When it all works at the same time

 It's good. Real good. The items we were hoping would be included in the list of working well together recently were Wind, Water, Tide, and Sunshine. It's rare that they come together for a trip to Little Harbour but they all aligned perfectly last weekend.

 Looking towards the end of last week the weather forecast started improving. So we left the Sea Spray Resort and Marina Saturday 4/13 with the goal of reaching Little Harbour. While there was a chance for squalls, the Atlantic was laying down, and the wind was predicted to be out of a Southern compass point. This means that the existing swell in the Atlantic was going to be reduced if the wind prediction panned out. Thus getting across North Bar Channel was not looking like it was going to be an unsavory, rolling and bucking experience. It's one thing to get chucked off a mechanical bull and totally different to experience weightlessness on the bridge of Freedom. Even if it was going to be a little rough, with the forecast we had in front of us, a bit of a rough ride for an hour or so was going to be worth while because the return trip would not be rough. And this forecast was much better than what we had back in 2009 the first time we crossed North Bar Channel. First pass through North Bar
 Ok, it's only about 15 nautical miles from Sea Spray to Little Harbour but crossing North Bar Channel is not to be taken lightly. Let's face it when the weather is good North Bar channel can still be in a rage caused by conditions in the North Atlantic. Those conditions are capable of tossing the boat around. They can move the boat suddenly and with enough force to cause injury and worse. It has happened. We have been turned away by the channel while we were in the dink, and as illustrated in the earlier post there was a time we wondered why were crossing it. This time we had some 3 footers closely spaced that we quartered easily so all in all North Bar Channel was no problem.
 Having made it past North Bar and into the lee of Lynyard Cay all of that concern faded as we approached the entrance to Little Harbour. Well, most of the concern faded. The entrance to Little Harbour is well marked and safe as long as you don't have a deep draft boat. Freedom only pulls 3.5 or 4 feet so we don't need much assistance from the tide to glide over the shallow spots that exist at low tide. At low tide there is only 3.5 feet of water and with about 2 feet of tide boats pulling 6 feet of water have a good chance of getting stuck in the channel right about where it drops off inside the harbour. Once inside the harbour there is at least 8 to 10 feet and more throughout. With clear water moving about the harbour is no big deal in fact it's quite scenic. A pleasant relief.  It's so clear the bottom is easily seen along with the turtles swimming about the boat.
 With that we moved in and picked up a convenient mooring pennant by securing two lines to it. Then we dropped the dink into the water so we could move about or get off the boat if we wanted. With a very short run to shore we were at Pete's Pub  and lunch was being served. They make some great fish sandwiches and burgers here so we dove in and filled up on both with some of their signature drinks called the Blaster. Having made it in and tied up it was a welcome experience at a reasonable price. It wasn't long before we ran into friends and took a ride around the area in their car. We got to get a look at Winding Bay and part of it's golf course. Upscale to say the least and beyond our means. But having the ability to move to a different location with Freedom isn't such a bad thing after all. In fact it works really well for us. Later on the notion of not being able to afford life there was summarily discharged with an evening of conversation around the table which offered snacks, and home made Blasters. Too many Blasters. Eventually passing time with conversation we noticed an ominous line of clouds approaching which influenced an end to the evening.  Fortunately for us our hosts left their boat open so we hitched a ride back to town. Once at the dock we hopped into our dink Madonna and made it back on Freedom in time to close her up before the squall showed up.

 So the chance of squalls turned into a reality and with the clocking winds Freedom spun around the mooring. While aboard waiting for the storm, I was on the Internet discussing how well our satellite TV system worked. I should have waited until after the squall. The screen pixilated and the voices started to sound like R2D2. But once the storm passed all was well and any salt that had accumulated during the trip was washed away in the downpour.

We planned a long walk in the morning to clear the fog from the Blasters. The notion was we would be able to sweat out the prior evening and perhaps gain a little ground on the waistline. And walk we did. While two and a half miles doesn't seem like much, when you are walking in loose sand it takes a bit more effort. Combining that with high sun, light winds, and warm temperatures meant it wasn't long before we felt the burn. Fortunately someone had set up a lean too of sorts on the beach. It was assembled from various bits of flotsam that came ashore locally.
Ramshackle yes, but it provided some much needed shade for a break allowing us to catch our wind and cool off. From there we moved South along the beach until we could see the next rocky outcropping marking the absolute limit of our walk so we turned around to head back. Of course the return path took us right by Pete's pub and well, the cycle started up once again. So much for the progress made on the waist. It wasn't as bad as Ground Hog day by any means. This time while having lunch at Pete's we ran into some folks that we met on Lake Okeechobee last Spring. They were traveling with another couple on a separate boat and since we all had connections with Brian and Jan we all crashed their place for a second night of Blasters and pot luck specials. Everyone brought something to eat and we all had a great time. We also planned to meet the next day and go exploring for blue holes.
 High tide lined up really well with our stay here at Little Harbour. It occurred at Noon Monday and 1 PM Tuesday so with good weather we had plenty of time to visit all the blue holes we could find on the Bight of Old Robinson. I dug up some blue hole GPS way points and planned a couple of days worth of activity. It's a shame the water leading into the blue holes is so shallow. If we dawdled or wasted our time we would not be able to get into the shallow spots where they were located AND get out before we found ourselves high and almost dry unable to power the dinks out to the Bight. So timing the tide was essential which had me reviewing the time of day as we moved about in our dinks. I don't think I've been such a clock watcher since my last month at work before retirement.
 Our first stop took us to the blue hole which took the lives of several young men back on April 2, 1994. The poor souls were scuba diving this blue hole and sadly they never came back out. It's a spooky surreal experience to peer down into the clear water that is lined with rocky ledges and fish wondering how they passed. Suffice it to say cave diving, as is most penetration diving, is dangerous. Regardless of how you plan and prepare the sport has risk. While we drifted over the blue hole everyone was reviewing the colorful depths through look buckets when I said loud enough for everyone to hear "suddenly, while they all reviewed the abyss, a worm like creature shot up and swallowed them whole".
 I'm thinking Julie didn't think that was too funny because she was heard remarking how it was time to move on with our adventure because the dog was getting nervous. I'm not sure what kind of connection she has with Salty but evidently they share quite a bit.
After the second day of gliding over the blue holes we took a ride across the Southern Sea of Abaco and landed on Lynyard Cay. This is the last Cay on the Sea of Abaco located right by the Little Harbour cut to the Atlantic. As a result many boats traveling South to or North from the Exumas stop here and anchor out after a day on the big water. Some might even venture into Little Harbour for a mooring if the tide is aligned with their arrival. Lynyard is a quiet cay with little going on except clear calm water on the inside and the Atlantic on the outside. A very cool place to stop for a dip before heading back into Little Harbour. Which of course meant another stop at Pete's Pub for lunch. We hate it when that happens. This place will definitely grow on you. Especially around the waist.
So it was all good, and we had a very pleasant ride back up to Sea Spray with no worries through North Bar and calm water on the Sea of Abaco. In fact the only issue we did have was an arrogant captain in a Sunseeker that blew by us in a narrow passage North of Channel Cay. Oh well. It's part of the reason we retired early. We knew more of this was going to be happening as time moves on and well, we wanted to experience the Bahamas before they get over run like the Jersey Shore. Every time a huge go fast or sporty blows by, we are thankful we have the experiences before they showed up in force. 
       

They say it's Spring

 At this point we are happy that we have no plans for return. We have an approximation for departure, but nothing is concrete. Punxsutawney Phil has apparently made many enemies this year with his bogus prediction of an early or on time Spring. Seriously. What do you expect from an over grown rat? In light of the way Spring is coming into our lives this year, we really have no incentive to move the boat yet. There have been opportunities to get across the Gulf Stream but they are infrequently available at best. So we will probably temper our enthusiasm to get back with the notion that March has been cool and windy. Hopefully April brings us more moderation and May even more calm.
 Beyond that whole debacle, the arrival of March usually means an influx of boats into the Abacos from points South and this year was certainly no exception. Hope Town Harbour is mobbed and we're glad we moved South to Sea Spray back in December. In addition to the boats coming North from the Exumas we have additional boats coming across from the United States as Spring Breakers arriving to rent houses. Hopefully all of the businesses are sharing in this increased tourism because it seems like there is plenty of it!
 All of the additional traffic certainly influenced the attendance of the Barefoot Man Concert on Guana Cay. As usual, and pretty much expected, the band put on three shows. The first show was on Friday afternoon which was a perfect day for a crowded venue. It was breezy and cooler than lately which made for a comfortable experience.
 At night the show was equally comfortable except folks wore long sleeves, pants and a jacket. That may sound out of place in the Bahamas but over the course of Winter there are several days, let alone evenings when it is appropriate. But given the alternative of shoveling a driveway clear of snow, we'll take it. The crowd at Nippers was more subdued this year than in years past. We recall one lady that was up on a table dancing the whole time the band played. Eventually she was carried out when she ran out of enthusiasm supplied by Frozen Nippers. She was there at least three years running. But not this year and testimony to the subdued crowd's activity, no one took her place. In fact we didn't see George (the Barefoot Man) signing any of the ladies' behinds or breasts. People must be getting worn out or they are tired of bouncing off the rocks along the path home.


This year coincident with the concert the harbour at the settlement was crowded but our assessment says there were a few cancelation of slip reservations at Orchid Bay. While the marina did well and was fun to be at, it seemed like there were always a few open slips this year at concert time. We will say that it was great to have the restaurant at Orchid Bay open for business and we thoroughly enjoyed our dinner there one night. Speaking of night, the water at Orchid Bay marina is very clear which had us leaving the transom lights on over night. Various aquatic life showed up in the lights and entertained us with their presence. Turtles, squid, and sharks all made an appearance. However, the small Green Heron that used to hang out on the swim platform was not to be seen this year. So that marks the first time in 5 years we did not see our Heron buddy and we missed him.
 But we did get to hook up with many folks we had not seen in quite a while. Folks at Grabbers, Nippers, the Yacht Club and the Pirate's Cove. Fortunately we were able to spend some time with Jerry Fording the proprietor and share a few laughs. While we sat there with Sally mixing for us, Oz, a box office smash was playing on his projection TV. I asked Jerry, "Ok, how did you get that over here to play on your TV when it is still in the theaters raking in huge bucks?". He replied "And the name of this place is?" Yup. The Pirate had swiped a copy some how. Too cool. Sadly not long after our stop at Guana Jerry passed away while closing up the Pirate's Cove at the end of the evening.
 We're all sorry to see you go Jerry, you and the Pirate's Cove were an icon of the Abacos. RIP Man.
 Anyway, Winter down here will be Winter and we had a few good storms out of the North East. One of them pushed on shore well and made a mess of places like the Abaco Inn. If you click on the photo it will become apparent that stones with other debris was washed up from the bluff and into the pool at the Abaco Inn. Looking off into the distance one can see how high the tide came in that day. Not to worry, local Bahamian ethic had it cleaned up in short order and every day life moved on as though nothing had happened. No whining about getting FEMA cash here.

Since we are down here a while I have to check for recordings on the phone once in a while. One day I get a message, "Dan? Your sister says we should get in touch with you. Are you in the Abacos?". Returning the call led to a meet up with a couple of gentlemen from Pa. that attend church with my sister. So in her honor we all went fishing with Justin the owner of Local Boy Charters out of Hope Town http://www.hopetownfishing.com/ It wasn't long before all three of us had a wahoo on at the same time! There are a number of Charters out of Hope Town and Lubbers that can turn an otherwise dull day into a bit of an adventure while providing fish for the table. If you get over here and don't have the boat to go outside (like us) give them a call, they will take care of you and you will have a good time at a reasonable price.
 And that brings us to April our last month in the Abacos. We've had a great time so far and hope to cap it off with more good times. We could not have asked for better service from our hosts at Sea Spray http://www.seasprayresort.com/ and the Hope Town Inn and Marina http://www.hopetownmarina.com/. Both of these places have great staff and a good restaurant to dine at when you want to break up the stay with a night out. In fact on many occasions we were pleasantly surprised to have Asian food prepared expertly by Carlton at Sea Spray followed by the New Entry Band providing dance music.
 But the season has to end eventually even though we are not looking forward to it. So it's time to squeeze in everything we have not removed from the bucket list before we head West.