In the News

Writing about a boating mishap reminded me of a story I recently read in The Abaconian, the wonderful semi-monthly newspaper of the Abacos.

A man had just purchased a new 31-foot boat with twin 300 HP engines. He had been in the islands for only a few days and was near Great Guana Cay when he noticed that one of his antennas was not in the proper position. With the engines idling, he climbed on the gunwhale and hung on to the T-top to fix the antenna. Then he slipped. As he fell, he knocked both the throttle controls causing the boat to take off at high speed. He clung to the boat for a few moments but the seas were choppy and he was soon thrown off.

Another boater witnessed the mishap and rescued the man. The boat ended up 45 feet above the water in the yard of a Guana resident. It now has a gouged out hole in the hull.

The boater who rescued the man took him up to where his boat had landed. The man grabbed his jacket, cell phone and briefcase, and said ”How do I get to the Marsh Harbor Airport? I want out of here now!” He flew out of Abaco the very same day.

As far as I know, the boat is still on land at Guana Cay!

Just Hangin' Out?

On the Cruisers Net the morning we were at Matt Lowe’s Cay we heard a boater thanking BASRA (Bahamas Air Sea Rescue) for their help the previous night. Naturally we were curious as to what had necessitated the emergency help, so when we heard the same boater calling a friend a bit later on the VHF, we couldn’t resist eavesdropping!

“How are you doing?” The friend asked. “I heard you on the radio this morning thanking BASRA.”

“Well, we’re a little high and dry right now.” replied the boater calmly. We’re aground over by Matt Lowe’s Cay.”

“That’s too bad,” said the friend. “What happened?”

“Well, we were coming back from Guana around 12:30 last night and we decided to go to Hopetown instead of Marsh Harbor, so I went below to look at the charts and (----) was steering and while I was below, I suddenly heard her take a hard turn to port. We heard a loud crunch and we stopped abruptly. Everything went flying in the boat.”

“Oh, wow, that’s terrible,” said the friend. How fast were you going?”

“About 13 knots”

Oh, my gosh! Did anybody get hurt?”

Not really, just a few bruises.

“So was there any damage?”

“We lost both the rudders, and there’s a three meter gash in the side of the hull….” We had to go below and gather up all our belongings and stuff them in plastic bags, because there was about two feet of water in the boat at high tide.”

“Oh, man, that’s awful. If you lost the rudders, you must be really hard aground.”

“We are. The whole boat’s out of the water.”

“What did BASRA do?”

“Well, basically nothing. They checked out the boat but we were too far out of the water to pull us off.”

As the bad news unfolded, the boater’s friend offered to help if needed, but then seemed at a loss for words. Finally after a long pause, he asked … “So what are you doing now, just hanging out?”

“Pretty much,” said the hapless boater. “Just waiting for the charter company to get here and yell at me for wrecking their boat.”

We felt very sorry for the unlucky charterer and his crew. As we got underway for Marsh Harbor later in the day, we sailed around the corner of Matt Lowe’s Cay and there indeed was the beautiful powercat. High and dry on the rocks.

The most surprising thing to us was not how cruisers came to be zooming around the sea of Abaco at 17 mph in the dark after a day of fun at Guana Cay home of Nippers and the Guana Grabber. It was the fact that the charter company didn’t equip their expensive yachts with chart plotters, a relatively small investment that might have prevented the ruination of a very nice boat and the untimely termination of an expensive charter vacation.

The Sugar Loaf Cays

We had never anchored near Matt Lowe’s Cay and the Sugar Loaf Cays which lie just off the Eastern Shore of Great Abaco near Marsh Harbor. So when the wind suggested we move from Tilloo, we decided to check out the anchorage.

Matt Lowe’s Cay is a small island with several beautiful beaches. It rises high out of the water and is covered with low trees and palms. There are seven homesites on the island, some of which are beautifully developed. The narrow peninsula which runs from Great Abaco toward Matt Lowe’s is protected to the south by the tiny Sugar Loaf Cays. A stream of deeper water provides a channel between the cays and the mainland.

We explored the channel by dinghy. It is a shortcut used by the Abaco Ferries on their way to and from Marsh Harbor, and we saw a number of pretty cottages and one large “estate” complete with tennis courts docks, a boat house and observation decks. One of the cottages is Blue Dolphin where Patty Toller lives. She has anchored the Abaco Cruisers net for more than 16 years a wonderful service to visiting boaters. Her website Barometer Bob.com provides local weather and streams the cruisers net every morning after nine o’clock.

The large bay formed by Matt Lowe’s Cay, the Sugar Loaves and Great Abaco is a very pleasant anchorage with the added entertainment of watching the boats heading into and from Marsh Harbor which was the next destination on our itinerary.

Sky Shows

The sky above the Islands of Abaco is brilliant with stars on clear nights, especially in the quiet barrier islands. The sun setting into the Sea of Abaco on pleasant evenings paints gorgeous pinks, oranges and purples from the horizon to the rising moon.

The March full moon was particularly stunning this year sailing low over the cottages and boats in Hopetown Harbor on Elbow Cay. Its creamy reflection sparkled in the water as the sunlight waned.

But the most spectacular sky show I have ever witnessed occurred on Sunday March 15th when the space shuttle Discovery was launched at 7:43 in the evening. From the cockpit we watched as the blazing rocket streaked through a low bank of scattered dark clouds to our north. Because the sun had just set, the con trail left by the shuttle looked like a column of flames streaming across the evening sky. As the con trail dispersed we could just make out in the distance the faint track of the rocket as it arced across the heavens.

Suddenly a bright white cloud burst out of the darkness when the booster rocket separated from the spacecraft. So high above the earth that it was still in daylight, this ghostly cloud spread out and cast its reflection on the waters of the Sea of Abaco. We watched, mesmerized, as the cloud turned a beautiful sapphire blue and then the top half reflected a pure, pale yellow.

Slowly the cloud faded and dispersed into the velvety night and we were left with the stars and a near full moon peeking through the scattered clouds. . . this normally lovely sky show paled in comparison to the sight we had just witnessed.

Tilloo Cay

Wild and beautiful Tilloo Cay stretches for four and half miles between the ocean and the Sea of Abaco. We have always liked this Cay for an anchorage near Tavern Cay that no one seemed to use very much. This year there was construction going on ashore and several boats in the anchorage, so we sailed further west along the rocky coast to a shallow bay near Tilloo Pond an almost landlocked harbor in the center of the Cay.

The Sea of Abaco was tranquil with only a light chop and the high bluffs of Tilloo made this a serene spot to spend a few days all by ourselves. A lazy high pressure ridge had taken up residence above us, giving the islands days and days of beautiful weather. Out on the ocean huge rollers lumbered onto Tilloo's rocky coast.









On our second day at Tilloo we ventured ashore taking the dinghy into Tilloo pond and tying it up on the edge of the mangroves where there was a bit of bare land. The island is mostly covered with low coppice. At the western end of the island the land rises to a bluff. Storms have eroded a section creating a gully in the dune where spiky tan limestone spires crowd together in the golden sand.










The ocean face of Tilloo is guarded by a parapet of grey limestone spires standing like soldiers guarding the shore.








Three wooden utility poles flung high like matchsticks upon the backbone of Tilloo bear witness to the power of ocean storms wearing away the middle of the Cay. These storms have also worn a dip into the middle of the island near where Tilloo pond lies.












This shallow basin on the ridge of Tilloo is littered with sea tossed rubbish. The magnitude of plastic rubble accumulated there dri ves home the fact that plastic leaves a lasting scar on the environment. Shoes and plastic bottles are particularly plentiful in this debris. At one point Peter was able to collect more than twenty plastic shoes and soles within a ten-foot area!






Despite this area of trash, Tilloo is one of the most beautiful and undeveloped of these islands. Only a few homes and cottages cluster around Tilloo Pond and the ends of the Cay. On our dinghy ride back to the boat, we surprised a family of Oystercatchers fishing along the rocky shore.








As the high pressure ridge began to weaken, the winds began to clock more to the south making our secluded anchorage a little bumpy, so we raised our anchor and sailed across the sea of Abaco to find another quiet anchorage in the vicinity of Matt Lowe’s Cay, just off Great Abaco.

The Footfest

Once again the Barefoot Man came to Guana Cay. This time the festival was expanded to become almost an Abaconian Woodstock! There were three days of celebration highlighted by a two concerts featuring the famous Barefoot Man and his group. In addition, there was a wonderful steel drummer form Trinidad, Coco Loco from Cocoa Beach Florida and Stone McKuen another popular island group. Delicious island food was an important part of the festivities.

A good crowd gathered for the three-day event, although it was much smaller than last year. Tourism and cruising in the Bahamas is suffering from the economic downturn and the number of visitors has fallen off markedly this season.

The small turnout was good for those of us who did show up. We had a virtual backstage pass to the Foot Man’s performance as he charmed the crowd with his laidback music and island humor.

On top of the hill at Nippers famous Beach Bar and Grill, concert goers had a stunning view of the ocean and didn’t seem to mind the clouds and brisk chilly winds. Meanwhile down on the other side of Guana Cay at Grabbers, cruisers and cottagers rocked to the sounds of Coco Loco. There was plenty of dancing, lazing in hammocks and beach chairs and sipping “Guana Grabbers” by the pool. And this was only the first day of the Footfest. . A good time was had by all.

With the possible exception of the crew of Hunter 40 who returned from the concert at sunset to find their boat hard aground on a rock ledge in Fishers Bay. They spent an uncomfortable night waiting for the high tide at 4:30 AM to lift them off. Luckily their boat didn’t suffer any serious damage.

We only spent just one day at the Footfest and then headed for Man O War Cay to spend the rest of the weekend in solitude at one of our favorite beaches.

Food and Friends

Some of the best cruising times are those shared with new friends and old. This year we have met many new cruising friends with whom we have shared some special times. We crossed with Mike and Jan on Pathos and their little dog Beauty from Canada. This was their first trip to the Bahamas, and we introduced them to some of our favorite anchorages over a couple of delicious lunches in Green Turtle Cay. Mike introduced us to Greek Coffee.

We also shared a series of enjoyable evenings with the cruisers on Rafiki, Jingles, and Sea Mist. These folks were also new to the Bahamas and for three nights in a row at Guana Cay we had dinner together on their boats. Although Nimue is a little small for any more than 2 extra people to dine, we tried to do our share by contributing desserts and salads. After three nights of cooking, Jim and Bob from Jingles joined us at Grabbers on Guana for their weekly pot luck. We sampled a variety of casseroles, salads and desserts from the 80 + attendees and listened to an impromptu concert led by Jan and Cam from Te Amour and their Nova Scotia friends.

A week later we met our friends Brian and Sonja on Flash 2 at the Barefoot Man Concert, We were happy to see them again after missing them for a couple of years, but soon we had to say goodbye as they began their journey back north.

Once again there are several boats from Lake Champlain in the Abacos and we have chatted with them from time to time. They seem to have settled on Hopetown as their second home in the Bahamas.

In the small world department, we were sitting all by ourselves at Tilloo Cay when a small power boat came up and hailed us. It was acquaintances from Plattsburgh who were mighty surprised to see fellow Plattsburghers so far from the North Country. They were staying at a cottage on Elbow Cay and just out for a picnic and a swim. They were lucky in their timing. They picked a period of beautiful tranquil weather for their visit.

The friendship of the Abaconians and our fellow cruisers always makes us feel at home when we visit these lovely islands.

Heading for the Whale

Here's Nimue (last year) motoring out the Channel from White Sound, Green Turtle on her way to the Whale. We had enjoyed our stay at Bluff House Yacht Club and visits with new friends that we had made on our way to the Bahamas. Before we left, we, of course paid our bill at Bluff House. That's when we discovered we still had a few "Docking for Dollars" left on our tab. So we treated ourselves to an order of delicious conch fritters with some Kalik beer to go with them. By 12:20 we were pulling away from the dock.

You may be asking yourself. What's the big deal about the Whale Cay Passage? I've written about it before in Nimue's Logs, but I thought that this description found on Marinas.com (click for a picture of the Whale) was a good indicator of why mariners approach it on tiptoes:

"Whale Cay is perhaps one of the most treacherous areas in the entire Abacos island chain. While Whale Cay (uninhabited) is not of any particular danger, the surrounding waters and shoals are sometimes among the most treacherous anywhere, due to shallow water and long ocean fetches....If you draw more than 4 feet, you must navigate the outside east edge of Whale Cay, where depths are not a problem, buy waves and wind can be. If the wind is blowing out of the northeast, the passage around the outside of Whale Cay, especially around Whale Cay Channel, can be deadly. Yes, deadly. The shallow water in this area and a long fetch to the northeast can result in sea conditions often referred to as a “rage.” No boat should be out in this are during these conditions. "

With that said, we decided to make our passage on Saturday, February 21st. We left Green Turtle at low tide so we would have the current with us in the cuts. The wind was from the dreaded northeast, but was about 10-15 that morning. Other boats going through had described the seas as 4-6 feet. We headed for the Whale Cay Channel and decided it was doable. The seas were confused and the boat got a good rocking and rolling and a nice coat of salt, but we motor-sailed through the passage without incident. The two boats sailing with us who didn't raise their sails seemed to be tossed about much more than we were.

By 5:30 we were safely anchored in Fisher's Bay on Great Guana Cay. The rest of our sailing, until we head home we be in the protected waters of the sea of Abaco. Whew!

Hello from the Bahamas

We are in the Bahamas. We had a good crossing. Left Palm Beach at five thirty AM on February 12th and stopped for the night at 8:30 pm on the little Bahama Bank off Mangrove Cay which is just north of Grand Bahama. It was a long day, but very nice to cross in daylight.

Friday, February 13th was sunny and warm and a very light fog gave the Banks an etherial charm. Two dolphins greeted us as we sailed about 25 miles to Great Sale Cay. Stopping for the night, we hoisted the dinghy off the deck and stowed the crossing gear. Several boats who also made the passage shared the anchorage at Great Sale. If you look closely, you can see the dolphins just below the surface.

On Saturday, we sailed about 45 miles to anchor off Cooperstown, a village on the eastern shore of Great Abaco Island . We were so close to shore we could hear the children playing in the schoolyard and watch the cars go by on the Bootle Highway.

Sunday morning we left Cooperstown and made a 10 mile sail to arrive at Green Turtle Cay around high tide. We planned to stay at the Bluff House Marina where we hoped to check in to customs and immigration. The dock boy told us we could check in at the marina, but as it turned out, he was wrong. So on Monday morning Peter donned his foul weather gear and took the dinghy to the western end of the island to go to the customs house in the village of New Plymouth. Finally we could take down our yellow quarantine flag and hoist the Bahamas courtesy flag, all nice and legal. This was the first time we had bypassed the usual customs stop at West End. The dock fees there are very pricey. At Bluff House, we not only had a reasonable rate, but were able to spend our dock fee at the marina. So we had several tasty meals at the Jolly Roger Bar and Bistro, essentially for free!

While Peter was ashore, a cold front blew through the harbor dragging loose a lovely little Ketch from Halifax named Annie Laurie. Several cruisers hastened to help the young lady who is single handing the vessel. Withing about 20 minutes she was all once again secure.

Our next leg of the journey would take us out and around the Whale Cay. So we stayed about a week at Bluff House to await favorable conditions to make the passage.