Leaving Spanish Wells

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.