Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Road trip!

Since we didn't get all the way south in the Abacos (by boat), we battened down the hatches, adjusted our dock lines, and rented a car this morning to see Little Harbour and Pete's Pub and Gallery.  Winds were blowing 25-30 kts, but the rain had stopped and the winds felt like they were easing up.  Captain Cooper made the executive decision that we could leave Virginia Dare at the marina and do some sightseeing.
Right-hand driver's side.....left side of road.

Golf! Makes me think of the Amanda, Rebecca, and the NMC golf committee preparing for this year's Scholarship Open :)

Looks a little like the U.P. of Michigan

Ad on map: Buddy's Abaco Adventure on Prozac.  What does that mean???  Does each person take a tablet at the beginning of the adventure?  Crazy!

Sand road to Pete's Pub and Gallery

Caution....slow down, way down.

Little Harbour.......proving that not every day is 80 degrees and sunny!

We have arrived!
Pete's Pub

Their signature rum drink, The Blaster
Selfie in Little Harbour

People leave tee shirts and stickers all over the bar.....if you don't come with a shirt or sticker, you can write with a Sharpie.

!!!

I wish we had an M-37 sticker to add to the collection......maybe next year......
We weren't there for a pig roast

A short walk over a hill leads to the Atlantic Ocean

Atlantic Ocean

Looking south toward Cherokee Sound
The gallery is full of bronze sculptures from the late Randolph Johnston and his son, Peter

A cat and an eagle fighting over a fish

Whimsy on the wall

Very beautiful work

Speed bumps on the harbor road

Our Nissan Bluebird

Drive-by photo of a pretty house

Farewell Little Harbour, we're happy to have made it there.  

It's not every day that peacocks cross the road in front of you!

Beautiful colors!

Beware...

Stopped at the "American" grocery store........mmmm?

Can't say that we're having pig's feet or tails for dinner any time soon.
We got back to the boat and all was well!  The wind is still blowing 20-25 kts, but the rain has stopped.  Looks like we'll get back to Man O War on Friday after everything blows through.

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Snake Cay > Treasure Cay

Friends in Man O War had told us about some nice snorkeling near Snake Cay, so we thought we'd check it out when we left Hope Town and headed south toward Little Harbor, a place we definitely wanted to see.  Our first anchorage at Snake Cay (Saturday) was well protected from the 15-20 kt westerly winds.  We didn't feel comfortable leaving Virginia Dare at anchor in those conditions while we dinghied out of sight to the snorkeling area, so we stayed on board, read our books, played cribbage, and made dinner around sunset.  The weather report on Sunday morning was for the winds to pick up and clock around to the north, so we moved a couple hundred yards and anchored just south of Cormorant Cay, protected from the predicted northerlies.

Sunday night turned into Monday morning and the winds were still out of the west......at least we were ready for northerlies that didn't arrive.

The sandy spit just below the Saturday arrow is an abandoned marina project that provided great protection to the south.

Cribbage in the cockpit

Saturday night's sunset

Saturday night dinner from the grill

The shoreline of Snake Cay reminded us a little of the shore of Lake Superior

Sunday night's sunset

Souvenir from Snake Cay......horse fly bites!  The wind was REALLY blowing and we were surprised at the number of flies/horse flies that made it to the cockpit.  We hadn't really experienced flies as a nuisance since we arrived in the Bahamas in mid-March.  Usually they "attack" when the wind is still, which it definitely was not.  

Sunday morning's forecast mentioned this storm moving our way, so we decided to head north to a protected harbor at Treasure Cay.

For most of the 27-mile trip, we motored into the wind and waves.
L>R speed over ground 4.7 kts, depth of water 19.1', heading northwest (322 degrees magnetic), and true wind speed 23.8 kts

Slowed and altered course to let this barge move through


Setting sun from our slip at Treasure Cay Marina

3-mile beach, Sea of Abaco.......dark clouds in the distance
So, we think we'll rent a car and drive down to Little Harbor while the storm moves through......a little road tripping :)  Stay tuned.  It's raining as I write this........

Friday, April 24, 2015

Elbow Reef Lighthouse

We walked to the lighthouse this morning and gave ourselves a tour.  The lighthouse is still in use and is lit every night by a single flame.

The pamphlet box was empty, but these are the details hanging above the door:

Built in 1864
Rebuilt in 1934
Candle power 325,000
Visibility 17 miles (from a single flame!)
Height above sea level 120'
Height above ground 89'
101 steps to lantern


Path to lighthouse (see it peeking over the trees?)

Welcome, friends!




Steep stairs

Hope Town




Hope Town Harbour (Atlantic Ocean in the distance)

Virginia Dare is dwarfed by the mega-yacht next to her (center of photo)

Reflections

Small door to balcony!

Knob of small door

Prisms

Wick/mantle

Wheels that turn the light

Hold tight!


Bahamian flag

Show off :)

Shadows

Fish at lighthouse dinghy dock
Dinghying around in the evening

Taken at dusk from our (moving) boat -- lightkeeper heading upstairs

That light is emanating from a single flame.  Wow.