The weather finally turned sunny and calm again so we took advantage of it and sailed to Tahiti Beach on Elbow Cay. At low tide, there is a sandbar at Tahiti Beach, making it a great place for boaters to gather for an afternoon on the beach in the crystal clear water. There is even a floating bar and grill called the Thirsty Cuda, which sells typical lunch menu items and beverages including island drinks. Around 7 pm we realized that Cracker P’s, located across the channel, was holding their monthly Full Moon party. Several cruisers sped over there in their dinghies and later on several ferries passed by loaded with party guests. The place was rocking and we could hear the music from off in the distance. We opted to stay on board for the evening and enjoy a Bahamian lobster dinner! The highlight of the evening was a beautiful sunset followed by an even more beautiful cloudless sky moonrise over the island. The reflection of the moon in the water was stunning! The next day we rendezvoused with our friends Mark and Norvell and Chris and Karen for an afternoon of food, drinks and fun on Tahiti Beach! Afterwards, our friend Mark stepped on a sea urchin getting into his boat and had to have Chris remove the spines from his feet! Ouch!! Never a dull moment! Later that afternoon, the winds picked up out of the north and the seas got choppier, so the next morning we headed for a mooring in Hope Town. This was a first for us! Mark usually prefers to anchor in the sea off of the lighthouse. But with winds blowing 15-25 out of the North/Northeast that would be a bouncy anchorage and make for wet dinghy rides. We came into Hope Town Harbor about 2 hours after high tide and didn’t have any problem with the depth for our 5 foot draft. We had radioed ahead to Captain Jack and he was waiting in his small boat by our mooring. Joy drove up to him, Mark handed him the rope which he looped thru the mooring and then handed back to Mark. It was a perfect tie-up!
The weather was extremely windy and mostly sunny for 4 days. Our mooring neighbors were lovely people from Gig Harbor, Washington on a 45 foot Catalina called Oasis and another couple from Texas on a trawler called Dos Rios. On the first evening, just as we were making dinner, the sailboat Oasis on the mooring next to us started making a noise. We looked over and the bow thruster was running. We had seen the crew take off in their dinghy earlier in the direction of the Hope Town Marina so we knew no one was in the boat and they were probably having dinner on shore. Although Oasis was on the mooring, it was inching closer and closer to the sailboat in front of it. We radioed the Marina in an attempt to contact the captain but did not get an immediate response. Jim on Dos Rios yelled out to Mark, “should we go to the boat and do something”. Mark yelled out “Let’s do it.” And they both jumped in their dinghies and went over to Oasis, the boat in distress. First, they tried to shut off the circuit breakers and then they found the bow thruster switch and turned it off. They thwarted a potential mishap. Meanwhile, Joy was able to communicate with the Marina shuttle driver who came by just as Mark was leaving Oasis. About 30 minutes later the Oasis captain came by in his dinghy to check on the situation and thank us for jumping into action. Boaters do look out for each other! Wednesday morning, while eating breakfast, one of Joy’s crowns came out! It was in one piece and the tooth underneath looked healthy. I called my dentist and he suggested that I glue it back in with Fixodent. After searching the island for Fixodent and realizing no one on the island sold it, we borrowed some from a neighboring boater. After analyzing the situation and looking at my options, we decided the best option since we would be in the Bahamas for another 10 weeks, would be to fly home to get it fixed! I was able to book a flight for the next morning, have my dentist put the crown back in that afternoon and fly back the next day. Mark stayed on the boat on the mooring in Hope Town, so I took the ferry to Marsh Harbor for my flight. Everything went smooth and on time. Amazing! My trip home gave me the opportunity to visit my niece and her new baby, bring back a few items that we needed and get some more cash. I arrived back to Hope Town just in time for a night of thunderstorms but happy to be back with my hubby. We enjoyed being on a mooring in Hope Town but would only do it this time of year and when there is a brisk breeze. On our last night, the breeze died and the mosquitoes came out, so we closed up and turned on the fans. The scenery in the harbor is beautiful with sea turtles and manatees swimming around, pretty houses and restaurants on shore, the working candy-striped lighthouse in the background, the church bells ringing twice a day, boaters close by for entertainment and conversation and the sound of the waves crashing on the ocean shore off in the distance. Even though we are in the Bahamas, we were able to get internet on my phone and I was able to watch my nephew’s graduation ceremony live as he graduated from Medical School! This week the ocean continued to be rough and full of white caps and the weather continued to be unsettled from fronts from the U. S. lingering longer than normal and with the potential for tropical development. As a result, we decided to remain in the Abacos for the next three weeks instead of heading over to Eleuthera, Cat Island and the Exumas. We’ll do that another year! We don’t want to get stuck over there or be rushed since we have guests arriving in th Abacos in four weeks! And there is plenty to see in the Abacos!

We were excited to go to Marsh Harbor to pick up our throttle cable from Arde who was arriving into Marsh Harbor to meet up with our friend Mark! We had waited for the winds to calm down and shift to the west and as a result we were able to sail the 3 hour trip there. Sailing somewhere is always a treat! We met up with Arde and Mark on his sailboat for drinks and got the cables! It was Wednesday night so we headed over to the Jib Room for Rib Night dinner and Mark’s favorite...limbo!!
Mark and Arde came too and joined in the saw playing and limbo! It was a fun night. The Jib Room has new owners now but everything is the same and we still love this marina and restaurant. The next day Mark attempted to replace the throttle cable on the dinghy engine. We hoisted the engine into the cockpit and after 4 hours, Mark reluctantly conceded that he could not reattach it. He put everything back together, we put the engine back on the dinghy and it worked perfectly as before with the pencil! Our friend Mark had problems with his dinghy engine and had taken it to the mechanic who services the Moorings dinghy engines at the Conch Inn in Marsh Harbor. The next day we went in search of the mechanic Shannon. He helped us remove the engine from the dinghy and we gave him the two cables. He told us to return in two hours. When we returned he had replaced both cables, the engine was back on the dinghy and it was running perfectly! Shannon told us that there was a small piece stuck inside and that is why Mark was unable to fix it. Shannon was a life-saver and Mark was very happy!!!! We did our usual things in Marsh Harbor....getting our propane tank refilled, shopping at Maxwell’s and the fish store (Skagg’s) and visiting the local spots. It rained a lot one night so we were very happy to be safely anchored in Marsh Harbor. Next stop Tahiti Beach and Hope Town!

After 3 nights at Green Turtle, we went thru Whale Cay Passage, on a light winds day, to Guana Cay. There we met up with Joy’s childhood friend Mark Schaefer from Annapolis, MD who is solo on his 41 foot Beneteau sailboat, Dana Marie, after being in the Exumas for a few weeks. Mark’s dinghy engine was broken so we anchored near him so that we could easily take him to shore with us. We had a wonderful 5 days together at Guana including a day with our friends Mark and Norvell at their cottage on the ocean for lunch and snorkeling. It was a calm day and the crystal clear water reef off of their property was beautiful and filled with colorful coral, fans and a variety of tropical fish. Saturday was very windy and rainy. There was a break in the weather so we all went to shore to take in the Sir Eden organic farmers market and Bloody Mary bar. This social event takes place every Saturday morning from 10-12. We bought smoked Mahi dip, a loaf of homemade French bread, tomatoes and a huge bag of the best spring lettuce I have ever eaten. The Sir Eden organic garden is on Guana and is a welcome addition to this island. Next was Sunday Funday Pig Roast at Nipper’s on the beach. They don’t actually roast a pig anymore but they have a pork barbeque buffet, music and dancing, a party atmosphere and their special rum drink the Nipper. Vacationers in the Abacos gather at this happening place every Sunday afternoon! The weather turned stormy with a west wind so we spent the last two days at Guana on a mooring in Orchid Bay harbor. That provided a calmer anchorage and made it easier for us with our dinghy engine issue. We also got to see several turtles periodically pop their heads up. Monday night was Texas Hold’Em chip poker night on South Guana, a gathering of friends at the Nassar’s. We both got to play with this group of 10 and had lots of laughs. Joy did quite well as runner up to the winner, Alfred! Next stop Marsh Harbor!

It feels so good to be back in the Abacos! We had an easy crossing to West End overnight on April 9th/10th....light winds and no rain! The half moon came up around 3 am. We stayed at the dock in West End for two nights waiting out some stormy and windy weather. Then we had overnight stops at 3 uninhabited islands...Mangrove Cay, Great Sale Cay and Powell Cay...during our 4 day trek to Green Turtle Cay. The wind was blowing 10-25 on the nose all 4 days, so we were only able to sail for about 3 out of 24 hours. We saw one porpoise and several rainbows but did’t catch any fish! It’s April, so there were definitely more boats going west versus east. It felt good to jump in the dinghy and go to shore at Green Turtle after 4 days on the boat! We hit the usual spots in Green Turtle...Pineapple’s, Miss Emily’s, Plymouth Cafe and Sundowner’s to catch up with friends there and make new ones. Our first boat issue happened on our second day at Green Turtle. The throttle cable on our dinghy engine broke. Mark devised a short-term fix of using a pencil to regulate the throttle and we began our search for a replacement cable. Using this quick-fix long-term would be a challenge because it results in using both hands to run the engine, one to regulate the throttle and one to steer the dinghy. We checked every marina at Green Turtle with no luck and decided our quickest route would be to order a part from the US and have a friend of a friend bring it to Marsh Harbor with him one week later. Our friend Martha in Annapolis ordered the part, picked it up 3 days later and delivered it to Arde who would be flying into Marsh Harbor 3 days later. Quite a successful coordinated effort!
Another highlight in Green Turtle was running into a friend who was the broker when we bought our sailboat. He was anchored at Green Turtle on his 42 foot Catalina called On Assignment, on his way back to the US after a few months in Hope Town. It’s a small world in the Bahamas!

Our journey home started from Hope Town. With the winds blowing SE 10-15, finally clearly behind us, we motor sailed the 24 miles to Green Turtle Cay. After rounding Whale Cay Passage, we sailed the final 5 miles on the jib. As we sailed into the Green Turtle Settlement, we saw one boat anchored there, a 28 foot Catalina, called Southern Sun. We later met the young couple on this boat who were from Connecticut and on their maiden voyage to the Bahamas. Their Catalina is also a 2001. They have taken it to Andros, the Exumas, Eleuthera and now the Abacos. They had the unfortunate experience that their mast was stuck by lightning at Hawksbill Cay in the Exumas about 3 weeks ago! They lost a lot of their electronics including their autopilot, alternator, refrigerator and depth sounder. Fortunately, they have two solar panels which can charge their batteries, as long as it is sunny, which it has been. They are determined to finish their voyage, which will last one more month.
Of course, since it was now lobster season, we had to buy some lobsters at the grocery! We made our final stops at the Plymouth Cafe, Miss Emily's and Sundowner's and noticed that there were a lot of vacationers in town! We enjoyed a lobster dinner on the boat while listening to the loud music coming from Sundowner's, who's sound carried over the water. Sundowner's has a DJ on Saturday night! First they played 70's and 80's hits, then they switched to Bahamian music! We had a great breeze and close to a full moon...a magical night.
Our last day at Green Turtle was a Sunday and many places were closed. In the morning, we swam around the boat where we saw starfish, sea biscuits and small fish. Many vacationers head over to Nipper's for Sunday Funday. Others are at Pineapples, enjoying refreshments, Bahamian food and the pool, which is where we headed to at noon. We ran into friends Dolly and Steve from Tampa, who visit this time each year and who we saw here 4 years ago! It's always fun catching up with friends! We had our first Bahamian cracked conch and peas and rice of our trip from beautiful Yvonne behind the bar and then took a dip in the refreshing spring-fed salt water pool.
We brought up our anchor at 3 and sailed over to Powell Cay, 10 miles away. This would give us a head start on our trip to Great Sale Cay the next day. As we arrived at the anchorage, we saw several small porpoises jumping and playing and then a large turtle off our bow! Wow, what an exciting welcome! On our trip to shore we saw a small turtle, birds and crabs.
The next day the seas were a bit choppy and the winds brisker. We were able to sail for 6 hours and then motor sail for 3 hours to make our way to Great Sale by 6 PM. After we arrived, we hoisted the engine off of the dinghy, removed the two solar panels and added diesel fuel, to prepare for the next two days of our journey. Eating homemade pizza for dinner, it was another magical night with a great breeze and the full moon!
The next day we brought up our anchor before 7 AM for our 50 mile journey to West End. It was another sunny day. The winds were SE 10-15, so after charging the batteries for an hour, we cut the engine and put up both sails! We were a sailboat and we are going over 5 knots! There is an area between Mangrove and West End where all you can see in every direction is the beautiful water which is only 12-15 feet deep and an occasional white dot of another boat off in the distance. It's so quiet, serene and beautiful.
Well wouldn't you know, the next day when we planned to sail home, the winds which had been forecasted at 10-15, had diminished. For us to sail home we need winds of 10-15, so that we can average 5 knots before the negative effects of the gulfstream. Our course is SW and the gulfstream is pushing us north, sometimes as much as 2 1/2 knots. If we don't go fast enough, the stream will push us much farther north than we want. There were storms all around and the little wind we had was on the nose! We did get some rain for about 2 hours in the afternoon but no thunder. We changed course twice to keep our distance from a freighter and a Carnival cruise ship. The skies were overcast in the afternoon, providing shade, but mostly clear at night, evident by the bright full moon and star-filled sky. At 6 AM, we approached the Hillsboro Inlet lighthouse, whose light we were able to spot from 15 miles out, the skies were getting darker. Thunderstorms and rain were south, east and west of us but at the moment we were dry. With the dark skies, the light from the sunrise was going to be delayed. We decided to wait outside the Inlet for more light. At 6:30, under calm seas and light rain, we began to enter the Inlet. We radioed the bridge several times with no response and thought that was strange. The bridge tender finally came back and said "We are having problems with the bridge, Stand By"! We could see that one of the gates lights was flashing but it remained in the up position. We circled for 1 1/2 hours, then anchored for 1 1/2 hours all in the pouring rain, while they found an electrician to fix the bridge. Finally, 3 hours later, the bridge opened for us and we motored the remaining 10 minutes to our dock! Boy were we happy to be home!

We had a good sail to Hope Town. It has been hot but we continue to enjoy a good breeze both day and night. After we anchored, we couldn't wait to get into the crystal clear warm water to swim and clean the bottom of the boat. It was so refreshing! We love this anchorage when the weather is good and there is a southeast wind. The water is about 7-10 feet deep with a mix of sandy and grass bottom and the occasional starfish! What makes the anchorage even more special is that it is just off of the candy striped Hope Town Lighthouse, which flashes its' light all night long. Add a moonlit night and star-filled sky and it is magical! A little while later, Knot-A-Lot pulled up next to us, coming from Man-O-War Cay. Oh boy, friends for happy hour again! A little while later, we all met up at Captain Jack's, where they were meeting a friend Steve from his sailing catamaran Islabella. The conversation turned to Ft Lauderdale and we discovered that Steve used to live on his boat on Hendricks Isle, the same street where Mark kept his boat Buddy Bear for 20 years! Their time there did overlap a few years! It's a small world!
The next morning we checked our email and had received an update on our FedEx package. The good news is that it was in Marsh Harbour but the bad news was that it was being held for pick up at the FedEx facility. We radioed Stephen at the Jib Room and he called the FedEx office for us. After several calls that they did not answer, he talked to them. It was being held because there was a relatively small amount of duty, vat and handling due. Stephen arranged to have the package delivered and pay the fee, which we then paid. It was delivered within an hour. We sailed back to Marsh Harbour and picked up our new water pump! We are extremely thankful for our friends at the Jib Room! After lunch, we decided to sail back again to Hope Town so that we could join our friends again at Captain Jack's last night of the season party! Spending time with friends and sharing boating stories makes cruising special and so much fun! We also got to enjoy another magical night anchored off of the lighthouse! The next morning Mark installed the new water pump, which took him about 2 hours. The good news is that it works perfectly and there is no more leaking!!!! It is now August 5th. There is a tropical system possibly forming off of the coast of Africa. It probably won't develop into a tropical storm or hurricane but it is hurricane season, so we decide it is time to begin our journey home. Next stop Green Turtle Cay!