First, a bit of follow-up to our last post. There was a photo caption playfully referring to Terry as “Twinkletoes.” Little did we know that Lynn was sitting on some shots of her own. So, here you go, more on dinghies.
There’s just gotta be a lobster down there… somewhere!
We already said scrambling in from the water isn’t always a graceful process. (Maybe that’s why Todd’s snorkeling IN the boat. LOL) Well, at the dinghy dock, you’ll go swimming fully dressed if you aren’t careful.
The original Mr. & Mrs. TwinkletoesStuck the landing!
We’re here all week, folks. Now, on to our regularly scheduled post.
Having been told “Sunday is Funday” on Great Guana, we rented a golf cart for some exploring before hitting a legendary cruiser favorite, Nipper’s Beach Bar & Grill (more on that in a minute).
There aren’t very many roads, so our pleasant roaming didn’t take too long.
Down this dirt road, we found a “For Sale” sign near a house under construction, and it had…this enviable view!
We stopped in our travels to photograph two sharp-looking boats in the bay. SaltyMare and Finish Grade, of course.
Okay. Okay. Can we please get to Nipper’s now?? For 27 years, it’s been a “happenin'” spot for both cruisers and locals from nearby islands. Apparently on Sundays, Funday starts with the arrival of the 10:30 ferry bringing in folks from those other islands. They flock to Grabbers and of course Nippers!
Sign, sign, everywhere a sign,…
You can’t miss the place. There are signs everywhere. After the initial sign pointing off the main road, there are plenty of whimsical signs down the sandy access road to Nipper’s.
We finally made it! We timed our visit perfectly, as it was the calm before the storm of Sunday Funday folks!
No, we have not yet even tried the Nipper’s Juice
This is Nipper’s Beach Bar & Grill, perched above the beach on the Atlantic side of the island. These were snaps taken before lunch. After, the pools, the decks, and the beach were filled with folks having fun in the sun!
Multiple decksPools on two levelsAnd direct access to the fantastic beach (with just a bit of aftermath from Hurricane Dorian)
And how about that beach view? The soft, sandy beach goes in either direction for miles.
After a tasty lunch and sampling of Nipper’s Juice, basically a Rum Runner (with a top-secret recipe, of course), it was time to hit that beautiful beach. Terry & Lynn brought along something we’d never seen, a Shibumi Shade, to create a place to rest out of the sun.
Simple set up, and…Voila! Instant shade.
After combing the beach for sea beans and shells, it was definitely time for a swim, or in Todd’s case, some bodysurfing.
After all, check out those waves!Whoo Hoo!That’s some clear waterMight want to watch out behind you!
Totally a Sunday Funday for us, and you bet we all slept like babies that night. Good thing because Monday morning’s plan was to move along at first light. Next up, Marsh Harbour.
A rare glimpse of the captain and first mate on the flybridge. But which is which? Ha!
Last year we went straight into the heart of the Abacos and hustled our way south while dodging what seemed like constant weather fronts. This week, when we say we’ve had stunningly settled weather, we mean VERY settled cruising. So, you might have noticed we haven’t hustled; in fact, we’ve wandered… and that’s what cruising is all about.
For review, here’s a map showing our 140 nautical miles of movement in the Upper Abacos. You might ask, how about those other islands you missed? Well, there are other years coming. Ha!
To that end, Saturday, we had a beautiful six-hour cruise to Allans-Pensacola Cay. The water was so clear we watched the bottom go by for hours!
It doesn’t get much smoother than this!
As soon as we got anchored in the small cove, Todd dove right in. Both crews were able to use the crystal-clear water to verify and adjust depth gauges.
Todd snorkeled his way over to Finish Gradeto say, “Howdy, neighbor!”
We thought we’d stay a couple of nights and then make a few more stops in the Upper Abacos, but then there was a change in the forecast. Uh-oh. Not a major change but one that suggested more vigorous weather in a couple of days or so. Since farther down the Abacos we have to come out from behind the barrier islands at some point, we decided, why not scoot through there when the weather is good and not wait for the stuff that’s coming. Hence, wanting to get through the Whale Cay Channel before some wind riled it up, we did what you do on a boat, i.e., keep your knees flexed. We dashed over to discuss the change of plans with Terry and Lynn (in the dinghy this time), took in the sunset, and charted a new course for a new spot: Great Guana Cay. Allans-Pensacola goes back on the list for a future visit. (Hope we didn’t miss out on some good sea beans!)
SaltyMare and Finish Grade at Allans – Pensacola Cay, briefly…
Saturday morning, there was time for a peaceful sunrise with a cup of coffee, and then we weighed anchor for another pretty day of cruising.
And it was! Pretty, that is. Trying to describe the colors in words or capture them in photos is impossible. And the water was even more clear, if that was possible.
As a bonus, we were cruising along Great Abaco most of the day, within reach of WIFI. Susie could catch up on the photos and posts! (Ummm…is that really a “bonus,” gang?)
Cruising along the islandYippee! Look at all those cell towers!
We had yet another day of beautiful cruising in the Sea of Abaco, then out into the North Atlantic in the Whale Cay Channel, around Whale Cay, and back into the Sea of Abaco. Smooth as good iced tea. Love it when a plan comes together.
Two Rocks (yes, it’s on the chart)Great Guana CayThis guy came along to welcome us to the anchorage
Having missed out on exploring Allans-Pensacola Cay, we were anxious to step off the boats to see Great Guana Cay.
Careful twinkle toes!
Apparently, they will be expecting us again next year.
Pssst. Nice shot but aren’t we coming back tomorrow??
We opted for dinner at Grabbers, one of two Great Guana hot spots.
No fair teasing us. That wasn’t on the menu.Terry’s perfect toss!Before he switched to hamming it up for the camera (but he actually did have a blister – ouch)
Impromptu changes in plan can be fun! 😉
After a short walk, a few bar games, and a good meal, the sun put the final note on our pleasant day.
Sundown at Grabbers
We’ve been told “Sunday is Funday” at Great Guana Cay, so next up, Nippers!
Thursday, we opted for a short 14-nautical mile cruise northwest to Double Breasted Cay, reputed to have a sandbar to tickle the fancy of our inner swimsuit models.
We anchored outside the sandy area (pink arrow), and – perfectly timed for low tide (thank you, Captain) – launched the dinghies and headed to Sand Cay (orange arrow).
There were a couple of other boats anchored on the south side of Sand Cay, Plan Sea and Mystic. We met John & Cindy (Mystic) in November at Lady’s Island Marina in Beaufort, SC. It was good to see them cruising with their friends, and hopefully our paths will cross again.
Hello, Plan Sea and Mystic. Enjoy retirement!
After swinging by to greet Plan Sea and Mystic, who were on current lee side of the little Sand Cay, we cruised over to the current side and started our exploration of the sandbar and island.
Double Breasted Cay Todd and Terry on Sand CaySorry, guys, plenty of sand but no swimsuit models in sight.
We wandered through the sandbar and ended up going around the whole cay, finding so many sea creatures. Never seen anything like it – all this in just a few inches of water. It was like snorkeling, without gear or swimming!
That’s no rockIt’s a conch, that was “rapidly” making tracks
Video Time!
How about a short spine sea urchin? Just walking by!
And Todd’s seen plenty of feather duster tubeworms whilst diving, but here we touch them in 3-4 inches of water!
We momentarily interrupted this absolutely beautiful whelk having a bite to eat.
Whelks have to eat, too, you knowShame he’s still using that fabulous shell
And even in these extremely shallow waters we found anemones and live corals….
Todd tried out his new underwater camera,
without getting in the water!It takes a nice picture
Back at the dinghies, this little guy tried so hard not to move.
Maybe they won’t see me.
And a stingray cruised through to bid us farewell. Okay, okay, it was cruising along for food.
Todd assured us….they are not…interested in people toes!
We didn’t know what to do after that extravaganza, but we knew we wanted more! So, we cruised into a shallow section that cut through the whole “island.” Maybe that’s where the name came from. a set of islands that kind of wrap on to one another. Anyway, we started to see glimpses of our boats and just had to snap a few.
With both vessels shipshape and their crews raring to go, we headed away from West End Tuesday morning. Aimed at Great Sale Cay, which for those cruisers headed through the Abacos, is a typical spot. Which makes one wonder why it’s still for sale! That’s right, for $9.9 million you can own these 370 acres! Seems with all the cruisers that go by, it might be a good investment! For us it was a pleasant eight-hour, EVENT FREE, cruise to tuck in for a beautiful sunset.
Finish Grade and crewA sail approaching Great Sale CaySaltyMare and first mateAnd what a show it was. Even the moon’s up there smiling!
In the morning, we left the big gals peacefully bobbling at anchor and took the dinghies to shore for some exploring!
Some of the shoreline was sandyMost was rockyLynn, the Queen of Sea Biscuits!
A quick note about dinghies: getting in is not always accomplished with grace. We have in our possession a great video taken right after the smiling shot below, but I promised Lynn I wouldn’t post it. For now… 😉
Terry & LynnCapt Todd retrieving the anchor
The intrepid explorers with SaltyMare & Finish Grade in the background (and Wilson’s Bahamian cousin overhead)
Prize for the most special find goes to Todd – a beautiful Pinna Nobilis, aka Noble Pen Shell
Ah, West End, a peruse through Bahamian history will speak of the importance of this humble spot. A massive hotel and resort (Jack Tar) with all the trappings – marina, golf courses, and international airport – created in the early 1960s helped put the Bahamas on the worldwide tourist map. Well, island malaise and a couple of crippling hurricanes doomed this once thriving community. But it’s slowly coming back. Gone is the massive crumbling resort Todd saw on his first trip to the Bahamas decades ago. It’s been replaced by a charming set of hotel blocks/cottages, still a safe marina, and the runway? Well, folks like John Travolta used it when they visited their homes here. West End remains the hub of this end of the island and surprisingly is the capital of Grand Bahama.
It’s no longer a “destination” island for most cruisers. It’s more of a convenient place to check in at Customs and Immigration, stay a night or so and move on. However, during the summer it’s a hot spot, given the short 55 mile run from West Palm Beach.
For us, it was a needed safe harbor for our little group. No pit stop in the islands should be all work though, so in lemonade-from-lemons fashion, we spent the days in a mix of tasks and play.
Oh, my aching thighs!
One afternoon, we took bikes (free at the resort) to the West End Village for some exploring. We were told it was about a mile, but pedaling against the breeze off the ocean made it feel more like five miles.
Let’s stop to look at the pretty church. Please, can we stop? 🙂Saint Mary Magdalene Church, built in 1893
After more intense aerobics, I mean pedaling, we came to Shabo’s and Sherry’s, a delightful family-run conch stand in the West End Village. Feeling deserving of a treat, we stopped. (We stopped again. Yeah!)
A quick tutorial on how the conch is harvestedLynn was the first to gamely try the Conch Pistol (look it up)
The “harvest” is quick. First, he tapped an expertly placed, small hole where the muscle connects inside the shell, and then:
DISCLAIMER: You may not like this part, Mom 😦
After seeing how it’s done and trying the Conch Pistol, we stepped around front to order totally fresh conch salad.
Solving the world’s problems while we wait?That’s a LOT of conch shells!
With fresh conch salad snacks in our baskets, we rode the bikes A-L-L the way back to the marina area. Todd and Terry kept going out to the point, so Terry could see where they’d been towed in (since he was pretty much locked up in the engine room for that part). Susie and Lynn decided to stop for some beach combing instead. (Stop again. Get it? Well, there was this hill and everything…)
Searching for treasures
We hit a couple of the beaches for some beach combing during our stay. The sea glass was plentiful, and we even found a few whole sea fans, but there were a couple of unique finds.
Susie picked up this pretty little Pencil Urchin that has not yet lost all its spines
Then Lynn stumbled onto the piece de resistance, an actual…
Message in a Bottle!
She tucked the bottle in her bag and saved it as a surprise to open with the guys at dinner.
It was pretty exciting. Unfortunately, the letter was in Spanish, so none of us can read it, except the date. Even we gringos could see that it was only a few weeks old. So, Lynn plans to add a note about where we found it and re-“mail” it when we’re back on the ocean.
Excellent penmanshipAbout the bubbly and fancy gold chargers, my lips are sealed.
Watching the sea life
SaltyMare was tucked into the back corner of the marina, very protected from the current – kind of like being docked in an aquarium. And with the beautiful, clear Carribean water, we saw some fun sea creatures. Lots of fish cruising through and an occasional shark!
There was even a manatee who swam through the docks. Rascal headed away from us even though we tried to lure him with the freshwater hose.
He moved away very slowly, almost like watching a sloth, save the swish of the tail.NeedlefishThis Filefish was most…interested in a bit ot produce someone tossed out
Back to work
When we arrived at the marina, Kyle, the dockmaster, touched the SaltyMare and proclaimed, “There’s enough salt here to cure a fish.” So, among the aforementioned chores, both boats received well-deserved baths.
Popeye the SailormanWorking on the anchors and shackles, the old saltwater swimming pool in the background!
Back to the main reason we were here, Finish Grade’s engine issues had been diagnosed and addressed, but we still needed a few things to finish the job. Monday, we rented a car to drive into Freeport in search of the last necessary items, and after many phone calls and checking several marine and auto part stores, we had not found everything. There was only one place left to try, and when we got there, it was…CLOSED. Not closed for lunch but closed til Wednesday! Oh no!
But have no fear, because between Todd’s gently barge in and start talking and Terry’s southern charm working on the nice lady who just came by to feed the animals inside, guess what? Thank the Lord! We found the only bottles of anti-algae for diesels on the island!
Success!
With that accomplished, Terry can treat Finish Grade‘s fuel tanks and in the morning we’re outta here! Next stop, Great Sale Cay!
Our Travels 