After spending a few days anchored off Hope Town we decided to move 12 miles north west to Archer Cay. We had spent a couple of days here on early trips and wanted to re-visit the area one more time. We were anxious to get the kayak back in the water and spent two glorious days paddling through the Mangroves in search of turtles and rays. Although the anchorage is only 8 miles from Marsh Harbour, traffic was very light and there were never more than 5 boats here at a time. The small secluded beaches were ideal for treasure hunting and late afternoon games of Bocce Ball. Our time in the Bahamas is winding down and we still had a few places to visit before our season ended and it was time to move again.

Our next stop was Treasure Cay another 8 miles further north, so under clear sky and light breezes we set sail for the relaxing trip. We had visited here on our previous trips and were keen to see how they had rebounded from Hurricane Dorian. The 3 mile crescent beach at Treasure Cay was on the list of the 10 most beautiful beaches in the world. During earlier trips we had marvelled at the beauty of the white sand and emerald coloured water that give this area it's name. The well protected harbour was home to a large marina and beautiful homes lined the numerous canals in what had been a very popular resort. We were saddened to see the utter destruction of the area, the canals have finally been cleared of all debris but the marina is gone. I mean gone, there were docks for over 100 boats, gone, there was a great harbour restaurant bar, gone, the clubhouse, laundry, showers etc., gone. We went for a walk on the famous beach only to discover the ever popular beachfront restaurant completely gone, the only thing remaining were two concrete footings. The once stunning beach is still nice however, there are areas of exposed rock where the sand has been dragged out to sea and a 200 yard long pond has been created right in the middle of the beach. There is a very popular golf course that the condo dwellers frequent; however, the condos are gone and the golf course has survived but sadly there aren't any players.

After 2 days we headed to Marsh Harbour to prepare for our return trip to the US east coast. Marsh Harbour is the supply Center for the Abacos but we had held off coming here until now. It had also been hit hard by the hurricane but once again we weren't prepared for the utter destruction that is still on display 4 years later. The harbour has been cleared of sunken boats and submerged cars but there are still several boats washed up on shore. Sadly as the city struggles to build new structures the old ones are left standing as stark reminders of the force of Mother Nature. "Abacos Strong " is the catch phrase that has been adopted in the area and our hats are off to the resilience of the people. Despite the hardships they've endured everyone has been friendly and helpful to us as they struggle to rebuild their lives. It's been an eye opener for us and we figure the best way for boaters to contribute to the rebuild is to frequent as many businesses as possible.

For a lighter note, today's picture is of a dog heading to the beach.