29 February 2024 | West End, Grand Bahamas
28 February 2024 | West Palm Beach
26 February 2024 | West Palm Beach
25 February 2024 | Sunset bay marina
24 February 2024 | Stuart
22 February 2024 | Stuart
21 February 2024 | Stuart
18 February 2024 | Stuart
17 February 2024 | Stuart
15 February 2024 | Sunset Bay
13 February 2024 | Stuart
12 February 2024 | Sunset Bay Marina mooring field
11 February 2024 | Stuart
09 February 2024 | Indian Town Marina
08 February 2024 | Roland Marie Marina
07 February 2024 | Roland Martin Marina, Clewiston
06 February 2024 | MooreHaven
04 February 2024 | LaBelle City docks
02 February 2024 | LaBelle Florida
29 January 2024 | Glades Boat yard
The Perfect conch
27 March 2024 | Great Harbour Cay
Susan Robin | 80 dregrees
John is teaching today, so my turn to blog. 😜
As most of you already know I love to collect sea shells and sea glass. Even though We have brought home numerous Conch shells from the Bahamas, I am always on the look out for a nicer more colourful one to bring back. The other day we were out for a dinghy ride when I spotted A pile of Conch shells near the shore, and one of the shells on top of the pile looked like it could be my perfect conch. So I had John bring the dinghy close to the pile and I was able to reach that conch and it was near perfect. But as I was about to remove it from the pile, A very loud male voice yelled at me to put it back. He said I am making a break-water with those shells. As you can imagine I was really startled and yelled back and asked if I could just have one. And his answer was a most definite No.
John and I were very disappointed that someone would be so possessive about a conch shell when there piles of them right here at the marina that would be perfect for his break water. And I have looked at those piles carefully, but most of the shells are chipped and very smelly or the wrong colour and size.
John has worked up a plan, and we shall post if it works or not!
Great Harbour Cay, part 2
26 March 2024 | Great Harbour
John Robin | 88
Susan and I rode our bikes again for another 5 or 6 km. Legs definitely felt a bit mushy, as well as other parts of our anatomy!
Here is a picture of a propeller of one of the drug planes that did not quite make it!
So now there was a 30 million dollar investment in a resort, a new government that was not enamoured with offshore investment, and uncertain financial markets.
What's a place going to do?
In 1974, a new celebrity moved to Great Harbour. Harry Hoffman was a wanted man in Florida and Michigan for dealing in Marijuana.
He and his family moved to the island with boxes of cash and purchased Jack Nichlaus's house and then purchased the Tamoo club. He loved the island lifestyle and started to invite his dealer buddies over. His buddies quickly realized the goldmine of opportunities of transporting drugs from Columbia to the Bahamas, and then shipping them to the U. S. On fast boats.
The tiny one runway airport, all of a sudden became an airport rivaling Chicago Ohare, as one of the busiest airports. The DEA in the US caught on quickly, and started air and sea patrols to catch the smuggles. Around the middle of 1975, Marijuana activities has slowed down because of the increasing risks, and return on investment, as now many were growing Cannabis in the USA.
By 1979, the Bahama Islands were sodden with drug trafficking, when one operator moved in with a new vision. Kodak had been based in Bimini running Cocaine shipments to the US, and DEA had been making in increasingly difficult for him. He moved his base to Great Harbour, and talked to the local authorities of a new form of Communism! If I make money, you get rich. What a concept!
He paid police officers, customs, immigration, lawyers, judges, and politicians. Then he went 10 steps farther. The 300 residents on the island had $100,000.00 distributed for each plane that landed at the airport! A $10,000 envelope was given to customs for each plane that cleared customs. He paid a doctor and nurse to stay on the island, that used to get monthly visits from a nurse. And oh, one more thing; The bars in the town stopped charging for drinks. It was always on Kojak's bar bill. You think he was popular!
This popular business plan lasted until 1986, when the DEA and Bahamian government moved in to shut down the operation.
After that the economy on the island tanked. DUH. Think of the funds flowing through here in that time. New roads, a new water system, central power system, new school, all paid by Kojack! The Bahamian government was busy in Nassau.
Fortunately, Mickey Biggs had moved in around 1983, and was able to move plans for the island forward. He rebuilt one of the hotels, fixed more roads, and got the economy on a level playing field until......Hurricane Andrew hit in 1992. This area is very well protected from hurricanes, but this one brought waterspouts (tornados) with it that destroyed much of the island. After that, he rebuilt his home, but shut down his many businesses. To this day, the only real business continuing on the island is the Marina, being run by one of the relatives of Douglas Fairbainks.
Fortunately; or not, depending on your point of view, two cruise ship companies purchased property on the north end of the island. The term, bought paradise and turned it into a parking lot comes to mind. They took unspoiled beaches and built water slides, hot air balloons, put thousands of beach chairs out, supplied jet skis, fishing boats, glass bottom boats, zip lines etc. A huge playground for their guests. It now does employ over half the islanders, so good for the economy. But is really was a beautiful unspoiled location before?! Like I say, depends on your point of view.
Tomorrow, our friends from the Grand Bahamas are sailing down, and we shall some fun adventures coming up. Stay tuned!
Great harbour Cays history
25 March 2024 | Great Harbour
John Robin | 85
Everyone talks about sharks when coming to the Bahamas. There are other creatures called snakes to think about. Fortunately none are poisonous, to humans. This is a Bahamian Boa, on a channel marker! Quite odd, as they normally live in the forest.
Lots, and nothing going on in the Bahamas. If that sounds confusing; that's the Bahamas! Should you have a couple of hundred million dollars laying around, come on down and lose it here!
I have mentioned a couple of times of the numerous subdivisions built in the Grand Bahama Islands that went bust. Here is the " abbreviated story of Great harbour Cay( pronounced Key).
In 1958 a number of very rich US citizens owned businesses and houses in Cuba. They realized that times were changing, and it was time to find a new playground. So Lou Kessler, a Canadian was selected to head a development company, and purchase the largest Island in the Berry Island Group. Great Harbour Cay was born.
They carved a 30 meter channel into the harbour, which then became one of the best protected Hurricane holes in the Bahamas. An 80 slip marina was built, waterfront townhouses, an 18 hole golf course, and of course, roads to the many beautiful beaches. That ate up 38 million dollars. Then a super luxurious hotel built overlooking the harbour and then one, on Sugar Beach.
Open for business, and the stars flocked in. Cary Grant, Bridgette Bardot, Douglass Fairbanks, Jack Nicklaus, the Rockefeller clan etc. all became regular visitors. All went very well until July 10, 1973, when the Bahamas became an independent country from the commonwealth. The new government was not as enamoured with all the developments as the Colonial governors, and started withdrawing permits, and also considering nationalizing the developments and making them "Bahamian". This slammed the brakes on the investors, and overnight the billions of investment dollars pouring into the Bahamas evaporated! It was so sudden: we have been in unfinished homes, where ceramic tiles are laid in half a room, and the trowels, cement and tiles are just left where they were at the end of that day. Staggering!
So in Great Harbour Cay, all the lots were laid out, but no power, no water, and a few dozen houses built. AND it all stopped!
Tomorrows blog: the saviours, marijuana and Cocaine. 😔
Today Susan and I rode our bicycles 10 km up the Island, and then back, exploring some of the abandoned hotels, and experiencing "Sugar Beach". The roads are quite rough and lots of up and down. Going to get E Bikes next cruising season. Not sure what to do about sore bottoms!
That was a humdinger!
24 March 2024 | Great Harbour Cay marina
John Robin | Cloudy, 65 degrees
Stoma produce great sunsets!
We had battened down the hatches, taken off some canvas, and moved or tied down anything that could get blown away in the 65 mph winds last weekend.
Fortunately, the weather man was not quite right. The winds peaked at about 30 mph, and it rained for two days, but for Vancouver Islanders, just another day. There were some pretty good gusts of wind that moved us around. The scariest part was the lightning storm that parked over us for a couple of hours. Being surrounded by sailboats with tall masts, I was expecting one or two of them to become lightning rods. I disconnected our boat from shore power, and disconnected the radar, and depth sounders in case of a hit. Fortunately, and incredibly, no drama! No one got toasted.
This morning we are putting the boat back together, and getting out to the beach!
Sea Doo Island
21 March 2024 | Great Harbour Cay
John Robin | 80 degrees
Well, finally we found an island in the Bahamas that we can afford to buy. Just outside of Great Harbour, and there are Conch and Lobster at the beach. Might be able to fit a 500 square foot house on there!
Just kidding.
It would have to be 400 sq. Ft. House.
Susan and I went out dingy cruising today. First there was a half hour jaunt to a plane wreck north of us. Back in the 1990s many drugs were shipped by plane through the Bahamas, and this one landed 3 miles shy of the airport--- in the ocean. Guess he was trying some of the product! We have seen it before, but sometimes you can find some lobster in that area. Not today.
Then we went to a nearby Blue Hole. These are interesting phenomenon, as the whole area is 3-4 feet deep, and all of a sudden there is a hole, about 100 feet across that goes down 200+ feet. Quite often there are some pretty cool fish in the holes, but once again, not today. On the plus side the water is like glass and it is 80 degrees.
We have to enjoy this, because starting tomorrow, Thor, the weather god is going to do some showing off. By noon, we are expecting a lighting storm, with winds to 25 mph. That's a warm up. By evening, winds are expected to 45 mph, with gusts to 60 mph! Hmmm. Wonder why the marina is full! This harbour is one of the best storm refuges in the Bahamas, so we are good. Lots of protection from high hills around the harbour. That's why we are here!
Supply Day
20 March 2024 | Great Harbour Cay Marina
Susan | 75
Today was supply day at Bullocks Harbour, that is where the weekly supply boat comes in with a variety of breads, dairy products, fruits, veggies and many other staples. It was also a teaching day for John, so I hopped on my bike this morning and rode to the village to see the supply boat and take a couple of photos. The roads here are very bumpy, full of pot holes and narrow. So it does make for an interesting ride!
But I must say the drivers here are quite courteous honking to make sure you know they will be passing you. After my bike ride I decided to do a couple of loads of laundry and for once no one else was using the machines.
I was all done at the same time John finished his teaching day, then we went for a ride together to one of the local food stores to purchase some fresh fruit and veggies.
We still have lots of food to use up before we end our trip, but it always nice to get some fresh produce.
The marina hosts a lot of fun weekly events to encourage everyone to mingle and have a good time. Tomorrow night is pizza night, Friday night is music night and Monday is pot luck dinner night for anyone that wants to join in. Due to a very windy weather forecast this weekend we are very happy that we are here. The winds will be around 50 mph on Saturday, so happy to be alongside in a marina, instead of at anchor!