Norman’s Cay was a very brief last stop in the Exumas. We would have liked to spend more time there exploring the island. Oh well – some things should be left for next time.
A partially submerged plane that would have been a cool site for snorkeling.
This island looked like a good picnic place.
Mega Yacht
The forecast called for two more days of calm weather followed by a week of strong winds. We needed to be somewhere that would provide protection and time was going to run out for us to get back to Abaco so we could spend a bit more time there before we made our way back to the US.
Plan A was to continue up the west side of the Exuma chain then cross Exuma Sound to either Royal Island or Spanish Wells, spend the night and continue on to Little Harbour on Great Abaco in the morning. About the time we finished threading our way through the menacing looking black patches of coral (We later learned that they were actually only a foot or so above the sea bed and we could have sailed right over them.) as we rounded Beacon Cay and Sail Rocks at the northern tip of the Exumas Plan B evolved and took over. The calm conditions were perfect to go directly to Little Harbour. I was nervous about entering the cut from New Providence Channel to the Sea of Abaco, picking our way through the narrow channel into the harbour and picking up a mooring ball – all in the dark. There are just sooo… many big rocks out there. The moon would not even be there to help us out. Tom was confident that it would be a piece of cake in the flat calm. Of course he was right.
We crossed the New Providence Channel shipping lane while it was still light and our AIS showed that we were well clear of any big ships crossing to or from the Atlantic. Besides increasing our sense of safety, AIS is a source of entertainment during a night watch. When a vessel is spotted on the chart plotter AIS will provide details about it. Among the vessels that we saw that night were the cruise ship Carnival Liberty; 962 feet long traveling at 17 knots headed for Miami with and ETA of 10 AM the next day and the cargo ship Yannis L with a destination of Turkey and an ETA of May 25.
Sunset over flat water on the New Providence Channel
We approached Little Harbour Cut around 2 AM. The light marking Little Harbour Cut was very visible and the waypoint we had used when we left two and a half months earlier got us back in without incident. Our 1.5 million candle power flashlight lit up the rocky shore and helped us to locate the channel markers and a vacant mooring ball.
These channel markers are not very easy to see even in daylight with their peeling red and green paint.
At 2:30 AM we crawled into bed after a very long day on the water. We woke to a bright sunny morning surrounded by sea turtles. Our friends on Ajaya, who we had said goodbye to in Georgetown , were on the mooring ball next to us. What a nice surprise.
Turtle greetings
We spent a recovery day in Little Harbour before setting off again.
Waiting for the bar to open at Pete’s Pub
Walking the beach is not always a pretty picture. Atlantic storms send a lot of human garbage ashore, most of it plastic that has fallen or been thrown overboard from boats or has been washed out to sea from land when not disposed of properly. Some of this stuff has travelled thousands of miles before it ends up on Bahamian beaches. Besides being unsightly it is not good for the wildlife.
We all need to do our bit to stop this from happening.
Our time in the Bahamas was coming to an end. While we were still making new friends and reuniting with others we had not seen in several months (Roger and Hanni – remember Reves d’Ocean from Deltaville?), the desire to linger and explore was not as strong as when we first arrived. We picked up some provisions in Marsh Harbour, filled the diesel cans and checked our weather sources. Moderate easterly winds with scattered squalls and thunderstorms were expected for the next week. It was time to make our way to the top of the Bahamas and stage for another Gulf Stream crossing.
Tilloo Cay architecture
Marsh Harbour, busier than our last trip through.
We caught up with friends on Passages (NH) once again at Bakers Bay – a resort in progress on Great Guana Cay. From there we had a smooth trip together around “The Whale” and back into the Sea of Abaco where we were joined by two large dolphins who swam with us until we reached Green Turtle Cay, moving between the two boats and playing at our bows. As I watched them swimming between the hulls at our bow one of them jumped in the air several times and “barked” at me as if to say “goodbye”. It was amazing.
Typical Bahamian colour scheme.
We anchored at Powell Cay and went ashore for some last chance beachcombing. We were disappointed that the only sea glass we found was not ready for picking. Most of the pretty shells still had creatures living in them except for the sand dollars which we already had plenty of from Baker’s Bay.
Smoke from the fires on Great Abaco that are destroying the food supply for the wild horses. At night the red glow from the fires was visible in several locations.
Next stop – Great Sale Cay where we had entered the Bahamas five months ago. We were prepared to to start our westward Gulf Stream crossing from there to Fernandina Beach, Florida on Monday, May 17th. The 300 mile trip would take approximately 48 hours at an average speed of 6 knots per hour. If we left Great Sale at 10:00 AM we should arrive at 10:00 AM on May 19th.
Relevant Reading – An Artist on His Island, a Study in Self Reliance
This is a diary from 1950 to 1974 of Randolph W. Johnston, a Canadian sculptor who took his family in search of a deserted island where they could be self sufficient and avoid the regimentation and expectations of modern society.
They ended up in Little Harbour, Abaco where it took them many years to establish a rudimentary garden, and build a house and studio while raising three young boys. Randolph describes how they overcame the difficulties of obtaining the financial and material resources necessary to make his dream come true in such a remote location.
Today, Randolph’s youngest son, Pete, still lives in Little Harbour where his art gallery and lost wax foundry are a tourist attraction and Pete’s Pub is a popular watering hole for cruisers and locals. There is a road and internet service via satellite but the community is still self sufficient when it comes to electricity to the point where there is much opposition to a new power plant under construction nearby.
The Johnston family used this cave at Little Harbour for storing their possessions and also lived in it briefly before they were able to build a house. It is for sale.
Simple Slaw
Every time I make this coleslaw for a pot luck meal people tell me how good it is and many have asked for the recipe. Here it is. I found it on a package of shredded cabbage that I bought at the Price Right grocery in Marsh Harbour. I think the secret is the dressing.
Ingredients:
4 – 6 cups of shredded cabbage
A small handful of raisins
A few spoonfuls of pineapple bits, canned or fresh. Crushed works too.
Optional additions:
Green onions
Thinly sliced celery
Shredded carrots
Chopped apple
Dressing:
Equal parts mayo, vinegar and white sugar. For 4 - 6 cups of cabbage I use 1/4 - 1/3 cup of each. Use whatever amount gives you the consistency you like.
Vinegar is not just for salads.
We have found two other valuable uses for vinegar on the boat.
The first was when Tom was doing all the epoxy work to repair our detached bulkheads after the first Gulf Stream crossing. Instead of buying expensive solvents and chemicals to clean up drips and brushes he used plain vinegar. It worked like a charm and is not toxic. Better for us and the environment too.
The second is to pour it in the head and let it sit overnight to dissolve the deposits that build up. It cleans the bowl and keeps the flushing mechanism (bilge pump) on our Lavac toilet working smoothly. Do it regularly and don’t scrimp. It will be more pleasant than having to dismantle everything to clean it. We know from experience.
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