April 24-29, 2016

Green Turtle Cay
Bluff House Marina

Green Turtle Cay is a 3-mile long 1.5 mile wide island roughly halfway down the Sea of Abaco. Both the Sea of Abaco and Atlantic coastlines offer beautiful beaches and the most amazing clear as glass turquoise water! The Cay is home to less than 500 people. Lobstering and tourism are the main industries. Most of the roads on the island are little more than narrow dirt paths intermittently connecting to partially black-topped segments. Golf carts are the most popular and practical mode of transportation. One night Pete and I joined our neighbors Jon and Teresa for dinner at a bar a couple of miles from the marina. We had a great time riding on the back of their golf cart holding on to Cody as we bumped along the terrible roads. The club was a local hang out where Bahamians as well as cruisers gather to play pool, enjoy great food and lively music. We are impressed with the genuine friendliness and hospitality of the Bahamians. Although it is not yet the high season, we did not seeing many cruisers or other tourists here. Since the country’s economy relies on tourism we wonder about this effect on the Bahamians’ livelihood as so many are connected to the service industry. We were sometimes the lone diners in restaurants in the marina or in the town. Weather has not been kind to cruisers this year or perhaps it is the US economy effect trickling down…

Pete and I had a great time exploring the island on our fold up bikes. Although we came across a bit of rough riding dodging many potholes! Pete is tutoring me on how to manage hills. On the way back from the beach, I decided to shift into higher gear and take a hill at a speed somewhat faster than my usual pace. The worse that could happen would be crashing into thick mangrove trees on either side of the road- no water. Pete looked back and was surprised to see me flying down fortunately in complete control! One thing for certain is between all the walking and biking we are getting good workouts and more than adequate doses of the sunshine vitamin!

At the south end of the island is the historic settlement of New Plymouth. This quaint community is filled with small shops, interesting restaurants and colorful homes most of which are surrounded by lush gardens. The narrow streets are built for pedestrians, bikes or golf carts. Few cars are seen and you feel far away from civilization.
We spent a very pleasant day here learning about New Plymouth’s historical connection to the States. In the photo album you will find pictures from The Loyalist Memorial Sculpture Garden. This garden offered a long-forgotten lesson in American history. Following the American Revolution, thousands of Loyalists, Americans supporting continued British Rule, came to the Bahamas and despite hard times, survived and prospered. The garden is a monumental tribute to those Americans and others who played a significant role in the history of Abaco and other Bahamian islands.

Another must see in New Plymouth is the Albert Lowe Museum. This museum is located in a 150–year old residence and charts the history of Abaconians from the Loyalists of the 1780’s to the present. Albert was a renown ship builder and his son, Alton was a well-known artist.

One of the greatest aspects of cruising is the shared camaraderie with fellow boaters. We met a number of great people in Bluff House Marina. But in the world of cruisers it is quite likely your paths will cross. When our week’s stay was up, we were sad to leave new friends but eager to get to our next port, Great Guana Cay.


Cheers from Paradise.
Barbara, Pete and Cody