Our Travels

Under clearing skies, we headed 18.7 nautical miles north from Rock Sound to Kemps Bight. There was supposed to be excellent snorkeling in the nearby Kemps Creek. Unfortunately, the wind direction and waves were not in our favor. When we went around the corner in our dinghies, the conditions were too rough to snorkel. So, we’ll save that area for next time.

This time, we headed back to the safety of the little bay to snorkel along the rock ledge near the boats and walk the little beach.

It was a short dive, as the recent storms had really increased the turbidity of the water, but we still found some interesting things. The first picture is of a Lion Fish. Introduced to the Atlantic and Caribbean by accident, it has been a scourge ever since. This invasive species has a voracious appetite and wipes the little tropical fish off any reef. Todd was sorry to leave it alive. A big green vase sponge and starfish are always fun to see.

The little beach got us a short walk and little else. It was a short stop but a pretty little bay, and we will put it on the list to remember.

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Wednesday, we kept moving up the Eleuthera coast headed for Alabaster Bay. Along the way we happened to notice the Sisal plants were in bloom on the little Pineapple Cays that we had stayed near in March. Those big stalks sticking way up have yellow flowers – that’s quite a blossom.

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The compact Alabaster Bay is familiar to us, as last year we stopped there twice but circumstances didn’t allow us to get off the boat either time. So familiar? Yes but, unexplored.

This trip we got off the boat and wandered the large area of shallows and sandbars…what a treat!

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It’s just natural to look down into the clear water as you tread through it. And oh, the things you find! First up, the urchins:

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Then the sand dollars:

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A couple of fun star fish:

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And this cool fella, a large jellyfish, maybe 7-8 inches in diameter.

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But the most unexpected find? That award goes to Lynn. She and Susie wandered off around the corner to explore the rocky shoreline. Along the way, Lynn reached down and picked up a dark object Susie at first thought was a rock, due to the glare from the sun. As Susie states, “Hey, that looks like a tug,” Lynn turned it around to reveal a little smiling face. It was a tug! A small pottery tug with only minor damage to one side of the smokestack.

What makes this find even more interesting is the history of our boat. When we purchased SaltyMare, her name was “Theodore,” after a Canadian children’s cartoon character, Theodore the Tug. And the previous owners’ last name begins with a “B.” We flipped the little tug over to reveal hand-painted initials of “J.B.” Unbelievable!

It was meant to be. Theodore now resides in our salon to smile at us every day.

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Mission Update:

Doing well, continuing to move “north,” as the upcoming “weather window” for our next passage across from Eleuthera to the Abacos is looking like the weekend. Maybe….

170 miles complete! A little over a hundred to go. Yeah! Still hoping on that Saturday or Sunday window to cross to the Abacos (just below the blue and white scale).