One Month to Abacos

The heavy winds died down (FINALLY) and after several conversations with our new boater friends in West End, it was time to traverse the approximately 100 nautical miles to the "prime" cruising grounds in the Sea of Abaco.  In order to do so, we had to travel due east - and of course the winds were blowing from due east!  That meant we had to go directly into the wind and could not sail.


Up at first light (6:45 AM) since it was a high tide, all 6 boats traveling together, decided to take a short cut through Indian Pass.  It worked well thus cutting off about 15 miles of our journey.  We then turned the engine up as far as we could and made about 5 knots in 2-3 foot seas winds blowing 15-18 knots all the way to Great Sale, a large cay that provided good anchoring protection.  Upon arrival at 4:30 PM, we had a nice dinner and collapsed into bed.


Next day we repeated this scenario (except the seas were rougher and a bit higher) and the boat made only about 4 knots all the way to Spanish Cay.  Yeah!  We were in the Sea of Abaco and the conditions immediately improved.  One of our new boat friends, Deb and Denny, s/v True North, from Deadwood, South Dakota, took a slip nearby.  We soaked in the marina's hot tub and toasted that we had finally made it to the lovely cruising grounds!  We had a wonderful grouper dinner and decided the next day, we would go to Green Turtle Cay just 14 miles away and check into the marina for more recouperation and fun.


Green Turtle is only 3 miles long and 1 mile wide at its widest point with a population of 450.  It is the home of New Plymouth, an English settlement dating from the 1750s.  We rented a golf cart to explore its charming little homes and today will attend one of its only churches, the historic Anglican Episcopal church that was recently refurbished and looks over the harbor.


When we arrived here, our friends the Buschers from the Sail Club were here on s/v Serendipity.  They are awaiting their son and his family, who are flying in from Florida to join them for a week.  Our friends, Sue and Gene Fuller, on s/v Yorkshire Rose went to Double Breasted Cay and are heading back here to join us either today or tomorrow.  Our friends, Diana and Joe Lehr, on s/v Cavalier, are on the mooring ball at Dinner Key, Miami, FL waiting for a weather window to cross over.  We hope they can still join us.


Check out our pictures below by clicking on them!  Our plans are to stay here for a few days and then go through Whale Cut to Treasure Cay..  


Click on Pictures