Amulet underway

The wind was still howling, with waves breaking over the reef, so there was no leaving. Gary wanted to see Harbor Island, and I had already been there, so he took off on the early ferry on Easter Sunday. I defrosted the freezer and refrigerator, and halfway filled the water tanks (52 cents/gallon, it was reverse osmosis water) because we didn't want to make water in the harbor. The night featured dinner at Budda's, where we had some tasty ribs.

On Monday morning, just before the high slack tide, we departed for the Abacos, making our way around Gun Point and Ridley Head through the reef opening, which had no breaking waves as the wind had subsided. We softly ran against a sandbank on the way, the wind blew us off, then we tried it from another angle and made it through. The 50 mile sail to Lynyrd Island went without a hitch, nice wind, averaged about 7 knots on a beam reach, and arrived at 1900, just before dark.
A eventless night, then we proceeded the following morning to Elbow Cay and Harbor Town, zig-zagging in a most circuitous way, through the shallow lagoon to Elbow Cay. We had already established we couldn't enter the harbor as it was too shallow, so anchored on the outside in 7 feet of water. We knew we would bump on the low tide, and we did.

On Wednesday morning, we toured Harbor Town, which was reminiscent of present day Martha's Vineyard, which is not necessarily a good thing as it was over run with tourists, and people "wanting to be there". Picturesque light house however, the world's only manned, kerosene burning, light house. We rented bicycles and explored the island, then returned to the boat for dinner.

Thursday had us visiting the lighthouse, where we bought lemonade and cupcakes from some extremely outgoing and poised 10 year olds. Then we departed our shallow anchorage for Great Guana Cay.

We arrived at Great Guana and anchored at the north end at Baker's Bay, where the cruising guide showed a deserted sandy beach. Unfortunately, it was chock a block full of multimillion dollar houses, but it was late, so we spent the night there anyway. The following morning, Friday the 21st, we moved down to Fisher's Bay, and found a nice spot with good holding. Wind was supposed to arrive on Saturday night, so we had our eye on a hurricane hole in Green Turtle Cay for the following night, but spent Friday night and Saturday, exploring the settlement at Great Guana, which was more down to earth than the real estate development at the north end of the island. We had a beach drink (a bad one at that) and sat on the beach at Nipper's on the eastern (windward) side of the island, then had pizza dinner at Grabber's Resort, which was just ashore of the boat anchorage. Beautiful sunset. Gary and I concluded that Great Guana Cay settlement was a town fueled by alcohol, as everywhere people were sitting on bar stools slowly nursing drinks.

Picture is of John in front of the Hopetown Sailing Club.....