough wrinkles from growing old – good thing these went away!)

When we got back to True North, we spotted another boat with a Looper flag and recognized the boat – Le Reve, from Rogers City, Michigan. We first met them at the beginning of their Loop when they stopped in Ludington at our marina last summer. Caught up with them again in Marathon at a Looper gathering and now in the Abacos.

A thunderstorm rolled in Tuesday night. Power to the dock pedestal (thus to the boat) was knocked out for a while, but hey, no problem mon. It’s the Bahamas. We just turned on our generator.

Wednesday the weather and wave conditions were right for us to leave the hub of the Abacos (Hope Town, Great Guana, Marsh Harbor and Treasure Cay) and run to Green Turtle Cay. Treasure Cay is on Great Abaco Island. Green Turtle Cay is an outlying cay. To get there, because of shallow water, you have to go out into the ocean and come back into the Sea of Abaco as the marinas are on that side of the cay. We have learned that rarely is anything a straight shot as there are always sandbars, reefs and small cays to maneuver around.

There are two passages to the ocean from Treasure Cay to Green Turtle Cay. One is Don’t Rock Passage and can only be used by shallow draft boats (not us) at high tide. We went through The Whale Cay Passage Channel. Everyone just calls it “The Whale”. Wind direction, waves, and currents can cause a condition called a “rage” in The Whale and those times would be a no-go for travel. Most mornings you hear chatter on the radio – “Did anyone come through The Whale today? What are the conditions?” Mike (the faithful navigator and weatherman) determined Wedneday was our day to go and we confirmed that as we did a radio check that morning and had several boaters say the waves were 2 to 3 ft.

We waited for a rising tide so didn’t leave Treasure Cay Marina until 10:45 am. Le Reve said they would be about 45 minutes behind us, so we were in constant radio contact with them, reporting on the conditions. Gypsies Palace is a catamaran (shallow draft) so they went through Don’t Rock.

True North handled the waves in the Whale Passage just fine. Once through, the winds increased and the ride into Bluff House Resort and Marina on Green Turtle Cay was a little rocky.

With the wind really whipping, we were happy our slip assignment was a straight in from the harbor (sound) entrance. We got tied up and Mike and Greg went to help Le Reve get secure. They had an inside, stern in (back in) slip which proved to be much more difficult to turn and get in with the wind. We were thankful for the little things, like a favorable slip assignment. Bluff House was the 3^rd marina we tried to get into but certainly was a great spot.

The resort and marina had a nice pool area and a private beach. Greg makes use of every pool to do his arm therapy. I headed to the beach, which was an uphill and then steep downhill walk from the dock. (which of course is reversed when going back to the boat!) The beach was small but had lounge chairs and a waterfront bar/restaurant and I found a few shells.

Between the Whale Passage and Green Turtle, we had wanted to stop and drop our anchor for an hour or so at No Name Cay to feed the wild pigs that live there. In talking with boaters, it is the thing to do and I’ve seen pictures on other Loopers blogs of “Piggyville” with the pigs eating out of their hands. But the high winds kept us from that adventure!

The map again to show Treasure Cay to Green Turtle Cay.

We went around the right side of Whale Cay and back in

I put this picture in the last post but it is worth seeing again

Pool area at Treasure Cay Marina

One of the strip malls that comprise the business district of Treasure Cay

We passed Spoil Cay on our way to Green Turtle.

Uninhabited - a better name would be Unspoiled Cay!

Bluff House Resort and Marina on Green Turtle Cay

Unique and Random Photo of the Day:

Monday, April 9, 2018

Great Guana Cay, Abaco

Monday, April 9, 2018
Day 372
15 miles from Hope Town to Great Guana
15 miles from GG to Treasure Cay

Waiting for high tide, we didn't leave Hope Town on Saturday until 12:15, heading for Great Guana Cay, which was only 15 miles away. Since Lynyard Cay, we have been off the ocean and traveling in the Sea of Abaco. That is the body of water between Great Abaco Island and the barrier cays.

Greg put a couple of fishing lines out during the short trip and I actually reeled in a Spanish Mackerel. (we gave it to the dockhand at the marina).

Yes, we went to a marina. We were planning on spending two nights at an anchorage in Fishers Bay at Great Guana Cay. The winds were much stronger than the forecast as Mike put the anchor down. It was very rocky and we debated on whether to stay. Thinking it was tied to the boat, we launched the dinghy off the swim platform because if we were staying, that was our transportation to land. The 3 of us stood in the back, deciding what to do when Greg shouted, "Oh no!" (those weren't his exact words). The dinghy had come loose and the wind was pushing it away. I said I would jump in and get it but by the time I scrambled up the ladder to the fly bridge to get a life jacket on, it was too far away. We quickly pulled up the anchor and thankfully were able to get the dinghy before it was in too shallow of water for True North.

The wind was rocking us around so much, we were afraid the TV wouldn't stay upright on the counter. Since it was Masters golf weekend, that just wasn't an option. A radio call to Orchid Bay Marina made our decision easy. They had room for us. Their sea wall provided some protection. We still rocked, but not nearly as much as in the bay.

At 7 miles long, Great Guana is the largest cay in the Abacos. Like Hope Town, it was settled by British Loyalists and many residents are direct descendants of those who came here in the 1800's. The two main attractions on Guana are both pub/restaurants: Nippers and Grabbers. We knew we were going to Nippers on Sunday to meet up with some Loopers, but figured we would check out both places on Saturday. Mike has a bum hip and walking even a short distance is difficult for him, so the marina called the Nippermobile for us. It is a 6-seater golf cart. Nippers is on the ocean side, sitting on top of a dune that overlooks a pretty beach with great snorkeling.

Here's the good news and the bad news: The good news is, I finally got to snorkel!!! The bad news is, I was horrible at it! In my defense, let me say that it is MUCH easier to snorkel when you are on a boat that anchors right next to the reef and all you have to do is get in the water and the fish are there. I've done that successfully many times. I didn't know how hard it was to walk out from the beach into the wavy water and swim to the reef. Sections near shore were quite rocky and I thought I could sit on the rock to put my fins on. Big mistake. The waves were crashing me into the rocks. I got out of there (not an easy thing) and went farther down the beach. I saw lots of underwater rock formations, but not one fish. I think the problem was the reef was a little farther out than I was willing to go. I was by myself (Mike and Greg were watching from Nippers atop the dune) and I just wasn't comfortable going out too far. In fact, Mike saw a snorkeler quite a ways out and told me later he was praying that it wasn't me!

We got the Nippermobile to take us to the bay side to Grabbers. Nippers is the more famous, but we actually liked Grabbers better as they had chairs in the sand, hammocks, a ping-pong table, and giant Connect Four and Jenga games.
We found out the Nippermobile is not a taxi. It will only take you to and from Nippers. So it would not pick us up at Grabbers and take us back to the marina. A woman from Georgia who had a rental golf cart offered to give us a ride while she waited for her take-out order. The kindness of strangers.

Sunday morning we did some maintenance work on the boat (it is never ending) and left for Nippers about 3. Nippers is known for its "Sunday Funday" and boats within 50 miles all seem to converge on Great Guana, many just to tie up for the day. We were able to find Loopers Steve and Debbie from Gypsies Palace. No small feat considering the place was wall to wall people. Except that Nippers doesn't have any walls! Total party atmosphere with music blaring and dancing. We had to go to the farthest corner picnic table to be able to carry on a conversation. They have been in the Abacos since mid-February so we had a lot of questions for them.

I snorkeled for a while and then we took the Nippermobile to Grabbers, thinking it would be less busy. We are obviously getting to be old farts as the 20-40 year olds at Nippers were a little too crazy for us. Grabbers was only slightly less busy. They might not call it that, but it was certainly Sunday Funday there, too. Another kind soul with a golf cart gave us a ride back to the boat in time for us to watch the last few holes of the Masters tournament and grill chicken for dinner.

Another 15 miles across the Sea of Abaco on Monday brought us to Treasure Cay Marina. Greg once again got the fishing rods out but the only thing we caught was his hat. Mike was driving the boat and Greg hollered out to stop, which usually means he has a fish on. This time it meant that his hat blew off. We circled around and found it floating - a small brown speck in a literal sea of blue.
Greg says he just tries to add excitement to our travels!

Treasure Cay is on the Great Abaco Island. Their beach is ranked in the top ten in the world. I walked to it today and would agree. Sugar sand like we have back home that leads to clear blue-green water. I will take my snorkel equipment back tomorrow, this time looking for sea shells.

Showing the map again to see Great Guana and Treasure Cay

Dock at Orchid Bay Marina

Cleaning my conch shell

Slit at top and hole at bottom where they remove the conch

This turtle swam by on Monday morning

Aerial view of Nippers

From upper deck

And they say I am social! These women were from Alabama.

Walking down to the beach. This is the rock I tried to sit on while putting on my fins.

It looks calm, but the waves were crashing over me.

The beach at Nippers

Grabbers

A competitive game of ping-pong

Grabbers

A fresh conch salad. When in Rome . . .

Sunday at Nippers with Steve and Debbie

The Conch man at Grabbers making fresh conch salad

Greg putting a line out on way to Treasure Cay on Monday

The channel has to be well marked to avoid sandbars.

There is a large resort at the marina

Nothing to say - just beautiful

Unique and Random Photo of the Day:

The Conch man at Grabbers throws the empty shells into a pile after taking out the conch

Friday, April 6, 2018

Lynyrd Cay and Hope Town, Abaco

Friday, April 6, 2018
104 miles to Lynyard Cay
21 miles to Hope Town
Day 369

We left Great Harbour Cay Marina at 9:15 on Wednesday morning. After a stop at the fuel dock (filling up both True North and the dinghy tank) it was 10 am when getting back out on the water. Often, when traveling down the rivers, we would leave at sunrise or by 8 am. In Florida and the Bahamas, we calculate departure and arrival times based on the tide table if water depth is an issue. Which means sometimes we have to wait to get out of a harbor until rising or high tide. (we will deal with the tides all the way up the east coast on our way home!)

We got up close and personal with two cruise ships - a Royal Caribbean and a Norwegian - as we rounded Great Stirrup and Coco Cay, leaving the Berry Islands and heading to the Abacos.
We would occasionally see a freighter, but mostly it was open blue water as far as the eye could see. And unbelievable depths - over 10,000 ft. The depth finder doesn't work in those kinds of numbers. We only knew that from our charts.

As we neared the tip of Great Abaco island, there was a strong current. We could feel it pushing and pulling us. As we passed Hole in the Wall, the very southern tip, True North was doing its best sashaying imitation - swaying side to side. It's hard to get a steady picture in those conditions. But that is better than a Chuck Berry imitation - rockin' and rollin'!

Almost 5 hours after leaving Great Harbour Cay we were anchored at Lynyard Cay. The 15 other boats already there were a good indication that we were in the right spot. And the clear blue water area meant it was a sandy bottom and not weeds or coral. We anchored in 17 ft. of water.

After a quick lunch we dropped the dinghy and went into Little Harbour to Pete's Pub. It was choppy, so the 2 miles took a half hour. There is a little history behind this Bahamian hideaway. Randolph Johnston was one of the great sculptors of the 20th century. In 1952, he left his professorship at Smith College in Massachusetts and with his family, sailed to the Bahamas to live out their lives in the pursuit of a free life, devoted to art. They lived first in caves, then built thatched huts and eventually built a foundry for Randolph's work. He died in 1992, after 40 years of creating in an unspoiled, natural environment. His three sons still remain in Little Harbour, with son Pete following in his father's footsteps in casting bronze sculptures using the wax process he learned from Randolph.
Pete has a gallery that displays his work and other artists. Unfortunately, it closed at 5 and we didn't get there until 5:30. But his other enterprise - Pete's Pub - was open!

Thursday was going to be a morning at the beach on Lynyard Cay, but forecasted rain, plus needing to enter the Hope Town harbor at high tide meant we were underway by 10:30. After having some difficulties while anchoring on the rivers, we were really happy when the anchor came right up.
We no more had gotten underway when the rain came. It stopped for about 15 minutes and came back in earnest. As often happens, that brought flat, calm water. And the rain gave True North a good rinsing, getting rid of much of the salt.

Since it was only 21 miles to Hope Town, we went slow. (rain and depth of water). The entrance to the harbor is quite tricky, weaving around boats that are anchored just outside of it. I've said this before, but we are reminded of the respect we have for those boaters who traveled these waters without the electronic aids we have today.

We are staying at the Hope Town Inn and Marina. It is quite a nice marina and resort. There is a free shuttle boat that takes you across the harbor to the actual business district - cute shops and funky bars and restaurants. But our biggest surprise was the marina gave a complimentary pump out of our holding tanks! This service is hard to come by in the Bahamas, and we were prepared to pay anywhere from $30-$50. When in offshore waters here, it is legal to manually discharge your waste overboard and most boats that travel here are set up to do that. Gross!! I was ok with the fact that True North is not equipped to do that. (overboard discharge is there, just no pump to get it out of the tank). Another plus at this marina is that every slip has a ladder. With no floating docks, at low tide we can climb right from the cockpit up the ladder a few steps and get on the dock. It is such a simple yet practical solution that we are surprised other marinas don't install them.

After a trip to the pool and a couple loads of laundry using the marina machines ($5.50 to wash and $5.50 to dry), we rode the shuttle to Cap't Jacks for our first dinner off the boat since leaving Marathon. (The boat has a washer and dryer, but the marinas in the Bahamas charge for both electricity and water.)

On Friday, we were going to see the Hope Town lighthouse and then spend the day at Tahiti Beach. The wind really picked up so taking the dinghy the 2-3 miles to that beach was nixed. So I still have yet to snorkel! I took the 8 am. shuttle to Vernon's grocery store for some lettuce and a loaf of homemade bread, but alas, no donuts.
Later, Greg and I walked to the most recognized landmark in Abaco - the lighthouse that was built in 1864. I climbed the 101 steps to the top for some spectacular views. The lighthouse is the only manually operated lighthouse left in the world. Every 2 hours, the keeper has to wind up the weights that operate like a gigantic grandfather clock. In 1936, the fixed light was replaced by a rotating Fresnel lens that emits a group of five white flashes every fifteen seconds that can be seen for over 17 miles.

In the afternoon, we took the shuttle again over to town and walked up and down the two streets - Front and Back. They make it easy!

Saturday we will move only about 10 miles to anchor for two nights in Fishers Bay on Great Guana Cay. Our plan is to spend some time fishing and just hanging out on a beach and experiencing the party atmosphere at Nipper's on Sunday.