It was wonderful to have company for Christmas and New Years. Ryan and Scott were our first on board visitors since we left Canada four months ago.
Junkanoo left over?
Unfortunately the weather did not provide the tropical vacation they were probably looking forward to. Christmas Day was overcast and not too warm. We participated in the pot luck Christmas Dinner at the Marsh Harbour Marina and Jib Room Restaurant that we had been hearing about on the Cruisers’ Net (VHF Channel 68 every morning at 8:15) since our arrival in the Bahamas. The restaurant supplies the turkey and ham and the cruisers supply the fixings, from appetizers to desserts. Our contribution was a big pot of garlic smashed potatoes and some cranberry sauce. Everything was delicious and we even got to take home leftover turkey for a late night sandwiches.
The Marsh Harbour Marina and Jib Room Restaurant
Boxing Day was officially moved to Monday, December 28 by parliamentary decree so the stores were open on the 26th for us to stock up on a few supplies before we headed out to do some exploring with our guests. Marsh Harbour has some grocery stores and although the prices for most items are considerably higher than we are used to, the selection of products is quite good. I found good quality fresh produce at the Price Right grocery and reasonably priced fresh meats. Sliced bread was actually less expensive than some places in the US!
We had not yet been to Hopetown on Elbow Cay and wanted to check it out. Just outside the entrance to the harbor we anchored in 9 feet of water to do some snorkeling. There was not a lot to see besides a few starfish and lots of jellyfish so did not stay long.
They really did get in the water. I was on shark patrol.
Front row seat
Hopetown Harbour is too crowded for anchoring but there were plenty of moorings available for the two nights we wanted to stay there.
Ryan on a mission to get a green coconut to supply mix for the rum.
The coconut water makes a good mix was good but be careful - the pulp from the coconut left stains on the fiberglass deck.
I think there is a rule about climbing the famous lighthouse to take a picture of your boat from the top.
Where is Polar Pacer?
There is even a matching mailbox.
The boys rented the only two surfboards on the island. That should have been an indication of the quality of the surfing. They came back a little scraped and bruised but with no regrets. Some Polysporin and with the pieces of coral removed from their feet they were as good as new.
After Hopetown we returned to Great Guana. The seas had been too rough to go out to the offshore reefs for snorkeling, and we hoped that Dive Guana would be able to take us out. It was still too rough to venture out on the Atlantic but the guys did go to Foote Cay and back to Hopetown for lunch and a stop at the fund raising event for the Abaco Rage.
The guys in Hopetown
Being in a marina usually means having to lasso the pilings with your dock lines to secure the boat. All the years we spent in Alberta did not prepare us very well. 
Resorting to the dinghy to get that last line in place.
Finally, a place to set up the slack line – and he did NOT get wet.
Being back in Great Guana meant another trip across the island to Nipper’s and a walk on the beach.
In case you lose your way crossing the island – and adult sized Tonka Toy.
What is it, how did it get here and what is it made of?
Great Guana is one of those islands that has very few cars. The main means of transportation besides boating or walking is golf cart and one of the holiday traditions is a golf cart parade. We heard it approaching the marina and went to check it out. There were about forty carts in the parade.
How can you pass up the excitement of a parade?
Treasure Cay is reported to have one of the best ten beaches in the Bahamas or the world depending on which authority you are following. We checked it out for ourselves. It is definitely a long beach with lots of white sand but we were disappointed at the amount of garbage that we saw washed up on shore – especially discarded plastic products. It really makes you think twice about what you consume and what you throw away, especially in a place where garbage management is a problem and recycling programs are rare.
On a happier note we did come across this interesting purple sea plant.
On the trip back to Marsh harbor from Treasure Cay we stopped at some tiny islands called the Fish Cays to do a little more snorkeling. A beautiful spot to stop but not a lot of fish.
Back at Marsh Harbour we docked at the Marsh Harbour Marina. We would see the New Year in at the Jib Room and arranged for Miss Marjorie to pick Ryan up at 6 AM with her taxi and take him to the airport for his flight home. He had one last chance to go snorkeling. Just across the road and about 100 yards off a little beach is Mermaid Reef. It is a small reef but is protected from fishing. It turned out to have the best collection of fish we had seen so far. Scott had a few more days with us but the weather was getting colder by the day and even the wetsuits were not much help. As well, the water was pretty stirred up and the visibility was not as good. It was a good opportunity to borrow one of the bikes from the marina and do some exploring on land. By the way Scott – a reliable source tells me that it is worth the trip to Dundas Town for the food at God Bless Church Chicken - Deep Fried and Sanctified .
