Sailing Dreams

We departed Royal Island early on 14 March, and motored a short 5 miles up to St. George's Cay, to a delightful newly renovated marina called Spanish Wells Yacht Haven. St. George's Cay was originally the home of the peaceful Arawak Indians. However, within 25 years after Columbus, Ponce De Leon, and other Spanish Pirateers arrived, the Awaraks were wiped out by the European diseases. Legend has it that the settlement of Spanish Wells was named after early Spanish explorers discovered fresh water here. However, as a "cay", St. George's Cay has no fresh water wells. It is more likely that the Spanish explorers "created" wells, by sinking barrels in 2 feet of sand to resupply using rain water before heading back to Spain.
We found it most curious that while St. George's Cay settlement is called "Spanish Wells", it was not until the late 1640s that Spanish Wells was permanently settled by English Puritans seeking religious freedom. Approximately 70 English Puritans set sail from Bermuda to settle the Island of Eleuthera, and became shipwrecked on a reef, known as the "Devil's Backbone" off Northern Eleuthera in 1647. Survivors lived in "Preachers Cave", until eventually making their way to Spanish Wells. Today, most of the permanent inhabitants are descendants of these early English Puritan settlers.
Our visit to Spanish Wells was truly delightful. Once safely moored, we quickly dispensed with necessary boat chores, and headed out on foot to explore the 2 mile long, half-mile wide cay. The town of Spanish Wells is like a quaint new England fishing village, featuring colorful cottages and well-manicured gardens. Much of the Spanish Wells economy is dedicated to the fishing industry, especially spiny lobster. We learned that nearly 70 percent of their catch is sold to the Red Lobster restaurant chain.
While Spanish Wells had no electricity or running water until the 1950s, today we can find almost anything we could want, including well stocked grocery store, marine and hardware stores, liquor stores, and both casual and upscale restaurants. The town also boasts a large, well-managed boatyard, with a lift that can take a 50 x 26 ft. catamaran. (Thankfully, we didn't need it this time around). The road is paved and well-traveled by every kind of vehicle, including golf carts, bikes, cars and trucks. On more than one occasion, we took our bikes out exploring every path of St. George's Cay and it's neighboring Russell Island, which is connected by a one-lane bridge. One day, we visited the Spanish Wells museum and hair salon in the same afternoon. Of course, we hunted down Ron's Seafood Shop, and bought some lobster tails and stone crab claws. One morning, we saw an enormous freighter come through the same cut that we had used and head north through the channel. The freighter had no more than 10 feet of clearance on either side of the channel, and when it was docked, only small fishing boats could pass behind it.
On Monday, 20 March, we caught the "Fast Ferry" from Spanish Wells to Harbor Island on the east side of Eleuthera. It was a wild ride with the ferry careening at 20 knots through the shallow waters and coral studded reefs, aptly named "The Devil's Backbone. Harbor Island is home to Dunmore Town, which is similar to Spanish Wells, with its pastel-painted cottages and golf carts galore. Yet, Dunmore Town is a bit more upscale, with private resorts and shopping catered to tourists, and marinas befitting megayachts and huge fishing vessels. We spent the day exploring the shops in town, and strolling the "Pink Sand" Beach. On our return trip to Spanish Wells, the Fast Ferry had to pick its way through the roaring breakers, and at times we were a mere 10 yards from the beach. Yikes! It is no wonder that the cruising guides strongly recommend hiring pilots to guide the yachts through these treacherous waters.