3-15-2014: Anchored out in the beautiful, clear blue water by Manjack Cay, Abaco, Bahamas

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Hope Town Inn and Marina, Elbow Cay

Date: 4-4-2014, Friday:
Took the free fairy across the harbor to Hope Town Settlement and checked out all the sights. Had lunch at Captain Jack’s and came back to the boat and went to the pool and sat with Keith and Jo from Dream Weaver. Had fresh Stone Crab for dinner. We bought them from a local guy over at Marsh Harbour Marina. They were very good but we really had to work hard to get at the meat as the shells were very hard.


4-4-2014: Sun Rise at Hope Town Inn and Marina


4-4-2014: Channel coming into Hope Town Harbour, very shallow.


4-4-2014: Walking the concrete streets in Hope Town Settlement.


4-4-2014: Waiting at Hope Town beach for Vernon's Grocery Store to open.  Both grocery stores here close daily from 13:00 to 14:00


Date: 4-5-2014, Saturday:
Took the dinghy out and explored Elbow Cay some this morning and early afternoon. Went down to White Sound and to Tahiti Beach. Walked the beach, got a few shells, and came back to the marina and had a late lunch at the pool. Fixed lobster for dinner.



 
4-5-2014: This is where a hurricane deposits a Sport Fish and sail boats.


4-5-2014: Beached, old, derelict, boat.


4-5-2014: Tahiti Beach on south end of Elbow Cay


4-5-2014: Captain Jack’s Bar and Restaurant


 
  Kim Jo IV on a mooring ball at Man-O-War Cay (picture taken from Dream Weaver’s blog)
 
 
CO's comments:  Stone Crab, Lobster, Shrimp, and Conch.  Beautiful weather, the smell of salt air, what could be better!  I think I will stay.
 


Friday, April 4, 2014

Elbow Reef Lighthouse



Wrecks abounded throughout the Bahamas in the early 19th century and concerned shipping interests implored the British Imperial Lighthouse Service in London, to increase navigation aids in their colonies.

The Elbow Cay lighthouse is probably the most recognizable landmark on Abaco.  The 89 foot high candy-striped edifice was built in 1863 and is one of two hand-wound kerosene-burning lighthouses still operating in the world.  The Lighthouse has been maintained by the Elbow Reef Lighthouse Society since 1973; Bahamas Independence from Great Britain.

The smooth sweep of the turning lens with it's five swords of light cutting the darkness over the sea, while light constantly glows between those beams, is known as the "soul" of a lighthouse. 

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We climbed to the top of the lighthouse, four flights of wooden steps and the fifth flight was made of steel and very steep.  There was a total of 101 steps in all.
 
 
There is a small door/crawl space at the top; this is the door handle.  Keith climbed out on the ledge to take pictures; I stayed inside.
 

 
Views from the top of the crystal blue waters of Atlantic barrier reef and South Abaco Sound.
 
 

 
 Zoomed in view of our boat from above and of our marina..
 

Barge unloading supplies for the week.

 
View of the harbour from the lighthouse with the Atlantic barrier reef in the background. 
 
CO's comments:  Another tight squeeze.  The harbour is small with a bunch of mooring balls.  The mooring balls are so close together that if your boat is over 45 feet long you do not have enough swing room and you would bump another boat. 
 


Thursday, April 3, 2014

Elbow Cay, Hope Town Inn and Marina

4-3-2014:  My sister flew out of Marsh  Harbour airport yesterday afternoon and landed safely in Minneapolis last night.  After 12 days at Jib Room, Marsh Harbour Marina, we left about 10:30 this morning.   We said our good-bye's (for now) to Jan and Ron on Wind Warrior 1 and just went 10 miles to Hope Town Inn and Marina.  It was another beautiful day and the water was pretty calm once we were underway.  It was a bit windy leaving the marina but the CO did an excellent job getting us out safe.  After we settled in we walked up to the lighthouse and took some pictures (will post them tomorrow).  On our way back we ran into Keith and Jo from Dream Weaver who we met in Palm Beach.  We had a drink and a good visit with them at the pool.

CO's comments:  I think I have finally learned that a fairway that is only 45 feet wide makes it very difficult to get a 54 foot boat in and out of a slip.  To complicate matters, they docked a 53 foot Hatteras at the opening of the fairway.  I managed to get out this morning without touching anything.  Our friend was so kind as to tow our dinghy out to us in the harbour because I never would have made it with dinghy behind us.

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4-1-2014:  View of Marsh Harbour from our stern.


4-3-2014:  View coming into Hope Town
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4-3-2014:  Hope Town Inn and Marina

Monday, March 31, 2014

Marsh Harbour, March 26 - 31, 2014

Wednesday through Monday:  We are still at Jib Room and will be for a few more days. Not much happening to write about. The weather hasn’t been the best, but still warm and windy. On one of our walks here at Marsh Harbour we found some more conch shell that had been harvested already. They were pretty nice shells so we kept them. I think Sharon has all the shells she wants now. The marina owner found a centipede; big, ugly, and poisonous. It was put under cover in a jar to calm it down. It was gone today when I went to take a picture, don’t know what they did with it.

We went to Wednesday Rib night and to Saturday Steak night. Steak was just as good the second time around. After dinner they had entertainment again. This time the limbo guy lit his pole on fire and went under it at about 18 to 20 inches above the ground, lighting his cigarette on his way under the flaming stick; awesome.

The other day we biked into town and did some souvenir shopping. We found some very nice shops. We went to the liquor store looking for Vanilla and Cinnamon Rums for our friend. So far, no one in the Bahamas has heard of such a rum so I settled for Banana Rum.  Since Saturday we have been biking daily.  Lots of hills and good exercise. Yesterday afternoon and evening we had an enjoyable time at the pool with our Canadian friends, Jan and Ron, from the Gulf Star next to us.  This afternoon we enjoyed a game of Mexican Train Wreck with 2 other boaters.  Apparently it is a popular game in the Bahamas; Sharon won.

CO’s comments: No matter what the XO says, the weather has been great.  No excessive winds, just the normal for the Bahamas.  I need to get moving; I have been here too long.  Just as I was starting to like sail boaters, on Saturday during dinner we met one that was a complete horses butt.  There is always that 10 percent that spoils it.

1st Mate's comments: Learned to play a new instrument Saturday night: the handsaw, played with a screwdriver. It was fun accompanying the local music. Counting down my days left here in the Bahamas. I'll be leaving this beautiful weather and going back to the frozen north on April 2. Thank you Keith and Bobbie for inviting me on this wonderful vacation and for putting up with me for this past month.


 

3-26-2014:  Port and Starboard dark green canvas ladder covers are finished and looking good.


3-26-2014: Keith’s Conch shell with a Hermit Crab in it.



3-28-2014: Going through all the shells collected, cleaning them up and getting them ready to leave.


3-30-2014: Biking into town.


3-30-2014: Our dock at Marsh Harbour Marina.


3-30-2014: Marsh Harbour Marina; pool.


3-30-2014: XO working on blog.


3-30-2014:  Gulf Star sail boat next to us.  Beautiful hull made by the same company as our Gulf Star.


3-30-2014:  Boats moored in Marsh Harbour.


3-30-2014:  Sun Set at Marsh Harbour.