Happy New Year!
03 January 2006 | Spanish Wells
We arrived in Royal Island after the 55 mile passage from the Abacos. We have left the norhern Bahamas and are now in the Central Bahamas. Royal Island is part of Eleuthra a long thin island which borders the eastern shore of the Bahamas. Royal Island is a desserted island which was devastated by Hurricane Andrew back in 1992 and was never rebuilt. There are still walls and structures of buildings which remain.Beautiful tiled floors and at one time there were some nice villas. It was interesting to explore the island, there is a very nice protected harbour on the south side and a white sandy beach on the north shore facing the Atlantic Ocean. Apparently the island has been purchased and there is talk of building a resort and golf course?? We spent the night there then continued over to Spanish Wells on St Georges Cay located on the northern tip of Eleuthra. It is a bustling little town. Yes, there are cars and plenty of golf carts and ATV's and bicycles but no stoplight!
The few streets were just given names 3 years ago. One main street which stretches the length of the island and about 20 which go accross it. Spanish Wells was settled by the Loyalists in the 1700's who left America after the Revolutionary War to escape democracy. These families came from Virginia, Georgia and the Carolinas from the large cotton plantations in hopes of making a living on the islands and to continue living their opulent life. They soon dicovered that cotton and tobacco and not much will grow in the soil of these islands and many lost their fortune and either went back to England or back to the America. The slaves they had brought with them were all set free. Some did stay and try to make a go of it in the islands with pineapples and sponge farming.
Today Spanish Wells is a booming lobster town! The fishing/lobster fleet is based out of here and it is thriving!