Our weather guru, Chris Parker, had been warning everyone that our extraordinary run of great weather would come to an end by early March. Unfortunately he was bang on as the forecasted winter fronts rolled off Florida and through the North West Bahamas. Considering the winter that everyone at home is experiencing I use the term "winter weather" loosely. As it cooled off Bev was forced to wear a sweater to stay warm while I donned a long sleeve T shirt, but we're still barefoot and wearing shorts. We had planned on sticking around the Little Harbour area for a couple of days but by Saturday afternoon the winds had increased significantly out of the south making the Lynyard Cay anchorage very uncomfortable. As the temperatures continued to drop during the afternoon we decided it was time to head a little further north and find a better anchorage for the next few days.

By the time we hoisted the anchor the south wind was blowing over 20 knots making for a great northbound sail while we debated our best options for the next couple of days. The issue we had was that after 2 days of strong southerlies, the wind was forecast to roll around quickly to the north and blow harder until mid week. After
considering all options we decided Tavern Cay of all places would be a good choice. We enjoyed a great sail despite the cool rainy weather and settled in a well protected spot by 5 p.m. We knew that by Sunday afternoon we would have to move about a mile to the south side of the Cay as the wind was forecast to quickly clock around to the north. And just as forecasted, late Sunday the wind started to clock around so we upped anchor and scurried around the corner to settle in for 2 days of strong winds and heavy rain. Fortunately all the thunderstorms missed us and the heavy rain certainly washed the salt off the deck. Unfortunately this type of weather curtails our exploring since the dinghy rides are extremely wet; however, we did manage a few good game nights aboard Sandbox which helped pass the time.

The winds finally abated enough on Wednesday allowing us to move up and anchor off Hope Town. This charming settlement is home to the famous candy cane striped lighthouse and is a very popular spot. As usual the harbour was jam packed so we had to anchor outside and dinghy into the town dock whenever we wanted to visit. The Abacos were hit very hard by hurricane Dorian in 2019 and most of the houses were completely destroyed and numerous lives lost. Hope Town Settlement is a fairly affluent town that is well supported by a strong community group of second home owners. It's remarkable to see how much has been rebuilt in such a short time, especially considering the challenge of securing materials. Despite all their progress it's very sad to see the lingering signs of the destruction, between the beautifully rebuilt homes there are still a few remains of destroyed houses and boats scattered on the hillside.

As our time winds down in the Bahamas we're looking forward to a week of snorkelling, beach combing and hiking as the weather continues to moderate.

Today's picture is of yours truly enjoying some time in Spanish Wells.