4/1/09-4/12-09 Spanish Wells to Great Guana Cay

We have been moving quite a bit again. We explored Spanish Wells which is a nice island that is also a fishing village with trawlers having large arms for holding the boats steady in rolling seas while loading lobster from their ocean condos courtesy of the lobstermen. All the fisherman were back because 4/1 is the end of lobster season to allow for all the aspects of breeding and rearing the young and I'm not sure when they molt their shell or at what stages of their growth upto about 36 inches from head to tail.

Spanish Wells is much more developed with close spaced houses, several main streets each bustling with traffic related to the aforementioned suppliers of the Red Lobster restaurants plus guiding most traffic over the Devil's Backbone route to Harbor Island. The traffic includes all professionally crewed yachts plus most of the boats such as ours and two others that used Jacque receiving a discount rate of $50 for cruising boats either power or sail.

We did some snorkeling outside of Spanish Wells but much to our disappointment the reefs were very sandy and white, the coral in poor shape with few fish. We ventured over to the north of Eluethara versus staying north of Spanish Wells, perhaps it takes many trips to find the good spots because many spots are in serious decline supposedly from killer algeas possibly due to coastal nitrate levels.

We stayed three nights in Spanish Wells enjoying ourselves as we waited out a front. We ventured over to Harbor Island with the help of a pilot on 4/4 and traveled with George and Penny of Star Shot plus John and Dottie of Mufasa. Nearly all non-locals hire a pilot because of the coral that you have to weave through and the shallows. Ann was at the helm and enjoyed the tenseness of steering through the Devil's Backbone cut on the way to Harbor Island.

Harbor Island had a resort so again it was s lot of civilization to experience. We enjoyed lunch out at the Starfish Cafe sharing grouper fingers and walked past all the colorful stores of which there were many, quite the bustling place; watch out for vehicles resembling high-power and clearance golf carts for delivering people and goods on the small hilly streets. The island is only about 1/2 mile wide. It has many flowering plants. The West Side faces the large side of Eluethara which blocks all ocean swell though a large wind chop can develop across the bay it has not prevented Valentines Marina from developing a successful restaurant, fuel and moorage business with multiple megayacht and large powerboats. The east side faces the Atlantic but is protected by a coral reef. Dive boats go out from the store at the marina with gear and equipment available for rental and purchase. The beach is clean and several miles long. Many families and couple wander and play coming from the many private homes and rentals above the beach as well as many streets coming from the town which is on the west side. We dinghied from our boats to the dock at either of the two marinas and walked for food, exercise and enjoyment. The walk to the beach only took ten minutes! One could swim out to snorkel but I would not want to hunt fish that far away my dinghy. It provides close storage of prey to avoid attracting sharks as well as a fast water exit strategy.

4/6/09 we arrived at Little Harbor after a long 60nm sail starting at 6:30 am till about 4:30. We are traveling with four boats, us, Star Shot, Siya Sinana and Never Bored. Lisa and Gary are on Never Bored, Sheila and Chris and on Never Bored. We get together for cocktails and games. Petes Pub is here and a small art gallery and you can walk to the ocean side to look for sea beans, sea glass and shells. While here Lisa broke her foot so went into Marsh Harbor for a cast. We all tagged along and explored town
while her foot was set. What a bummer; trying to get in and out of a dinghy and to shore with crutches. She is the mechanic on their boat plus very much a driving force so for her to sit by while Gary does everything is frustrating to her.

4/9/09; We headed to Tilloo Cay near Elbow Cay. On the way we stopped at Pelican Cay Land and Sea Park. We were rewarded with incredible
elkhorn coral, fans and beautiful fish. We saw a group of 5 manta rays which were incredible. The fish were used to being fed by snorkel excursions
from the islands. Tilloo Cay was a busy anchorage as all seem to be in this area due to the cruisers moving north now.

4/10 took us to Hopetown also in the Abacos, a unique little town with lots of golf carts which seem to be of great use on most of these islands.
We have not experienced the golf carts. We did visit the Elbow Cay Lighthouse and were able to visit with the keeper Franklin as he lit the kerosene
for the evening. We climbed the 100+steps and were enchanted by the beautiful view. We also got to stand next to the prisms as they circled around us.

4/11/12-Great Guana Cay is where we are presently. It also has a resort and lots of golf carts; being that it is Easter there is a large buffet
today that we will indulge in and play some bocce ball if we get the chance. Time is getting short here. Our cruising time has gone by quickly.

Happy Easter to all.

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