Going Home

Early the next morning, a straight course was set.  West End to the St Lucie inlet to the Manatee pocket and home. An eight hour journey across the sea, riding the swells and the vagaries of the ocean in the most seaworthy of boats, Dream Seeker.

We return  early to prepare for our next adventure, Iceland and the Nordic countries on a 600 passenger vessel sailed by a different captain. 

I am sure there will be times when we will be longing for the Bahamian sunshine.

Take me to the ocean. Let me sail the open sea. To breathe the warm and salty air and dream of things to be.—- Erika Billups

The last two are videos. I hope they play for you.

Green Turtle to Great Sale

Our fellow travelers are spending another few days in Green Turtle, so we say our good-byes with farewell drinks. We leave in the morning. See you next week!

Anchoring for the night at Great Sale, on our way to Old Bahama Bay at West End, we had drinks and dinner under the stars.

The sea was murky but warm and calm. Denny called it a Fish Mud. I thought it was just full of vegetation from the hurricane. This proved to be prophetic when we pulled up anchor the next morning.

Part of a tree was securely fastened to the anchor, over and over again by curls of anchor chain.  Oh! No! Came from Denny”s mouth again.

Grab that piece! Give me a line! Lasso that branch! Can you reach it? Do we have a saw?

Perhaps we can flip it. Clockwise or counter clockwise? Lower it! Raise it!  

Two hours later the tree released us from its menacing grasp and returned to its sinister grave.

Sailed off to the West End of OBB and tied up at the Marina. My comment to the dockhand,“It is cooler than three weeks ago when we were here last” was met with disbelief and a retort “It is probably the hour”. 

The local restaurant laden with boaters assuaged our hunger and thirst. The ambiance gave us peace.

Nippers

The settlement on Great Guana Cay is one of the smallest in the Abacos.  One-hundred and twenty-seven persons call this home.  Its’ principal asset has long been its beautiful ocean beaches. One of the widest beaches in the Abacos, it stretches five and one-half miles long. 

How far is it to Nippers? I asked a local.  “We can get you a golf cart”  My response, “no, we need the exercise” was met with consternation and a wry smile.  Oppressive heat and bright sunshine permeated the air. 

Bob Marley music blaring, two salt water pools full of noisy patrons, an empty gift shop, a bar selling rum punches and a beautiful beach with panoramic views, we are at a totally redone “Nippers” 

Denny decided to try snorkeling off the beach at Nippers while the rest of us trodded further down the island to Grabbers. By then, a golf cart sounded like a good thing.

Music softly playing a large empty pool a great bar serving frozen Rum punches in huge conical vats.  I felt calmer and much happier. One-half hour later I was even happier to see Denny meet up with us.

On the other side of the island is Bakers Bay resort, is a  private upscale community patterned  after Caribbean port towns in the 1700’s. It was originally developed as a cruise ship destination.

But everyone shows up at Nippers.

The sign in the harbor says “its better in the Bahamas but its gooder in Guana”

The settlement on Great Guana Cay is one of the smallest in the Abacos.  One-hundred and twenty-seven persons call this home.  Its’ principal asset has long been its beautiful ocean beaches. One of the widest beaches in the Abacos, it stretches five and one-half miles long. 

How far is it to Nippers? I asked a local.  “We can get you a golf cart”  My response, “no, we need the exercise” was met with consternation and a wry smile.  Oppressive heat and bright sunshine permeated the air. 

Bob Marley music blaring, two salt water pools full of noisy patrons, an empty gift shop, a bar selling rum punches and a beautiful beach with panoramic views, we are at a totally redone “Nippers” 

Denny decided to try snorkeling off the beach at Nippers while the rest of us trodded further down the island to Grabbers. By then, a golf cart sounded like a good thing.

Music softly playing a large empty pool a great bar serving frozen Rum punches in huge conical vats.  I felt calmer and much happier. One-half hour later I was even happier to see Denny meet up with us.

On the other side of the island is Bakers Bay resort, is a  private upscale community patterned  after Caribbean port towns in the 1700’s. It was developed as a cruise ship destination.

The sign in the harbor says “its better in the Bahamas but its Gooder in Guana”

The Island Ferry

Soda cans, paper towels, produce and passengers filled the Ferry for its twenty minute bumpy ride from Marsh Harbor to Man-O-War Cay.  This Cay looks amazingly untouched; very little damage.

Asked the proprietor of a gift shop,  who’s only book for sale is one of my favorites “The Soul of an Octopus “  how she fared during the storm.  “We rode out the storm in the comfort of our home,  the people who built these houses are boat builders. They built for strength and endurance.”

Hopping from shady spot to shady spot we walked the two mile long island researching boat yards and yearning for rum raisin ice cream.

Since I have known Denny he has repeatedly told me about Man-O-War’s rum raisin ice cream, the only source of alcohol on this entire island.  Sadly, his dream never fulfilled, we settled for vanilla. The one ice cream shop on the island was out of rum raisin.

Returned on the ferry and walked a mile back to Dream Seeker,  Downhill all the way.

The pool at The Abaco Resort and its various delights are waiting.

The Abaco Inn and Resort

The Abaco Inn and Resort

The pool with its gracious floating bar was the only item salvaged in this completely rebuilt Resort. Dream Seeker and Defiant gave it a good test.. Lots of people here for the Fourth of July, most of them on large sport fishing boats. The resort sponsors a big celebration for the American independence Day; the Bahamian Independence Day is July 10.

Red White and Blue was everywhere on the well lighted dock. On one end, the young sports fishermen were blaring out their deafening music, on the other end country, pop and patriotic music was filling the air. Crab races for the kids.

Dancing alone with my fourth of July glasses on, I was asked how much I had to drink to enjoy myself this well. My limit is one a day I told her. She retorted “over sixty you should stop drinking alcohol and use weed instead, it is better for your health”. She became my newest best friend.

A resident told me he and his wife rode out Dorian in his house until it started to blow the house away around him. They ran for their car and stayed there for the duration; only saved by the Grace of God.

The old Conch Inn  and Marina site saddened me, nothing is as I remembered it. The pilings are there but in total disarray. None of the docks are there. Some of the town is rebuilt but most is not. Colors, a new restaurant near the old Inn, served excellent fish wraps and Bahamian chowder with Johnnycakes.

The  taxi driver who took us into town and back was old enough to remember all the places I remember. “The Golden Harvest”, Oh it burnt down.  “How about the bakery” Oh, that burnt down too, the grocery, that too.   A brand new Maxwells grocery store took its place, Surprisingly, it looks like a Publix.

Denny spent a lot of time, walking everywhere, finding parts to repair the dinghy and securing it back on the deck.   Complaining all the way, I walked  with Denny uphill one mile in the broiling sun to take the ferry to Man O War Cay. 

That tale for tomorrow.

Tahiti Beach

Sailing into Tahiti beach, the sea ten feet below us, a bright green, the sandy bottom clearly in view, we drop anchor. The four hundred pound dinghy usually  resides on Dream Seekers top deck and when needed, is launched seamlessly off  its perch using a cable, a davit and an electric winch

Today was not as seamless.  Oh! No!  That is not quite what Denny said but it will do for this narrative.

Halfway down, just above the cockpit awning, the cable broke, dropping the dinghy straight down until it collided with the awning, bent the awning, swiveled and landed in the water upside down with a huge thud. 

A dinghy is usually equipped with an anchor, flashlights flares and numerous other necessary sundries. All of these plus the engine, seats, oars, boat hook and fuel tanks, et.al.,sank to the bottom.

The snorkeling gear went on Denny and Denny went in the water but not for colorful marine life. “Here is a seat, grab that box, catch this boat hook”, the water logged equipment slowly filled the cockpit.  The thirty year old engine has finally met its demise.

Towing a disheveled dinghy we limped into The Abacos Inn and Resort in Marsh Harbor. Waving to our traveling companions.

Hope Town

Our approach to Hope Town was slow and unnerving, Its landmark  candy-striped lighthouse coming Into view. Dream Seeker has a 5 foot keel and the water depth showed just six inches of sea under it. Huge vessels on either side of us, the way narrow, Robert, the great, as he calls himself guided us  into the slip from shore.  The Hope Town Marina is thriving, full of enormous boats, overflowing cottages and many of the small shops are open.

Two Stuart Corinthian Yacht Club (SCYC) flags were flying on separate boats docked close to us. We were with friends again;  Rich and Eileen on Defiant and Stan and Diane on Dealers Choice.

We walked around to the still standing and newly repaired lighthouse. Denny climbed it and I pleaded a bad knee. 

Dorian destroyed most of Hope Town but not its’ heart. Rebuilding has not only begun, it has soared. The streets are mostly concrete paths set between colorfully painted houses, touched with gingerbread eaves and picket fences; some homes were salvaged, some saved  and some newly built.

Where once we had to take our dinghy, now the ferry takes you across the small bay to the heart of downtown. Vernons’ grocery store was only partially stocked but adequate and Captain Jacks, is completely rebuilt and providing food and drink in breezy comfort.  The former, beautiful and thriving Hope Town Inn, was completely destroyed but the land is on sale for five million dollars.

Leaving friends for a day and heading for Tahiti Beach to run the dinghy and do a little snorkeling.

Anchorage

Green Turtle to Bakers Bay Anchorage

Off to Bakers Bay for a day of snorkeling and regrouping.

Two miles out and the clouds roll in, the thundering starts and the wind blows in the rain.  

“Didn’t you check the weather this morning?” No it just looked so sunny and calm. Let us soldier on, maybe it will clear. “The radar doesn’t say it will”. Two miles further, heavy rain and  winds blowing 20-30 miles per hour,  we returned to Green Turtle and safety.

I spent the next four hours trying to remember how to use the Word Press software.  It seems they have made a few changes since I last used it.  I wanted to get my Blog sent out. 

The Word Press help site is called “The Happiness Engineer”. So I chatted with them and explained that I was not very happy.  They were cheerful and helpful even going so far as making a video just for my problem and emailing it to me. Unfortunately they no longer email out my blocks in full color.  You have to go onto the Dreamseeker.blog site to see it in all its glory. Unfortunately,  two of the same blog were published.

But by this time we were well into cocktail time and Denny was thirsty. The happiness engineer sent me a email of our entire four hour conversation and I put the issue to rest until morning.

Elbow Cay

Manjack Anchorage to Geen Turtle

Denny is trying to learn how to be flexible.  Not an easy feat for a man like him, but he is making progress.

Dream Seeker, Dream Seeker, this is Blue Sky, came over the radio again. “Trying to make contact all morning.  Black powder is all over my engine room. The last time I saw that it was during sea trials.  The transmission was bad and we had a new one put in.  Unsure of our next step”

Blue Sky is on her way home. They can move forward but not backward which makes docking difficult. They have lost their mojo.. Go! while God and the weather are with you. You will be missed.

It has been, forty years for Denny, twenty for Arden, since last being in Green Turtle Cay. Four years ago,  hurricane Dorian ravaged the island. A community of 450 God fearing people with amazing family values and an incredible work ethic. All things change.  This for the better.

Our slip mates, hailing from Hobe Sound, have been in Green Turtle for the last month.  They offered us use of their golf cart for the afternoon and we made good use of it. The two mile ride from Black sound to White sound now has  a paved road although we didn’t find it till the ride back.

A custom  house, a grocery store, many churches and a few chickens are fighting their way back from  complete devastation from Dorian. Miss Emily’s Blue Bee Bar with its Goom-Bay  smashes and music, was one of the first to recover.  The churches and grocery stores were rebuilt next. New Plymouth has changed but is still standing strong.

Absolutely fresh grilled mahi mahi on Bahamian rolls were a delight. Cocktails with our slip neighbors and “On to tomorrow?”

Anchorage to Green Turtle

Denny is trying to learn how to be flexible.  Not an easy feat for a man like him, but he is making progress.

Dream Seeker, Dream Seeker, this is Blue Sky, came over the radio again. “Trying to make contact all morning.  Black powder is all over my engine room. The last time I saw that it was during sea trials.  The transmission was bad and we had a new one put in.  Unsure of our next step”

Blue Sky is on her way home. They can move forward but not backward which makes docking difficult. They have lost their mojo.. Go! while God and the weather are with you. You will be missed.

It has been, forty years for Denny, twenty for Arden, since last being in Green Turtle Cay. Four years ago,  hurricane Dorian ravaged the island. A community of 450 God fearing people with amazing family values and an incredible work ethic. All things change.  This for the better.

Our slip mates, hailing from Hobe Sound, have been in Green Turtle for the last month.  They offered us use of their golf cart for the afternoon and we made good use of it. The two mile ride from Black sound to White sound now has  a paved road although we didn’t find it till the ride back.

A custom  house, a grocery store, many churches and a few chickens are fighting their way back from  complete devastation from Dorian. Miss Emily’s Blue Bee Bar with its Goom-Bay  smashes and music, was one of the first to recover.  The churches and grocery stores were rebuilt next. New Plymouth has changed but is still standing strong.

Absolutely fresh grilled mahi mahi on Bahamian rolls were a delight. Cocktails with our slip neighbors and “On to tomorrow?”