Sunday February 26, 2023

Whenever I talked to folks about going to the Bahamas, they all said, “Oh, you have to go to the Exumas!” “Why?” I would ask. “It’s the color of the water,” was always the response.

We began to notice it as we crossed from Spanish Wells (Eleuthera) to Nassau…we were riding along on the darkest blue water we’d ever seen. As dark as ink. We were riding on a body of water called “The Tongue of the Ocean”.

Most of the Bahamas are defined by something called the Great Bahama Bank – a huge underwater mesa that was uplifted millions of years ago. The Cays that we have been visiting are high spots poking up off the Bank. The waters over the Bank are generally shallow – typically less than thirty feet deep, and frequently less than 10 feet, with lots of sandbars and coral heads that make navigation tricky. In contrast, the Tongue of the Ocean is a deep trench that protrudes into the Bank. In the course of a few hundred yards, the water drops precipitously to 5,000 feet deep! Thus the dark blue color.

Here in the Exumas, the water colors are the way they would look in an unspoiled world – prettiest I’ve seen. It’s due to the clarity. This morning, I was standing on the beach at Compass Cay, waist deep, and watching a wave break over my head. As I looked up, it was like looking through a pane of glass. The water has a very pale green tint – I don’t know why – so it’s like looking through a thick pane of glass – rather like one you’d use for a tabletop.
I had truly forgotten what water would look like in an unspoiled world.

At the water’s edge, it’s almost “water clear”. Then as you move away from the shore, and the water gets deeper and deeper, the color deepens from pale green to turquoise to indigo. Vegetation on the bottom creates purple tones. I know we’ve all experienced the color of tropical water, but this is really quite beautiful.
The clarity is also apparent in terms of visibility. Our boat, sitting at the marina, looks like it’s sitting on a lucite slab. Drop a crust of bread in the water, and your slip becomes an aquarium. There’s really no need for a reef dive – we are surrounding by Sergeant Majors, Blue Runners, Bonefish, Snappers, Blue Tangs, and Turtles!

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HThe run from Nassau was pretty bumpy. Not scary. Just sloppier than we expected. We had to cut our speed down and just slog through it. We were relieved when – five hours later – we pulled into Norman’s Cay and a brand new marina, with private homes and rental properties being built by the folks who did the Four Seasons in Miami. It’s still a work in process, but it will be first class. Norman’s Cay is an arid, hilly island with no topsoil that I could see – just coral rock and coarse coral sand. So the amount of work required to create and cultivate (irrigate) a tropical landscape is pretty impressive.

We met one of the employees – a man named Dan. His family is in Nassau, and it’s hard on his wife and kids, who are 5 and 6. but he works at Norman Cay because it is lucrative. The development company houses him and feeds him, so he can save his entire paycheck. He works three weeks straight and gets the fourth week off. The company flies him back and forth in the company plane.

We had dinner at a quaint little beachside cafe called McDuff’s. McDuff’s has been there forever; I’m sure they will experience a revenue boost from the new marina.

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Yesterday, we had a short trip south from Norman’s Cay to Compass Cay in just a light chop, so we took our time, poking our head into several little harbors along the way. Later next week, we plan to spend several nights on a mooring in one of these little harbors.

Compass Cay is a Private Island with a public marina, and it features “Swimming With Sharks”! Lynn passed, but I couldn’t resist!

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One of the few times Guinness didn’t jump in the water when Rod was snorkeling.

We were told not to expect cell or internet service, but it turns out the marina has an internet cafe

Last night was the first sunset we saw with a direct view straight off the bow and no clouds on the horizon –
still looking for the green flash!

Tomorrow, it’s a short trip down to Staniel Cay, the southernmost stop on our journey. And the forecast calls for light winds and calm seas.

TTFN

February 22, 2023

Rod here…

First things first: it appears that Guinness is going to be okay. I saw his X-rays, and the bones he ate passed through his stomach and intestines and they are in his colon waiting for him to pass them – the doctor is not worried. He is confident that if they passed through his intestines, they will not cause a blockage. We, of course, are going to be much more careful about leaving bones where he can get them. 

So we are free to leave Lyford, and tomorrow we are finally off to the Exumas. We’ve had to juggle our reservations around quite a bit, but it appears that we will be able to have a very nice visit to what is reportedly the most beautiful part of the Bahamas. From what we hear, the beaches and the colors of the water are just spectacular. Meanwhile, we are spending our last afternoon at Lyford Cay living the life of the “rich and famous” admiring these spectacular mega- yachts that are berthed here in the marina. 

Here are photos of a few:

A sailboat with a mast so tall, instead of a white anchor light, it has a red light to warn aircraft. Seriously!

This one, which is of Italian design is called “Totally Nuts”. It’s an example of the way Italian designers are driving the look of boats in the future. Note the reverse bow. 

And see the window washer hanging off the side like they on high rise buildings. 

And here’s another shot of Invictus –  the daddy of them all that holds another boat inside. 

And as our friend David says, I never want to own a boat that looks like a sneaker – a 70 foot one at that!

As we move into the Exumas, we don’t expect good cell or Wi-Fi coverage. We’ll keep the blog going and post updates when we can. We’ve planned carefully so we won’t run out of food, fuel and water, so don’t worry if you don’t hear from us.

TTFN

February 21, 2023

Lynn here…

So if you read yesterdays blog, we were supposed to be in Highbourne Cay today, our first stop in the Exumas, but things took a turn. Let’s back up a few days. 

Saturday night we had a great dinner at the marina – braised lamb shanks, risotto, mushrooms, and we took home some leftovers. Guinness helped himself to a lamb bone and by the time Rod got it away from him, he had chewed off the knuckle of the bone and swallowed it whole. He was having a great time. 

We didn’t think much of it at the time, but he didn’t poop Sunday or Monday.  He’s been listless and not wanting to eat which is unusual for him   Rod woke up at 1:30 Tuesday morning and realized what might be happening – a possible blockage in his intestines. 

It’s hard to imagine how different things are here in the islands. Spanish Wells doesn’t have a pet clinic but there is a vet who visits once a week, some weeks. Nassau is where all the services take place. So we changed our plans and headed over here. Nassau has a reputation for being more like the inner city in some of the major US cities and our boat doesn’t lock up, so i was concerned about safety issues. And Rod was concerned about the marinas and traffic in town with the narrow channel and cruise ships.

We got the name of three vets from the wonderful groomer who is also a vet tech in Marsh Harbour and found one on the western side of the island with a nearby marina. Turns out this place is one of the most luxurious marinas in the world and only 15 minutes from one of the recommended vets. We have a cab picking us up at 2:00 – more later…..

So, Guinness is fine.  They ran tests and he had passed most of the stuff through his small intestine and into his colon, but the vet wants to see him in the morning. They gave him special food that’s easily digestible and he gobbled it up. 

But the most interesting part of this is the area we find ourselves in. We are now in Lyford Cay, (google it) the land of the “rich and famous”. The mega yacht parked near us is worth $100million and charters for 12 guests and 19 crew at $525,000 a week – can we find ten other friends to join us (just kidding!)

And the cab driver didn’t have a problem with our dog in the car since Scarlett Johanssen uses him to take all four of her dogs to the same vet when she’s in town. The grocery store down the mall from the vet was as beautiful as any Whole Foods in the US. We have gone from a very underdeveloped part of the Bahamas to an area more like Beverly Hills in a few hours. 

The “little” cottages right behind our slip.

So we will now rearrange our schedule and try to rebook the marinas in the Exumas. While this is lovely, the restaurant requires men to wear jackets, no children under 18 allowed in the restaurant (obviously no dogs) but the beach is lovely and we hope to spend some time there tomorrow before we take off and get back on track. 

This was stressful, but Guinness is fine and seeing this part of the Bahamas really gives us an appreciation for how the rest of the islands are challenged. We’re glad we can support their economies and enjoy the unspoiled and underdeveloped areas of these islands.

Monday, February 20, 202

Leaving Spanish Wells… sounds like a Bob Dylan song, doesn’t it?

It’s an unusual little town, built along a channel between St. Georges Cay, and two neighboring cays called Russell Island and Charles Island. The name stems from the days when St George’s was a crucial stop for Spanish ships crossing the Atlantic. But it was actually settled by the Eleutheran Adventurers, a group who left Bermuda seeking religious tolerance and freedom from persecution.

Entrance to channel at Spanish Wells

Now, it’s a quiet little stop – half tourist and half commercial: the islanders harvest nearly 75% of the nations spiny lobster catch, a lot of which goes to Red Lobster! Interestingly, the population is 82% Caucasian with a very interesting accent, somewhere between British and Patois.

The weather pattern has changed dramatically: almost every day in Abaco was breezy, with temperatures in the 70’s. We were constantly aware of wind shifts, with the wind often veering 360* in 24 hours. Here, it’s calm and quiet, with temperatures approaching 80*.

There are three amazing restaurants right on the water, and the water colors themselves are breathtaking.

Took a golf cart to a neighboring island for breakfast and then for a ride on the beach.

Breakfast at the Sandbar Grill

Yesterday, we waded out on a HUGE sandbar that extended for acres at low tide. We saw starfish and rays, and Guinness had a ball gamboling in the shallows.

The marina here is lovely with small villas, a nice fresh water pool and a good restaurant called Wreckers. And very dog friendly.

A little villa at the marina

It’s on a narrow channel yet there are large yachts here and today we saw this huge barge delivering supplies to the island – must have a very special low draft.

But it’s time to head south – into the Exumas. We’re told that most of the photos one sees of the Bahamas are taken in the Exumas, and we can’t wait for the next phase of our journey. Tomorrow, we leave in mild conditions for a 50-mile trip through the Bight of Eleuthera, after which we will run south along the Great Bahama Bank, stopping at several cays along the way to enjoy the sights. Our first stop is Highbourne Cay.

Saturday February 18, 2023

I don’t wanna brag, but we are killin’ this thing! It was worth waiting for excellent conditions. We got our weather window today, and we went for it!

• 65 miles from Marsh Harbor to Eleuthera
• Almost 5 hours
• 4 of those hours in the open Atlantic, out of sight of land, no other boats in sight all day – And at the journey’s end: a narrow channel flanked by dangerous coral heads!
  

And I really have to applaud Lynn: the first two hours in the ocean were daunting. Large ocean swells, about 5 feet from trough to top, coming at us bow-on. The boat handled them very well: we just ran up the face of the swell and down the other side, but there was plenty of spray over the windshield. It wasn’t scary, but it certainly was impressive…it seriously held your attention. Lynn isn’t afraid in these conditions. She just asks me if I am OK / if it is what I expected. If so, she actually enjoys it!

We’ll have more to report about Spanish Wells tomorrow. We just wanted to let y’all know that we’re safe and sound!

TTFN

PS: Lynn here….

And this was after three of Preston’s mojitos last night. Preston is the bartender at the Abaco marina and his drinks are wonderful. Here’s the recipe he shared with us.

February 17, 2023

After a wonderful month of R&R, we’re moving on. Here are a few highlights from the past couple of weeks:

Lynn Kayaking off our beautiful beach……

Celebrating Lynn’s birthday at the elegant restaurant in the resort….

Took the boat across to Elbow Cay for lunch at Firefly….

Super Bowl party. (Guinness had more to say about this in his blog post from February 13….

Valentine’s Day dinner at Abaco Beach Resort…..

Guinness’ new haircut…….before and after!

And a very surprising chance encounter. We were having coffee onboard one morning when a pretty young woman approached the boat and asked “Are you Rod?” It was a woman named Heather, the daughter of Earl Smith, a man I have know since at least high school (maybe grade school)!

Heather and her partner Greg were guests on a gorgeous 100+ Westport. Earl and Josie follow the blog, so when they realized that Heather was going to be visiting the same marina, they urged her to reach out. What a great surprise!

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The next part of our adventure is a 60-mile passage from Marsh Harbor on Great Abaco Island (That’s where we are now) to Spanish Wells on the island of Eleuthera. Don’t those names sound exotic? Spanish Wells… Eleuthera…

The main part of the trip is a 45-mile leg in the open Atlantic. And to get out into the Atlantic, we must pass through a “Cut”, and these can be treacherous if the conditions are unfavorable.

So, as the end of our month approached, I’ve been watching the weather forecasts closely. The winds have been brisk offshore, and the wave heights daunting. But we have a window tomorrow! Perfect timing!

This month has been fun, but I am ready to get back on the road!

TTFN

February 13, 2023

Guinness here today…

So yesterday was a crazy day. The wind in Marsh Harbour was really bad and the waves had the boat bouncing all night. And there’s the beeping fridge that started up again. I don’t think any of us got a good night’s sleep. 

But in the afternoon, even though we were all tired, we went over to this big tent with really big screens. The guys kept talking about Eagles and Cheefs. Not sure what all the excitement was about but Lynn and Rod seemed really interested. I mostly just walked around saying hi to people. 

Then, as it was getting dark, everyone got really excited and ordered beer and food. Thee were special foods for today – nachos, pizza, ribs (love them bones), chicken wings. It smelled so good and I went from table to table pleading for treats so I had to be put on a leash. 

Once in a while, something exciting happened and Rod put on this funny green hat with a bird on the front that screamed and moved its wings. He would yell E-A-G-L-E-S…Eagles!.  Then sometimes other people in the room started clapping and Rod and Lynn didn’t look so happy. 

It was getting late and everyone seemed nervous. Rod even tried to put the funny green hat on me for “good luck”, but I guess it didn’t work because they looked very sad on the way back to the boat. 

This is humiliating – and not my good side!

Will someone please explain to me what an Eagle is and why people like them so much but make them so sad. They kept saying “maybe next year”, but that’s seven years away for me!

Love

Guinness’s

PS: Oh, and I forgot, at one time there was a lady flying around and singing in a red dress. . Is that an Eagle?

February 10, 2023

lynn here….

So the night before last, this large boat pulled into the slip next to us. Seven men and one woman aboard. We were prepared for a heavy night of drinking and partying next door, but not a peep. The guys immediately started cleaning the boat – so thoroughly, it looked like they were prepping it to be “shown”

And as it turns out, that’s exactly what was happening. About mid-morning yesterday, we heard little voices laughing and talking. And headed our way. Turns out the owner is trying to help children recover from the trauma of Hurricane Dorian three years ago by inviting them to come on the boat and take a tour. So 24 little folks and the adults piled on the boat. They got to look around, blast the horn, and take a book with them. Watching them get off was like watching a clown car unload!

 But that’s not all. We were sitting quietly on the beach in the afternoon when we heard more little voices. The second group of 32 was coming in for second tour. Not sure how they got all these kids aboard, but I’m sure they had a great time. 

One of the boat guys, possibly the captain, said he wanted to give these kids an experience that he never had as a child. He told us there aren’t any school buses on the island so the teachers drive the kids around. I guess they just walk to and from school. 

Then later that evening, the teachers came back with their families and the boat headed out for a sunset cruise. The crew had also taken them out to dinner the previous night. 

They left today and I  got a picture of their boat next to Freedom. It’s about twice as long, and a heck of a lot taller. We didn’t get any more details about how they decided to do this for the kids, how they got the boat from California, or whether they are making more stops in the islands, but we’ll keep an eye out when we move on next week. 

What a great thing they are doing for these kids!

We are finally settling into this place and taking advantage of the beach, the two pools, and the wonderful weather.

TTFN

February 8 and 9, 2023

Yesterday, we decided to go joyriding…exploring some of the other cays that define the “Hub of Abaco”. That’s the local name for a point just off Marsh Harbor, from which routes radiate to Treasure Cay, Great Guana Cay, Man O War Cay, Elbow Cay, and Great Abaco Island, where Marsh Harbor is located. These islands (cays) surround and define the Sea of Abaco, which is the body of water we are living on.

It was a gorgeous day for a ride – blue skies, and that beautiful aquamarine water so typical of the Bahamas.

We left mid-morning for Treasure Cay. It’s not truly a “Cay” per se. It’s more of a marketing construct – THE brand name for a development of homes, canals, marinas, and shops. The plan was to pull into the harbor, pick up a slip or a mooring ball, and spend the day on Treasure Cay Beach – one of the longest and (reportedly) most beautiful beaches in the Bahamas.

Unfortunately, it was not to be. Treasure Cay has made VERY little progress since Dorian. There were no docks; four (occupied) mooring balls; and a collection of little shacks that was supposed to pass for a “shopping center”. So sad.

No docks and the marina buildings are pancaked

So Treasure Cay became a drive-by, and we moved along to Great Guana Cay. The first stop was Baker’s Bay Marina, which presented a sharp contrast to Treasure Cay. The homes are all restored, the docks are brand-new, and we motored past one mega-yacht after another! Baker’s Bay is all private, so we couldn’t stay. But we did get to watch a pair of kite surfers on hydrofoil boards. WOW!

On to Orchid Bay Marina, just a half hour farther south on Great Guana Cay. We wanted to visit Orchid Bay, because there is a famous (notorious) beach bar called Nipper’s on the Atlantic side of the island. The ideas is to tie up in Orchid Bay and walk the short distance across the island to Nipper’s. Unfortunately, the roller coaster ride continued: we were thinking of staying overnight, but there was very little to induce us to stay. Half the harbor was filled with ruined docks, and there didn’t seem to be much going on at all.

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Today is calm and quiet, and it’s kind of a maintenance day. Lynn did some shopping and the laundry, and I cleaned the bilges and (hopefully) repaired a leak in a hose. Livin’ the Glamorous Life, y’all!

TTFN

Tuesday, February7, 2023

Forty-eight hours of gale-force winds and rain on Sat and Sun were more than enough.  Although we were tied securely to the dock, the boat was pitching and rolling constantly, tugging at its lines. It looked like a steer at a rodeo.  By the end of the wind event, I was feeling quite uncomfortable!  Cabin Fever of the marine variety. However, Lynn said it felt like being in a cradle. What a gal!

During the final night, the wind clocked 180 degrees, and I had to get up twice during the night to adjust the lines, because the boat was hitting the dock, not our fenders.

At 30 mph, the palm trees really blow. Can’t imagine how this would be in a Hurricane at 185!

Yesterday, in contrast, was calm and sunny, so we took advantage of the opportunity to go kayaking and paddle boarding. We have a beautiful beach here that stays shallow for quite a way out.  Lots of fun with Guinness on the bow.

Today is sunny and breezy; it’s warm in the sun and cool in the shade. Very nice. As usual, we are struggling with Internet connectivity. I am trying to pay some tax bills and it is quite frustrating. Next time I am buying one of Elon’s Starlink units.

TTFN from the whole Freedom Crew!