The quest for the Blue Hole

 One of the best scenic finds down in the Abacos is a Blue Hole. Back in March 2009 we happened upon one of these while trying to get to a beach on the main island of Great Abaco. It was a very pleasant surprise in light of the situation we were in.
 On our way back from Crown Haven which is at the far Northern end of the island after driving half way back to Treasure Cay we decided rather randomly to visit a beach along the way to look for shells. While traveling down a winding poorly maintained road full of ruts and spent appliances we decided we were in an area to be avoided. Right where we turned around we found it.
 I've hunted around and looked for photos but come up dry on this one. But I can tell you exactly where it is and you can zoom in on it with google earth. If you look at the CrownHavenCarRide track within the http://home.roadrunner.com/~danmapes/Southbound2.kmz link at  26°47'55.43"N  77°25'23.60"W you will find where we gave up on driving a rental car to the beach due to road and environmental conditions. That was when we saw the blue hole so we hopped out of the car to look at it. It was only a few paces off the road and the path was clear. The color of the water was remarkable as was the amount of fish swimming around in it.
 Having experienced that find we have been on the look out for more of these, and we have had some success with this activity. Using Google Earth one can pick some out and subsequently last year while we were at the Berry Islands we did locate one a bit North of Great Harbour's Marina.

 Today, we elected to use the information we had obtained from various guide books and other folks that have been around a bit. As far as we could tell from all of this information and Google Earth there are Blue Holes around Snake Cay and Iron Cay. For example there is one at 26°24'12.89"N 77° 2'33.53"W. It's gotta be one. But marching through the terrain in that area without a machete is not in our game plan and carrying one around in an inflatable dink is not either. Sure we could shealth it but the notion of hiking in flip flops adds more concern to the notion. 

 Anyway we left the marina today with light winds yet intimidating skies. While out on the Sea of Abaco I mentioned the cloud lines looked ominously familiar. They looked exactly like what the spouts formed out of on the stream. But on we went taking advantage of the flat water and some solace in the notion that others were out there with us. We gunked around behind Snake Cay and Iron Cay for quite a while and made it to a couple of spots some would call Blue Holes. But they were nothing like what we had seen earlier so there was some dissappointment with this realization. In spite of that those locations did provide interesting displays of sharks, rays, lobsters and other fish in some very clear water. Believe it or not there is a spiney lobster hanging out under that rock. This lucky lobster was small and we had no ice to keep it while we traveled. In this photo all we see are the antennae when the photo is enlarged by clicking on it.

 But without decent sunlight over us the photos don't show well so perhaps another day we'll be able to get better pictures to post. The track named Snake Cay Dink 2 within the http://home.roadrunner.com/~danmapes/Voyage1011.kmz batch of tracks might be fun to fly with G.E. and they will lead you to Cracker P's where we stopped in for lunch. Their smoked fish dip is outstanding and goes well with a cold Kalik and grilled Wahoo sandwich. Even if the food wasn't good the view would make the stop worth while! It's a good thing we ignored the signals the clouds were giving us earlier in the morning because the day turned out quite well. Maybe the forecast of 15-20 knots of wind for the next week won't turn out to be accurate either but we are getting into that part of Winter down here when the wind blows strong and steady. 

  

   

Time for some dink action

 But first we had to put a patch on it. Somewhere along the line late last year the starboard tube started requiring a pump or two every other day or so. With additional use over here and cooler temperatures the requirement grew as the leak became more serious and after a cool night the tube was well on its way to being deflated. With the help of a neighbor we pulled it up onto the dock so I could work on it. At mid tide the lift was about 6 feet. After about an hour of looking around with soapy water a bubble finally appeared and it was a good thing because I was ready to give up at that point. It would seem that sitting in the sun on a warm dock increased the pressure in the tube enough to force the air out. With the patch installed just aft of the N in the registration the tubes were re inflated and since I had it out of the water the bottom was cleaned up and waxed. A review of the dink the next morning confirmed that the fix was good and we were ready for a ride. The wind was calm and the water was flat. Perfect for a run in the dink.

 Just about all the way across the Sea of Abaco heading for Snake Cay from Hope Town I happened to have the camera recording when a fish started tail walking in front of us.

 We were running at about 15mph at the time so perhaps that lends some insight into the capabilities of these fish. It's always fun to see these or flying fish take off away from the boat when we are underway. Some might say it's mean and we should not be in the water scaring them like this. We don't do it intentionally and we don't chase them. That this one happened to take flight in a direction aligned with ours is a coincidence. I look at it this way, through the extra exercise we encourage, maybe we are enabling a mutation that will be better able to defend itself. It might even become a man eater. Right.  

 Moving along, and some might say gratefully, we found ourselves on the West side of the Sea of Abaco by Snake Cay and with about half a receding tide under us we elected to go in behind the cays in the area to see what was in the shallows here. Some might recall the dink rides we did back in early 2009 at Hill's Creek near Treasure Cay and this area certainly held promise to be as good or better because of it's proximity to North Bar inlet. The notion being that perhaps more larger fish would be around spawning etc.. We did not happen upon any small sharks but the turtles were everywhere. Clicking on the photo will provide better detail of one shooting away from us. They may be slow on land but they can move very quickly in the water! In time with only a minor encounter with shallow water we made it down to the South end of Iron Cay but unfortunately we did not find the blue hole that is supposed to be in this area. Perhaps another day we will find it, and Wednesday could be that day since the winds are predicted to be light again. 

 Given this was a perfect day to be out and about in a dink on the way back we elected to pass by Hope Town and Freedom and head straight to the Atlantic Ocean and the reefs in between Elbow and Man O War cays. It was worth the extra time in the dink as the water was surprisingly clear and calm affording us a great view of the coral reef and fish living within it. 

 It's not often one gets the opportunity to hang around over a reef on the Atlantic in calm water like this! The GPS tracks have been updated and at some point I'll update this entry with a link to more photos when I get them loaded.     

 As always it's not a good day on the water unless we disturb Ray.

In between Holidays with good weather

 So the initial holidays are past and for the most part everyone can look forward to the New Year having had all of the family together for celebrations. While we are located remotely we still manage to have a good time during the holiday season with many folks down here. We also have folks back in the States working with us to make things happen thus enabling our comfort and continued success.

 For example, Vic's DC http://www.vicsdc.com/ worked with me over a scratchy internet telephone and email connection when our starboard engine's alternator failed. In spite of the remote location and difficult connections we were able to diagnose a balky alternator on the starboard engine and facilitate repairs with a minimum of replacement parts. An alternator may sound like a simple item to swap out but when they are gear driven and almost 30 years old parts are difficult to come by and easy to damage when maintaining them.    

 Today I installed a new voltage regulator on to that alternator and it sprang back to life. This was a wonderful Christmas present as it means we can move the boat around with more confidence now since we don't have to worry about draining the battery on the starboard engine. While the load on this battery is light, the notion of not having a fall back alternator when running off shore in another country is intimidating. 

 As well, Village Marine converted our water maker to a higher powered 220 VAC unit free of charge (excepting my labor) and with new membranes installed it is producing water at a decent rate and good quality.

 So some of the mechanical issues that have plagued us have been resolved and the outlook for heading South to the Exumas in the Spring of 2011 is improving. Given some say oil will hit new highs again in 2012, it would seem our decision to retire at our earliest opportunity was a good decision. If it gets as high as it did in 2008 the boating industry is going to take yet another serious hit to its bottom line since no one will want to pay to play. Regardless of our ability to pay the notion of scarce oil will put a damper on anyone's travel plans and that scarcity has taken a toll over here already. There are a number of facilities that have not had fuel available for traveling boats let alone golf carts on their islands. People like to knock the development of electric cars, but if they can make them better I am sure sunny environments like the Bahamas will benefit from their efforts. 

  

 ANYWAY,

 Today we found ourselves here on a very pleasant day with light winds and calm water within the Seas of Abaco. A great day to get out in the dink. Having explored quite a bit of the area we decided that since the dink was running so well we should take a shot at Man O War Cay. The information I have indicates this Cay (pronounced key) has been named after the Man-O-War bird or Frigate. If you have more detail feel free to comment. Looking at this Cay along the main road at "The Narrows" we can clearly see the Atlantic side which is inside the reef, and the Sea of Abaco on the left. If you click on the right hand photo you will readily see the difference in sea state. Certainly we were not up for a ride on the Atlantic which has been stirred up quite a bit lately. In support of this we encounterred 1-2 foot swells and chop when traveling over the bars in between Elbow Cay and Man-O-War Cays. Even though these areas are inside the barrier reef, plenty of water was coming in beyond them to upset the ride. Otherwise we were able to maintain about 13 knots of speed in both directions. I should have brought the dive suit with me since we were traveling over prime conch grounds but having two in the freezer already is plenty and there is no need to waste it. 

 But I am ahead of myself.

 Last night we were down at the Sea Spray resort and Marina where a rather impromptu fund raiser occured. In what seems like a couple of weeks, a pleasant young woman named Lauren Chu organised The New Entry Band and Dan Baily with the Living Rhythm band along with Chad Smith from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to put on a great show that had what must have been 500 people hopping. While the Chili's are not my favorite band, without question Chad is a fantastic drummer who fills any void the other musicians might leave open. Watching him play one could easily see his head moving at least 5 to 6 times as fast as the beat of the music thus defining the tempo. 

 The fund raiser was for Every Child Counts here in the Abacos http://www.everychildcountsabaco.org/ and without question the bands did a fantastic job of bringing in the crowd AND entertaining it.  All of this was for a good cause and contributed towards making this one of the best concerts I have attended in recent memory. It took me back to some of the block parties I was lucky enough to attend in NYC. It was that kind of environment. Everyone was up close with the band and dancing within 10 feet of them. It seemed as though the band and the crowd all fed off of each other making for a lively experience.

 Very cool.

 It was fun to listen to the drum exchanges between the African bongo played by Dan and the minimal drum set that Chad was working to extremes.

 It was enough to keep me up past 10:30 last night. Wow. Good training for New Years Eve I suppose. No dis, it was indeed a great evening. 

  

 The GPS tracks of the trip in the dink have been updated, and I've uploaded some photos into the photobucket at the link provided in the blog body.

A walk on the beach

 While the weather here in the Abacos has been relatively stable things are happening in the Northern Atlantic, and those situations have been propagating their large swells all the way down here. Since the ocean swell was out of the North and East while at the same time the wind was out of the West it made for some scenic views from the shore line. The waves were rolling in and their tops were being ripped off by the wind. Generally speaking the ocean didn't look too bad at first, but a circumspect examination of the horizon indicated the water was high out there. Whenever the horizon appears close in, it's because the wave height is extreme.

 In evidence of this notion people taking their boats around Whale Cay were reporting swells between 5 and 8 feet. Certainly this is beyond our comfort zone but a good sail boat with the sheets up would be relatively stable in spite of the water. I've been out fishing in a 26 footer in that kind of water and it all depends on the boat. And this was the sentiment we heard along with the wave heights. The reports generally indicated it was doable but that caution should be exercised. 

 However our interests at this point were simple. All we were interested in was getting a little exercise via a walk on the beach.  It just so happened we wound up at "On Da Beach" which is a conveniently located spot on the Atlantic side of Elbow Cay. It's convenient because it is a decent walk South from Hope Town. Not too far mind you, but enough to justify having a beverage before the return trip. 

 After stopping in at On Da Beach, we walked down on to the beach and headed North towards Hope Town. Along the way back North we watched as a Heron (?) landed on the beach and froze in its tracks. As we approached it was content to sit tight and not move a muscle so we wondered if it was on the hunt. The closer we got the more apparant that became. Right in front of this little guy was a crab hole and he was not going to give in and retreat thus losing out on the prospect of a tastey morsel. He let me get within maybe 10 feet and didn't flinch. We didn't get to see him pounce but I'm betting there was enough persistence there to capture the quarry. Usually a relatively small bird will not let a person get to close so I felt lucky to get a shot yet not disturb the hunt.

  Moving on it seemed like things were laying down as the afternoon wore on which is a good thing for the folks looking to head South from Green Turtle etc.. But the forecast is against them. A quick check of Windfinder.com for Green Turtle indicates some significant wave heights for the next several days. Hopefully things work out for them with regard to their destinations and the holidays.

All conched out

 Today was one of those days we come to the Bahamas for. The sky was clear and blue, while the winds and water were calm. So let's go out for some conch we thought, and that we did. Upon departing Hope Town Harbour we were greeted with flat water all the way out to the reef that isolates the Sea of Abaco from the Atlantic. Today there was no need of insulation from the Atlantic as the Atlantic was calm as well. In fact boats coming around the Whale reported that the only rough water they encountered was from the wake of another boat.

 It didn't take us long to locate some conch that meets the harvest criteria. They were all over the place and given how calm the water was we didn't need the look bucket to spot them.  I was able to run  the dink at 16 knots and see them well enough to decide whether or not they were keepers. We passed up quite a few before settling in on a spot to jump in for the harvest.

 And that was an experience. I'm very happy I had the 3 mil suit on because it was not exactly warm water. Can you spell "Pucker"? But after a moment or two in the water I was more or less, ok less, acclimated to the temperature. Fortunately, in no time at all I had three keepers in the dink with Deb. I was glad I picked over where we wanted to stop as I was only in the water a few minutes at most. Perhaps the water temperature was an incentive to making quick work of the harvest.

 After collecting the conch we motored out towards the reef hoping to take in some underwater sights via the look bucket. Given we did not actually cross over the reef 'proper' we never got a look at the spectacular sights a reef provides, but we were able to spot several varieties of fish, no lobster antennas but plenty of fish. Perhaps next time. 

 After a pleasant ride back to Hope Town I unloaded the conch at the dock and pulled the animals out of the shells. At this point I gave them to Deb to skin since I had to run across the harbour to purchase fish from Down Deep Charters. I had a great excuse to skip out on skinning these crites. Down Deep was at the dock and had plenty of Grouper, Lobster and salads at a reasonable price. With this perfect excuse to bail out of skinning a slimy tough skinned crite I dumped and ran. The best part of this was knowing that I left the eye stalks on the animals so when Deb started to work on them the eyes were staring at her. 

 Anyway, we have conch for various recipes, as well as fresh grouper and lobster tails. And Deb will have nightmares due to the eye stalks staring at her. There isn't a cloud in the sky and the sun is going down on a very pleasant Bahamian day.
 The GPS data is up to date including the run in the dink.

She's still doing cart-wheels

 With a long awaited break in the weather we were able to get out onto the Sea of Abaco in the dink and get around. So we took a ride from Hope Town around to White Sound where we pulled in at the Abaco Inn for lunch. In the past we learned to expect a good lunch with a terrific view and we were not disappointed this year.

 The tuna appy and shrimp po-boy were both very good and thoroughly enjoyed. We enjoyed them almost as much as we enjoyed the view of the Atlantic with the people surfing and fishing in the calm seas. 

 On the way back about half way in between White Sound and Hope Town there is this statue of a girl doing cartwheels. It looks like she is still at it. I'm thinking this is some of the work out of Pete's Pub which is located down South a bit in Little Harbour.

Elbow Cay and not exactly Bust

 For a while we thought we were never going to arrive. But through determination and quite a bit of sweat in the form of exertion and concern, we have finally pulled into the Hope Town Marina. While the facility is undergoing an extreme make over, Aaron is terrific and doing everything he can to ensure we have a pleasant stay. Let's face it given the location he doesn't have to work too hard to enable that.

 The ride over from Guana Cay was a bit lumpy with maybe 1-2 feet of chop on the Sea of Abaco as we crossed the openings between the Cays along the way. And of course, we were greeted by a boat headed to Marsh that wanted to play chicken and refused to back off or steer a bit to indicate he was yielding right of way in spite of our being the stand on vessel. That's two years in a row someone off of Man O War has pulled this stunt. But given all the room out here, it's not such a big deal as much as it is a message to people coming to the Bahamas.

 Once beyond ManOWar the Sea of Abaco laid down and we pulled up to the slip in the marina for a month's stay. With the transom facing East we have great sunrises and the aft deck stays cooler in the afternoon. Even though this side of the harbour has no access by road, everything is very conveniently located across the harbour only short dink ride away. Usually several folks are aboard their boats out in the harbour making for a pleasant dink ride with social calls along the way.


A little video of Freedom on the move near Spanish Cay: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woBj-ec7twc 

 The GPS data is up to date, and the photo bucket has several new photos including a view of the area around the light house.