SPANISH WELLS
31 January 2013
MAP
LIVING WELL and GRATITUDE moved from Rose Island on Saturday morning , Jan 26, 2013. We traveled a few hours North -East to a beautiful little harbor called Royal Harbor on Royal Island, just off of Eleuthera. This island is very similar to Allen's key with a 360* protected area except where the entrance to the harbor is located. We played in the dinghys', met some of the neighbors and enjoyed the piece and calm. ( after the last few nights of bouncing around in the waves we were happy for the calmness.)
Sunday afternoon we sailed to another island just off Eleuthera called SPANISH WELLS. It is a very different island from others we have visited.
It is more like a New England fishing village. This is the main fishing port in the Bahamas. It is extremely impressive because it is so organized and clean. the shops seem to specialize in their tasks and products and not duplicate what another shop is doing. The people are very well informed, educated, and helpful. We rented a golf cart for a day and toured the whole island and the neighboring island that is connected by a bridge (Russell Island). It is not as well organized or as clean (we even passed a Haitian refuge that looked like they had brought Haiti with them. It must be terrible to relocate).
Tuesday evening we were invited to a neighboring boat called MAGIC.
It was a 42 Afri-Cat power catamaran. A really spectacular big boat.
We had met them in Royal Harbor earlier in the week. A very nice couple named Will and Rita. (She served Fresh Lobster that Will had speared that day for a snack)...eat your heart out!
On Wednesday we took the fast cat ferry from Spanish Wells to Dunmore- Town on the island of Harbour Island. Rita went with us for the day. Van and Loren, Rita and Steve and Myself. We rented another golf cart to see this island and had lunch at a very nice resort on a pink sand beach, Bahama Mama's and all. This trip was very interesting as we traveled through the Devil's Backbone. This is an area between the islands that has claimed many boats because of all the coral heads. A very dangerous area that we knew we would never try to cross with our boat. It was an interesting and curvy ride. We came back the same way and arrived back at Spanish Wells about 4:00, just in time to pick up our dinner...5 pounds of Stone crab claws. Dinner on LIVING WELL with Van and Loren. (YUM!).