Don't Weather Dictate All? We wake up, live by, and go to Sleep while the Weather does its thing around us. Read on for our WeatherEscapades while in Eleuthera.

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Eleuthera is one very long (180 km's long) type of island in the Bahamas, and with the weather currently being broadcast we knew we'd have plenty time to explore here as we started our Journey Northwards.

{{Insert some foreshadowing type of music here, as the reality of it all played out quite differently from the idea of it all }}

Although it's always hard to leave great friends Jeff & Izzy (MV IzzyR)



that we'd been exploring the Exumas with recently, the winds were more than perfect as we sailed from Staniel Cay to Highborn Cay and the next morning had us waking up with the sun and slack water as we headed out on what was going to be one of the best sails ever.



Can't get any more than perfect than when the Dolphins come out to play,



and as we got closer we saw the gin clear blue waters give way to shades of emerald greens, that took our breath away. Safely anchored in Rock Sound, we were immediately greeted by friends Harry and Finola on SV Escape Velocity. The fresh air and all that sailing though had us asleep in the cockpit before we even had supper though, which is what the cruising lifestyle is sometimes all about.

Eleuthera comes from the Greek work eleutheros which means "free", and this island was also known as Cigateo way back when. Not to be outdone by its Longness, Eleuthera is also quite narrow, barely 1.6 km's (1 mile) wide, with one side facing the Atlantic Ocean and the other on the Grand Bahama Bank. There was lots to see and do here (from blue holes to caves to explore) and we were excited to be somewhere new.

Rock Sound is a quaint and cute settlement, with a great LaundryMat, and an impressive grocery store for provisions (three times the size of all the stores in the Exumas!) and we were warmly greeted with offers of fresh coffee as we shopped. Only buy what you can carry though, it is a bit of a walk back to the anchorage.

For a more serious peek into our photo-about at Rock Sound

{{ the link will take you to our Facebook photo album }}

Laundry and Provisions back onboard, Dave sat down to reload the Weather Pages, while I put replenished Mother Banyan's Cupboards, and I heard him murmur,

"Well, Dear, that small weather blow coming? It's getting stronger and longer and we'll have to seek some shelter. If we want to sail though we should go now, as the wind dies the next couple of days and we'd be motoring a long way!"

"Well, what are we waiting for?" I said, as I put the last bit of stuff away.

Up Sails, and off we went to Governors Harbour (the administrative capital of Eleuthera) where we anchored on the South side by LaughingBird Cay, reputed to have better depths and holding for us.

The next morning had us enjoying a splendid walk around Governors Harbour. Governors Harbour ran the country for a time and the colourful colonial type houses in the settlement blended in perfectly with the oceanfront, a peaceful and beautiful place.

When we got back, it was another Weather Check and this time I heard Dave comment,

"Well, Dear, do we want to stay here for the Winds? I'm not crazy about the holding. Or should we keep on going?"

"Well, let's keep going" I agreed with him "Hatchet Bay might be an option". So up that way we went.



The Entrance into Hatchet Bay is carved through a high rocky cliff and you can almost miss your way in if you blink. The harbour does provide all around protection, but the holding, according to some, is a questionable type of grass. We motored into the narrow and impressive inlet, thank goodness for calm conditions. With quite a few boats already in there, and more coming in behind us, we circled around for a bit, checking depths and absorbing the look and feel of it all, as Dave reloaded the Weather. Again.

"Well, Dear, where would you like to spend the next week? We can stay here. Lots of boats coming in behind us. It's a small anchorage. Well protected. Or we can keep going to Spanish Wells. But if we don't go today, we're not going anywhere for a week".

I hemmed and hawed and replied : "Well if we keep going right now, do we have time to make it to, and through, Current Cut, in the right conditions, by the time we get there?"

Another double check on the tides and currents and timings of our arrival at both places.

"Yes, We'll make it just at high tide, slack water. And we should reach Spanish Wells an hour later, just a tad before sunset. But that's an easy anchorage in the dark".

We both simultaneously agreed that we preferred to be there for the Blow. Spanish Wells or Bust.

Going through Current Cut in flat calm conditions was a breeze.



and true enough, not even two hours later we were anchored, at sunset, in Spanish Wells.



And that is how we spent a couple of days boatbound during The Blow, and then a few good days hiking and exploring the quaint and lovelySpanish Wells .

For the brief time we spent in Eleuthera, we fell in love with her. There is a laid back charming historical vibe here, and we're looking forward to coming back (when the weather allows). And that, dear Readers and Friends, is the Long on the Weather and the Short of Eleuthera.