When we left Little Harbor, Abacos, Art and Brenda were listening to the local net on the VHF, based out of Marsh Harbor. They first give the weather locally and then take observations from around the Abacos for boats and businesses to get an idea of what each community is seeing outside their windows as far as winds, surf, and rain is concerned. As Pete's Pub responded, Art heard Pete state he had seen two sailboats depart the anchorage and head out into the Northwest Providence Channel, and they were doing fine. He was referring to the condition of the swells that might impede progress (they can be pretty brutal under certain circumstances). That was us!
The above picture is the last of the coast of the Abacos as we departed the inlet to Little Harbor.
Winds were 20kts from the South, so once again, we were headed directly into the wind for 50nm!! ARGGH! What was interesting to me was the depth. We traveled over areas that were 15,000 feet deep. When we arrived at Spanish Wells Harbor, we still had 6,000 feet below us a mile off shore.
We were there one night. Art and Brenda decided not to stay there and moved across the bay to Jacks Bluff Settlement. We joined them on the 27th.
We were 2.2nm from Spanish Wells and the four of us decided to take the dinghy trip over to see the town. We decided right there we would do what ever we could to avoid a 2.2nm trip in the dinghy again! It sure seems to be a VERY LONG WAY!
Spanish Wells is very definately a fishing village. It is often the first stop south from the Abacos and the last stop north for boaters heading for the Abacos and on to return to the US at the end of the season.
We spent lunch talking with some younger local residents. These fishing boats go out for six weeks at a time diving for "crawfish" - actually spiny lobsters. The divers descend to 100 feet free diving in all weather. Not something I could do!!
We spent the next day at Jack's Bluff. The settlement has been in existance for 100 years, however, it was the base for the laborers who worked on the resort and golf course across the harbor.
From Bluff Settlement, we motored back around the harbor to Current Cut. This is one of three inlets for transiting from the Northwest Providence Channel to Eleuthra Sound. At maximum, the current flows at about 5kts. We anchored off the shoreline about 1/2nm from the mouth of the inlet and a hundred yards off the shore.
We asked a local lady for directions to a store. It turned out to be a new friend, Tonja Hammond, from Waco, Texas. Her husband is a local physician in Texas, and she was finishing her vacation.
She was gracious enough to take the four of us to Elvina's to listen to local muscians, however, it was not to be. So we went on to Hatchett Bay for dinner. Shoot, it was a 60 minute car ride from the boat that night. We had a ball. Sundowners were great though!
The next morning, we departed just prior to slack tide to get through Current Cut with the current just slightly against us. That was good, as it provided resistance and improved our steering ability. I would NOT have wanted to do that with a stronger opposing current.
So on to Hatchett Bay, and from there Rock Sound Harbor. Cya when we get there!
JonNe'
