Captain Adam returned the "Lady J" to Palmetto Bay Marina in Hilton Head over the weekend. The marina will be our base for the next six weeks as we plan to visit several coastal communities on this southeast waterway.

This tattered Bahama courtesy flag pictorially represents the challenges Mother Nature presented us during our two and a half month Abaco Adventure!

We will certainly treasure our Abaco memories aboard the “Lady J” – our return to this island paradise after a 10-year absence, during which time these islands suffered a major devastating four-day hurricane in September, 2019. Much of the natural beauty of the turquoise waters and white sand beaches remain but nearly every other past memory has changed . . . and to some degree lost the charm of our former sailing adventures.

We were eager to see how the islands had recovered from Hurricane Dorian and pleasantly surprised to see that “Abaco Strong” has prevailed in these islands. Much is yet to be done, particularly for the Bahamian locals, but much has been accomplished -- the resort and tourist economies appear to be very vibrant.

These Abaco treasures have been discovered by the rest of the world and the resultant development has, in many cases, masked the early charm of these remote islands. While I continue to enjoy their beauty, I am very happy that I was able to enjoy the Abaco Charm for three decades before they were discovered by the rest of the world.

My real disappointment has been the weather. Well over 50% of our daily cruising plans were impacted by the changing weather conditions. Our adventure began in early April with a three-day gale – consistent 20-30 mph winds and rain that kept us hunkered down in Baker’s Bay – a beautiful exclusive resort on the tip of Great Guana Cay – but even that was difficult to enjoy with the blustery conditions. Many of our anchorage plans were changed when wind forecasts dictated returning to an appropriate dockage.

As if to punctuate the weather challenges of the past three months, during our last days in Marsh Harbour, we experienced two days of thunderstorms that were not forecasted suddenly arriving with 40-50 knot winds, blowing from the west across the expansive harbor. One report indicated 70 mph winds on the Sea of Abaco. This storm awakened us from bed at 10:30 PM, keeping us up for the next hour.

After Judy, Kim, Maya, and Sophie left on Saturday, Daniel and I settled in for a few days of business discussions, hoping to enjoy some Abaco activities these final days. We were once again hit by a sudden storm that evening packing 30-40 knot winds for the next half hour, followed by continued rain.

Despite a more favorable forecast for Sunday and Monday, thunderstorms began to form by midmorning and continued throughout each day. A gloomy way to end our Abaco adventure. .

SOME FINAL THOUGHTS

As I have written, there have been many observations and reflections over these past three months, comparing the Abaco Islands of today with our many previous visits during the preceding decades. We expected some differences as a result of the unprecedented destruction caused by Hurricane Dorian but did not expect the impact the increased tourism has had on the more traditional island charm we so enjoyed in the past.

I also felt a difference related to the vessels in which we cruised through these islands. I expected cruising our 55 foot Fleming motor vessel in the Abaco Islands would be a dream come true. To the contrary, the larger boat also affected the charm of our past island experiences. While certainly more comfortable, it simply did not replace the simplicity and intimacy of a sailboat. An evening at anchorage in the aft cockpit of a sailboat where one is only 3 feet above the water surface is far more connected to nature than sitting 12-15 feet above the water in the fly bridge. There is a greater sense of intimacy, a greater sense of connection to the warm evening breezes blowing across the clear water surface.

It was a beautiful sunny Abaco day as our plane took off from Marsh Harbour Airport. I could see Lubbers Cay and Tahiti Beach. Turning west, we had a great view of the bay at Marsh Harbour. Then Great Guana Cay and the sandy beaches on both sides of Baker’s Bay on the north end. Whale Cay, Green Turtle Cay and the smaller islands just west.

I continue to be mesmerized by the beauty of these islands, their colorful turquoise waters and their white sand beaches. Seeing them at low altitude during take off on a bright sunny day presents a unique and beautiful perspective on this ecological treasure.

I am also left with a feeling of disappointment. My vision last fall was to spend three months in this island paradise on the “Lady J” and recapture so many of the experiences of the past 40 years I have had with Judy, family, friends, and sailing Bozos. With three months, we would have the time to explore and these treasured islands in much more depth.

But alas, we actually saw less. Our original plans were somewhat disrupted by the need to return for other important events – a Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting, a week in Costa Rica with our Wooburg friends, a Seaman Board meeting in Naples.

But the greater impact was the weather – stormy, windy, and unpredictable. I will remember a three-day gale at the beginning of this adventure that had us hunkered down in Baker’s Bay, with wind and rain that did not allow us to enjoy this resort’s many unique activities – even Nipper’s was a challenge in the rainy 30 kt winds. Then our last night with Kim and family found us awakened at 10:30 PM with a 50 mph thunderstorm for 45 minutes, followed by another three days of storms that kept Daniel and me boat bound during our retreat days.

Three months in the Abacos – and never a visit to Little Harbour, never a return to Green Turtle and Miss Emily’s Goombay Smash, only a short visit to Treasure Cay to see the sad remnants of the hurricane from four years ago.

Highlights were Hopetown, Tahiti Beach, Abaco Inn, and The Firefly – rather limited for a three month cruise in an island paradise?????

So I guess boating plans really are drawn in the sand on the beach --- at low tide!

June 12, 2023

We returned to Marsh Harbour on Sunday, June 11 with our daughter Kim and her family, Daniel, Maya, and Sophie (Ani was enjoying Camp Ogichi first session). Monday's forecast called for thunderstorms and rain all day. Hence, we decided to remain in port all day.

The Tzonevs explored Marsh Harbour within walking distance of marina - though not much to explore since hurricane recovery and rebuild were still very evident. Kim and Daniel just made it to the Abaco Beach Resort and Marina before the arriving storms and remained there for lunch. We hunkered down on the "Lady J" for the afternoon. The evening weather allowed us to the Beach Resort for dinner, ever hopeful for a weather window that will allow our departure on Tuesday.

June 13, 2023

After the morning thunderstorms dissipated, we decided to depart for Tahiti Beach where we dropped anchor in the late afternoon. The remainder of the afternoon was spent relaxing in the colorful clear Abaco waters swimming off the transom of the "Lady J". We then prepared for the dinghy ride that will ferry us on the mile journey to the Abaco Inn for dinner.

The Tzonev's embraced the beauty of the Abaco Inn, as all our guests do. Maya and Sophie immediately rushed to the Atlantic Beach, exploring for sea treasures. We sipped our cocktails while gazing at the colorful Atlantic shoreline and then enjoyed the delicious cuisine of the Inn. We treated the Tzonev's to a "dark sky" dinghy return to the "Lady J" gazing at the plethora of bright stars in the sky.

June 15, 2023

Because of approaching rainstorms and a low tide, we hoisted anchor at 9:30 AM for the short trip to Hopetown. Once again, we skimmed across skinny water on the approach to the channel. When we arrived at the Hopetown Marina, Robert, our favorite dockmaster, did not have the promised outside dock. He assigned us to one of the inside docks where he said it would be easy docking - WELL it was a very tight squeeze! As I began to rotate for the stern in docking, I had to navigate past the extended bow of a large sport fishing boat in front and the dock piling to stern. There was no shortage of instructions, including Robert trying to change our dock assignment at the last second. My rotation missed the sportfishing bow by six inches, under Kim's watchful eyes - and anxiety. Docking was successful and Judy rewarded the captain with a glass of orange juice and Blue Chair Bay rum!

After docking, the Tzonev girls went to the swimming pool and quickly discovered the bar that extended into the pool, complete with bar stools. It was a special treat for them to order lunch from the water, then eat it while remaining cool sitting on the submerged bar stools.

June 16, 2023

A forecasted "lower than normal" tide dictated that we depart early from Hopetown for our return to Marsh Harbour. We left at 10:30 and once again experienced skinny water departing the channel.

After docking at Harbour View Marina, we tended to the departure tasks for the ladies who were leaving on Saturday. Afternoon was pool time and the evening included dinner at Wally's.

As we went to bed, we anticipated a forecasted thunderstorm - however, we did not anticipate leading-edge winds of 50 knots that suddenly swept the harbor at 10:30 PM! These high winds accompanied the thunderstorm for 45 minutes, blowing at least 40 knots consistently. Everyone was out on their boats checking lines and other high wind issues. We were so happy the staff had connected our stern lines to the back pilings and only hoped that pilings and lines were going to hold.

The next morning, we discovered that we lost two cushions during the high winds - nowhere to be found. Dock side chatter claimed that the wind in the Sea of Abaco hit 70 knots and that there were sustained 50 knots in the harbor for at least 10 minutes. Our neighbor said he was watching the waves break over our transom.

Kim, Maya, Sophie, and Judy left at 10:30 Saturday morning to return home. Daniel and I will remain until Tuesday for a business retreat. I will also prepare the "Lady J" for Captain Adam's arrival on Thursday when he will deliver the boat to Palmetto Bay Marina in Hilton Head where she will be based for the next two months.

Sunday brought more unsettled weather. Thunderstorms continued off and on starting around noon. Dockside power was also off and on again.

May 28, 2023

Carrie, Ken, Jessi, and Kylie arrived as scheduled on Saturday and were at the boat by 2:30. We had so many topics to discuss with this family. Kylie has just returned from her semester abroad - Florence, Italy! Jessi has new plans for the next phase of her life - a move from Richmond to Denver, submitting applications for Physician Assistant School and then, awaiting acceptance.

After settling in on the "Lady J", we dined at Wally's and discussed the upcoming week's itinerary.

Sunday morning greeted us with an early morning thunderstorm but then the skies cleared. We departed Harbour View Marina around 11:00 and cruised to Treasure Cay - not knowing exactly what to expect.

We had not been into the Treasure Cay Marina for 15 years when we were on our "Lady J" Gozzard 41 sailing vessel in 2008. At that time, the Treasure Cay Marina was the finest in the Abacos. However, the 2019 Hurricane Dorian totally destroyed the marina property. We had heard many varied stories about its recovery - or lack thereof.

As we navigated through the Treasure Cay channel, we could not help but recall our challenging arrival 38 years ago on our first bareboat charter when Carrie and Kim were young teenagers. We approached through a foggy storm with only a compass heading to guide our way - no GPS or chart plotters back in those days. When we suddenly spotted land through the mist, we saw tall pine trees only a few hundred yards away. We had to decide whether to turn right or left to look for wooden stakes that marked the channel entrance. Fortunately, we guessed correctly and found our way into this beautiful marina. But not so beautiful today . . .

The marina docks were completely destroyed by Dorian along with the condominiums that lined the harbor. This marina property is owned by a German company that has apparently decided to leave the destruction remain as is. Because of the complexity of the ownership arrangement of all of the property assets, it has impeded the start of any reconstruction or redevelopment. The local rumor is that this marina property is for sale.

This Treasure Cay development is certainly one of the saddest remnants of Hurricane Dorian that we have seen - due to its total neglect. The marina restaurant, marina bar, and beach bar no longer exist. These were the places where we created so many fond memories on previous visits. The beach bar was the site of so many delectable delights - the very best grouper sandwiches, grouper bites, and fries with Goombay Smashes or ice cold Kaliks. The unique retail shops remain as dilapidated shells of blue block buildings.

We passed through most of this remaining storm destruction on our way to the true treasure of Treasure Cay - three miles of one of the world's most beautiful white sand beaches with shimmering turquoise water! This striking picturesque scene remains as I first saw it 41 years ago - despite several devastating hurricanes over the decades. Truly a sign that Mother Nature is far more sustainable than man made structures.

We felt very blessed to be able to enjoy this three mile beach all to ourselves - rare in today's world. We basked in the sunshine, splashed in the turquoise waters, and soaked in Mother Nature's amazing creation.

Following our afternoon on this incredibly beautiful beach, we returned to the "Lady J" for a relaxing "happy hour" evening, grilled steaks, and intriguing conversations.

Monday morning - Memorial Day in the States - we took the dinghy and motored through the various canals that spawned from our mooring basin. What a surprise and sharp contrast! There were several nicely reconstructed residences combined with newly constructed properties, complete with docks and a wide variety of cruising and fishing vessels. These mini-residential communities belie the lack of reconstruction investment in the marina and its surrounding property.

May 29, 2023

We departed Treasure Cay to cruise over to Great Guana Cay with plans to have a late lunch at Nippers. On the cruise, we spotted several thunderstorms emerging at various locations on the horizon, including one that spawned a water spout. These Bahama storm cells appeared to be off in the distance and of no significant concern. Then as we approached our Guana anchorage, Ken pointed to our stern where we saw approaching dark clouds. We decided to delay our anchoring until the storm passed. The passing mild storm was accompanied by winds that were blowing directly into our proposed anchorage - foretelling a rolling anchorage with its challenging dinghy maneuvering.

So we made a midcourse correction - deciding a Nipper's experience was not worth the anchorage aggravation - and set course for Tahiti Beach, where we knew we would be well protected from the prevailing wind.

As we approached Elbow Cay, we could see another passing Bahamian storm over the island but it moved east before we arrived and proved to be no issue. After anchoring around 2:30, we joined the afternoon crowd at Tahiti at high tide, making an interesting journey through waist deep beautiful blue water to get our "Thirsty Cuda" libations.

Beach time was followed by refreshing showers back aboard the "Lady J". Sunset Happy Hour and delicious red snapper on the grill completed our day, while watching the stars with a hopeful sighting of the space station, that did not emerge. More memorable times with the Alts on the Sea of Abaco.

May 30, 2023

Ken dove into the water and took an early morning swim to the beach a quarter mile away. After a short jog on the beach, he swam back across to the boat to complete his morning exercise - oh, to be young and physically ambitious!

The Alts enjoyed spending some solo time exploring Tahiti Beach at low tide, in sharp contrast to the previous afternoon with a high tide and crowded beach. Following brunch, we hoisted anchor and returned to Hopetown Marina just prior to the arrival of the afternoon thunderstorms.

A van picked us up at 6:30 PM for our highly anticipated revisit to the Abaco Inn for dinner - where our families have created many memorable moments during past visits to the Abacos. We were seated on the covered outside patio in anticipation of viewing another beautiful sunset over the Sea of Abaco. Another thunderstorm suddenly appeared and while we thought we could outlast it by remaining on the patio, Mother Nature prevailed and we were finally moved inside at a table with a perfect setting overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Once again - expect the unexpected!

Wednesday morning we awakened to more thunderstorms. The day's forecast showed no signs of improving. Jessica departed by ferry at 11:30 to catch her plane back to Miami and then Richmond. Although our plans were to return to our Tahiti Beach anchorage, the pending storm forecast kept us at our dock for another day.

Thursday we plan to depart the dock in the morning, drop anchor off the Firefly Resort and enjoy a waterside lunch before returning to Marsh Harbour. Friday we will return to Naples for the Seaman Corporation June board meeting. Our return to Marsh Harbor will be June 11 to share "Lady J" Abaco time with Kim and her family.

May 18, 2023

We left the "Lady J" on May 2 for two weeks to return to Wooster and tend to some personal and business events. One included a trip to Omaha for a "Woodstock for Capitalists" experience - Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway's Annual Shareholders Meeting. Just imagine Warren at 91 and his sidekick, Charlie Munger at 99, sitting on the stage fielding questions from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM - inspiring to say the least! We were just a few among the 40,000 other loyal Buffet shareholders that attend this annual event.

We also joined some of our closest friends for a week in Costa Rica that one of the couples had planned months earlier - another memorable adventure!

But now we are happy to be back aboard the "Lady J" in our own remote island paradise. We invited Amy and Scott Allen to join us and share in this unique Bahama experience for a few days. Upon arrival, we decided to remain at the dock overnight - a good decision given the passing storm. Dinner was enjoyed at The Jib Room across the bay.

May 19, 2023

We enjoyed a morning cruise to Great Guana Cay planning to have lunch at Nippers, one of our favorite Abaco Island beach bars. However, after dropping anchor, a thunderstorm approached us. So, as often happens in the world of cruising, we quickly adjusted our plans and the ladies prepared lunch on board.

By mid afternoon, the weather cleared. We took the tender to shore and walked to our favorite bar for some Nipper Juice. We shared many stories with the Allen's about past visits to this landmark beach. But mostly we admired the incredible views of the colorful Atlantic waves as they came rolling onto the white sand beach.

We made an obligatory stop at the Nipper's gift shop, complete with its beach sand floor, to purchase some t-shirt memorability. By chance, we discovered that the young boy behind the cash register was the son of the owner of Nipper's - Little Nipper himself! Imagine, another multigenerational family business here in the Abaco Islands . . . .


May 20, 2023

Our morning began with an enjoyable slow cruise to Tahiti Beach on Elbow Cay towing our tender. After we dropped our anchor and prepared lunch, we watched the "Thirsty Cuda" pass by on its way to serve food and drink to the daily beach crowd. We spent the afternoon enjoying the unique and colorful white sand Tahiti Beach sipping several "Thirsty Cuda" libations.

We returned to the tender and gave the Allen's a tour of Lubber's Cay, home of the former Cracker P's (rumored to have been purchased by Pit Bull following its destruction by Hurricane Dorian). Upon returning to "Lady J", it was time to refresh and prepare for our dinghy trip to Firefly for our sunset dinner.

The Abaco Inn was our first choice for dinner but when we called for reservations, we were told they were closed for a private wedding event. We later learned that it was a wedding for 160 on this remote small island.

Firefly has a varied and delicious choice of menu items. Its location provides one of the best sunset views on the island. The four of us enjoyed a memorable evening - made even more memorable by our dinghy ride home.

The "Lady J" was anchored about a mile away. We did not realize that tonight was a waxing moon - so no moonlight to help illuminate the way. The anchorage was populated with many more boats than we had been accustomed to in the past - all with their tall white anchor lights beaming. Our attempt to find the "Lady J" was a navigational challenge through a constellation of bright stars! As Amy held our dim flashlight, we mis-selected the "Lady J" several times before ultimately discovering her in the darkness and breathing four collective sighs of relief.

Sunday morning, over coffee and breakfast, we decided not to spend another day on Tahiti Beach. So I called Hopetown Marina and was able to secure a dock. Not so fortunate when I called for a golf cart - no availability because of the very large wedding being hosted on the island!

By noon, we were securely tied to our Hopetown Marina dock. It took very little time to immerse ourselves in the pool, claiming a few submerged bar stools and enjoying a tasty lunch.
During our afternoon swim time, Amy met a couple and quickly learned that he was the pastor for the island wedding.

The bride and groom were from Orlando. The bride's mother grew up on Man O' War Cay - likely a descendant of the Loyalists that first settled these islands in the late 1700's to escape the discrimination for their loyalty to the Crown during the Revolutionary War. The family of the groom owned Regal Boats. This was the second daughter's wedding the pastor and his wife had officiated in this remote island paradise.

On Sunday evening we called for the Abaco Inn van to shuttle us to the resort for another delicious sunset dinner in one of the islands most beautiful settings.

Fortunately, by noon on Monday, we were able to secure a golf cart. We explored Hopetown with the Allen's, enjoyed a cooling drink at Capt Jack's, where we met a group of Sea Scouts. Then we took our cart to On Da Beach for lunch - perhaps our final one there since they are limited to grilled food only - no fryer - healthy but not nearly as tasty.

On Tuesday morning, the Allen's took the 7:45 AM ferry from Hopetown to Marsh Harbour to catch their flight home - the culmination of a great visit with dear friends.

We spent the balance of the day catching up on tasks - boat tasks, business tasks (two Zoom meetings and several phone calls). We decided to take the golf cart to Firefly for dinner. Since it was sushi night, no reservations were available. However, we were able to sit at the bar, order dinner and watch the sunset again - though it was more subdued with the layers of clouds. Not being regular "bar flies", we did learn a lesson - do not select your bar stools next to the bar blender! It was not the quiet dining experience we both anticipated - but the hamburger we split was delicious.

Wed, May 24, 2023

With an 80% chance of thunderstorms forecast for the next several days, we decided to take advantage of a calm morning and return to Harbour View Marina in Marsh Harbour. Carrie and her family are arriving on Saturday and we have some re-provisioning to do beforehand. The next few days will also be a chance to address some boat chores that have been awaiting attention.

Our son Jason, Adele, and six-year old Jett arrived on Wednesday, April 26. We remained at Harbour View for the afternoon and prepared for a morning departure to Little Harbor on Thursday.

Our plans were to anchor just outside the channel that leads into Little Harbor. The cruise down was smooth -- until we reached the openings to the Atlantic, where 2-3 foot swells were rolling in. Our problem occurred at the small beach anchorage that unfortunately was not protected from the rolling swells. In fact, one of the swells caused enough rocking that both the refrigerator and freezer doors swung open – causing Adele to call for help as items started falling from the shelves. It quickly became apparent that this would not be a suitable anchorage location – small wonder we did not see any other boats at anchor – and the more protected area on the west side of the channel was too shallow for the “Lady J”.

Consequently, we decided to reverse course and head back to Tahiti Beach, arriving late afternoon but soon enough to have a swim off the boat and a couple of hours exploring this beautiful beach.

Friday afternoon we relocated a mile north for an anchorage adjacent to the channel into Abaco Inn. That evening we reenacted one of our fondest Abaco Island memories – dinghy to dinner! We were able to see the mesmerizing waves of the Atlantic during our cocktail hour and then watch the sunset over the serene Sea of Abaco during dinner. What a unique and amazing property, which we have learned is for sale for $16 million – if anyone is looking for an investment opportunity!

Because of the wind forecasts for the next few days – 15-20 kts Saturday, 20-30 kts Sunday – we decided to go into Hopetown Marina, rent a cart and have a few more options to enjoy on a windy day.

Hopetown Marina with its pool, bar, and dining, offers a great place to hang out while the weather calms a bit. The marina shuttle provides easy access to the main part of town as well as to the lighthouse to further explore some history of the community.

Late Saturday afternoon, we took the golf cart and returned to On Da Beach Bar – no shoes, no shirt, no problem . . . . Another great Atlantic Ocean view and late lunch.

Six year old Jett continues his seamanship courses: knot tying, dinghy steering, compass reading, early navigation, and even engine room checks this windy Sunday morning. He is an eager learner and quick study. Fun to pass on some Seaman nautical knowledge!

A day of 25-30 knot winds was capped off with the most awesome sight in the sky I have ever seen in my lifetime. Around 8:30 PM, I asked Jett to accompany me to the flybridge so we could see if the Hopetown Lighthouse was lit and operating. Just as we arrived topside and looked over at the lighthouse, we saw a very bright white contrail with a huge V-shaped object at its leading edge moving rapidly across the night sky! My mind could not immediately comprehend what my eyes were seeing – a huge meteor?? An alien??

Then within about 30 seconds, the V disappeared, and the bright contrail ended. Aha! Perhaps a rocket launch from Cape Kennedy??

Sure enough, when I queried Google, I quickly learned that Space X had just launched a Falcon Heavy rocket to propel a Viasat satellite into orbit. When the V shaped object disappeared, it was the launch rocket separating from the satellite module, which we could faintly see as it continued to propel through the night sky.

What an amazing moment! An unexpected sighting of a rocket launch soaring over the Hopetown Lighthouse in the night sky! And to be able to share it with my six year old grandson Jett, – I do hope he will retain that image in his mind for the rest of his life.