2015 - 7/21 - 7/22 - Eleuthera - Current Cut to Hatchet Bay

7/21 - Anchor up about 10. Today we would pass through Current Cut and then anchor in Hatchet Bay, about a 4 hour trip. 
First, a note about Current Cut taken from Bahamas Cruising Guide: "Current Cut is your Panama Canal to take you directly (or as directly as you can go) from Spanish Wells to Hatchet Bay. Current Cut looks rather like a canal when you first see it, broader than you thought it might be, & has dark blue water, which is always reassuring. It carries a tidal flow well-known in diving circles as giving you the greatest drift dive ever. (we had 30-40 foot depths going through) As a diver you're rocketed totally out of control through the Cut at 6 knots or more... 
In a boat, up on the surface you may have to contend with the full force of the tidal current & wind, & if you've not got the power to punch through it, you may regret taking the Current Cut..."  
We had the power to punch through but all of us had white knuckles. It was hard for Laurel & I to focus as look-outs for coral & rocks because we were trying to take in the beauty of the many changes in the colors of the water - it was breathtaking. I was a bit scared & never thought about taking pictures.

I took this picture of a picture in the Cruising Guide book - sorry, it's grainy.

From Current Cut it's a straight course of 105 degrees held for 16 NM to Hatchet Bay. It was an uncomfortable crossing as we had swells on our starboard beam & the water was too shallow to deploy the flopper-stoppers. 
We knew we were getting close but could not eye-ball the opening.  From the Guide Book: "The entrance to Hatchet Bay, kept well concealed from you by the cliffs, looks forbidding at first sight, (we can attest to that fact!) far too narrow, but has good width (90 feet) & good depth (10 feet)...the Harbor was man-made (1929), formed by cutting through the limestone cliff to form an entrance into a hitherto landlocked pond, thus giving the developing Hatchet Bay cattle-raising project a harbor it could use." 
The wind & current were opposing - the water was confused & rough and full of swirling currents. Wayne had to use full power as there were scary rock jetties on either side of the opening. (another white knuckle event) 

Entrance to Hatchet Bay

We circled the bay to get a lay of the 'land' & decided to anchor in the NW quadrant in a patch of sand.

Most of Eleuthera, especially Current & Hatchet Bay took a direct hit from Hurricane Andrew...you can still see the devastation everywhere.

Used & left for dead

 

Remnants of Hurricane Andrew

We fed the pups & went to search for food. We tied up to, what we thought, was the government dock but didn't look like a very functional dock to us.

Two restaurants here that we knew of - one high above the harbor called (I think) the Back Porch & one a bit in-land called Twin Brothers - both closed. So we got back in  the dinghy and re-positioned a few hundred feet to a rather new looking, partially covered dock. We were in Alice Town area now. 
A family was relaxing in the shade &amp fishing ; we asked if there was another place to eat close by. A very nice young man started to explain the directions then decided it was easier to take us there. We walked along the harbor then turned left up a hill - he pointed to where the Sea Side Takeaway restaurant & Towne Liquor store was - a small blue & white building on the right down the hill.

A few guys were hanging outside side & told us the restaurant wouldn't open until 6pm so we got a few Kalik beers from the liquor store,went to the water's edge, sat in the shade, enjoyed the view & waited.

Difficult to explain this little place.

Extremely basic (an understatement) but the food is cooked fresh to order. Funny how we've gone from extravagant places like Coral Sands & Valentines to this...but we like places like this & feel comfortable. I ordered cracked conch as usual & I think Laurel & Wayne ordered fish.

The food is served in take out containers with plastic utensils. We had to get our drinks from the liquor store which is attached to the 'restaurant'. The food was very, very good. We adjourned to the liquor store where we tasted dollar shots of mostly Coconut Rum made by Ricardo & Fire in De Hole rum ...yum, yum, yum!

Wayne, Navar & Johnnie

We had a good time with the very friendly locals. 

Little Matson

Johnny, Razzy, Navar, Tyson

Mitch, the cook extraordinaire (aka Judy) joined us which rounded out the crew.

We returned to the dock happy to see the dinghy was still there
 Next day  7/22  Goal for today - visit the Hatchet Bay Cave - a mile long cave system filled with hundreds of bats, stalactites & stalagmites. Hundreds of bats?! really?  So, Wayne, this is where you want us to go?  

Wayne visited the cave 20 years ago but I think he rented a car so he had no memory how far it was from town. We asked the locals & were told...Oh, it's about a mile...it's maybe a mile & a half...we got different distances from everyone we asked. OK, 1.5 miles...we can do that. It was hot, the sun was unrelenting as we started on this journey. I know we walked at least 1.5 miles maybe 2 - no sight of the cave. By now, we were very hot & tired & talked about turning back when we heard a car heading in our direction. I put my thumb out then folded my hands as if praying. It was a commercial pick-up truck - they stopped. The vision of me trying to get into the bed of the truck was something to behold so even if I had a picture I wouldn't post it. We drove for what seemed to be many miles. We looked at each other thinking the same thing...what the hell were we thinking & how will get back??
The pictures should tell most of the story of this cave.

You can see how it was decimated by graffiti & lots of rubble. Not a pretty site...shame.

Laurel said she thought she saw one bat flying around but we didn't see 'hundreds'. Even the path from the road leading to the opening was overgrown & not cared for.We were lucky to find the opening.

 

Laurel helped me with almost every step I took.

I wasn't going to get any closer to the opening to get a better picture

Wayne descended down a ladder into another part of the cave which he said was really cool, however, he didn't take the camera with him. He said there was a red yarn that he followed & when it ran out he decided to return.

from the Guide Book: "We were in silo country, grass land run wild, & scrub vegetation. These silos were built by British Plantation owners before the Bahamas became independent and the land has reverted to it's natural state since the Brits left.  It doesn't seem Bahama-like at all, but Eleuthera is in many ways typical of the Bahama Islands...You might wonder at the lack of any development taking advantage of Hatchet Bay, which is arguably the only good 'natural' harbor in Eleuthera. The reason seems to lie in that when the cattle-raising scheme failed in the 1970's, the land passed into the hands of the Bahamian Department of Agriculture. Wheels can turn slowly in governments ...agriculture is rarely a torch bearer in promoting concrete development schemes...Hatchet Bay has remained locked in a time warp."
We had no choice but to start walking back in hopes that another kind soul would pick us up. Many cars passed us but kept going despite my folded hands in prayer. We were exhausted & very hot. I must have looked really desperate to a young couple who finally stopped. They actually passed us then stopped. I could imagine them saying, "well they look like nice people-doubt they would harm us". We squeezed into the back seat ever so grateful for the lift & the A/C. 

We were not cooking after that adventure... We had a choice between Twin Brothers & the Back Porch?? There was someone at the Back Porch who said the cook wasn't even there yet - it was almost 6. We stopped to talk to a guy working on his car under the shade of a big tree. He said he's never eaten at the 'porch' but suggested Twin Brothers.
This is the sign for Twin Brothers that greats you when you tie up to the seawall.

We learned later that these events happened a very long time ago. In addition to a bar & restaurant,

Twin Brothers has a few, nice looking rental units & a small shop for tourists. 

Such a ham

The property seems very well maintained - fresh paint etc. Our first issue happened when we ordered their 'famous' daiquiris. They were frozen & we could hear the machine grinding away (obviously on its last leg), all over the property. Laurel & Wayne ordered a medium size. I got a 'taste' in a small cup as I don't care for frozen drinks. We 'assumed' there was rum mixed into the brew - after all, that's what it's supposed to be - not so!   So Laurel & Wayne ordered a shot of rum each, which was certainly not enough to make any difference in that size cup. I got wine - can't screw that up. We sat outside & Laurel ordered Conch fritters - she got fritters everywhere we went - no lie!  The bugs arrived so we moved into a very cozy, screened in and brightly colored 'restaurant' (room) located on the porch where we were sitting. A sign said 'air conditioned' - not! - "broken" the server said. Wayne asked if they could turn on the TV so we could see the weather forecast - not! - "broken" she said. 
Checked out the menu...we ask questions about this & that. Every this & that we asked about the server said they didn't have...so, being the smart ass I am, I said, "so, what do you have?"  
I got cracked conch (my go to) - they got snapper,  they wanted it grilled - the server said, "we can't grill it now",  (what??). I think she described the fish as baked but I really wasn't paying attention. The food arrived. My conch looked &, thankfully, tasted as it usually does. Then she brought their two plates with WHOLE snapper served with lots of rice, beans & Cole-slaw. (just BTW- these snapper were waayyy smaller than legal size) I wish I had a picture of Wayne's face when he stared at the snapper who was staring back at him.

Laurel ate hers...Wayne did not.   Advice; do not eat here!!

7/23  Anchor up at 9 & down at 4 outside Green Cay - too shallow. We quickly moved to Rose Island just east of Nassau.



 

2015 - 7/16 to 7/20 - Eleuthera - Harbor Island to Egg Island to Royal Island

7/16 - Ahhh...the feared Devil's Backbone. (Taken from Bahamas Cruising Guide) "Right at the start of the settlement of the Bahamas the Devil's Backbone claimed its first victim when the first shipload of Eleutheran settlers (1648) went on the reef, & ended up destitute, holed up in Preacher's Cave. It wasn't a good start. Since then the Devil's Backbone (aka the 'Bone') & the North Eleuthera reefs have claimed many victims & gained a fearsome reputation...The Devil's Backbone Passage through the reefs around the north coast of Eleuthera is an exercise in coastal navigation, which, rather like marriage, should not be lightly undertaken. It's potentially hazardous but not dangerous given the right conditions.  Because the nature of the navigational problems presented change as you make your way around the coast, it makes sense to get a Spanish Wells pilot to take you around the first time you do it, if not every time..."
I think it's interesting that the lore of the Devil's Backbone has been in existence for many years - long before there were digital charts. Most people are terrified of traversing this area which is maybe only a mile long. I don't think we saw any boat go through without a pilot. You can see on the chart how clear the path is.

This chart shows us going back through the 'Bone' - you can see the light, pinkish line when we went through the first time. You can also see where Preacher's Cave is.

We had a meeting of the minds & by a vote of 2 to 1 it was decided to go through the 'Bone' without a pilot. Please understand, I'm getting older & not in favor of taking unnecessary risks.  This is our home & I certainly didn't want to wind up in Preacher's Cave. To me, the toughest transition was after the 'bone' to get to Harbor Island. Wide open area with shifting sandbars - now that was a true test of navigation.

Check the chart. You can see our path in & out of the 'bone'. See Spanish Wells on the left - the inner path through the 'bone' then down to Harbor Island.

The alternative was to take the long way around the island    You can see this route on the chart above - look above the 'Bone' & follow the white area (deep water) to the right of the island - the cut is below on the right. That is what we did in 2011.We anchored outside Romora Marina where we were docked the last time here - went ashore & directly to their quaint little bar/restaurant for happy hour & a cooling off in the pool.

Beautiful Romora Marina & resort

 

Beautiful restaurant at the top of the hill

This is our bartender, Brent...makes an awesome margarita. 

 These are the ladies behind the scene that make everything tick at the bar/restaurant - just like clock-work.

Great gals. The main cook, Pat, lives in Hatchet Bay. She takes the ferry across to N. Eleuthera then drives 30 miles to her home. Now that's dedication I'd say.
I got the code to access their internet from another visitor - yes!  
We watched Lethal Weapon on TV that night. Really exciting stuff huh???
7/17 - I worked on the blog while Wayne & Laurel went ashore so she could see the pink sands on the Atlantic side of the island.

Pink because it's made up of tiny-weeny pieces of coral.

It's a gorgeous island - it used to be more difficult to get to that's why many celebrities have homes here.
Now, you take a taxi from the North Eleuthera airport to the ferry which takes you to the Harbor Island.

Valentine's marina - did someone say there was a recession?

 After showers & donning more civilized clothes, we went to Valentines marina & resort for happy hour -

very upscale but friendly & comfortable even for us low life boaters. I swear, I think the locals went to school to make the best margaritas.
We ran into the two crew members from the Choy Lee sailboat (Spanish Wells). They were going to a local's restaurant that began with "A" & after they left none of us could remember the name. So, we figured, how hard can it be to find a local's restaurant that begins with an "A"?? We asked a bunch of locals - no one knew of such a place. I approached a guy coming out of the bar & asked him (later learned his name was Russell). He called his friend over who has a home here - Michael.  He took us by the arm & said, "follow me". We climbed into his golf cart & off we went. Now you're saying to yourself...are you nuts? driving off with some stranger? OK, what's the worst that can happen? 
I asked him about a small, burn-like mark on his face. He said while fueling his Porsche it caught fire & was destroyed - he was lucky to have only small patches of burn marks. Of course, later, I googled this - happened in Sept. 2014, a extremely rare 918 Porch Spyder - get's 67 MPH - cost $845,000. He had it less than a month.
We drove through the 'local's' area with dozens of little shack-like bars/restaurants...he didn't stop. He said, "I have a better place...I'm gonna treat you three to dinner" (huh??) We drove into Coral Sands Beach Resort.

Coral Sands Bar area

 

Coral Sands

An exquisite resort - we stopped here for a drink in 2011 but didn't eat as it was a bit out of our budget. He said he owns part of the place. (we thought, yea, right) A long table was already set for him-white linen table cloths & all. The three of us just looked at each other with question marks all over our faces ??? We were stunned. Michael was greeted by several kids - he introduced us to his twin sons,

Adam & Ashton - then there was Xavier, Jay, Andre & one whose name escapes me. Michael's friend Russell arrived a bit later somewhat upset because he got left behind at Valentines. The staff was at his beck & call. He ordered several bottles of red & white wine to start with. I ordered steak, rare, it melted in my mouth. I love steak but  I only have it on a rare occasions.
Conversation was lively & interesting. I think there were 11-12 people in all at the table. Michael was simply a down-to-earth person. No swagger, not full of himself, didn't brag- he was just a regular guy. In passing, he mentioned a few things he's done & is doing. We listened wondering how much of what we were hearing was the truth or just the wine talking. I actually didn't care. He was an engaging man & I thought he was quite sincere - I enjoyed his company - Laurel & Wayne weren't so sure. Laurel picked up the fact that he said he was on a reality TV show in Canada that's the same as our Shark Tank. The next day she Goggled it - The Devil's Den. OMG!! there he was in full color. Michael (Wek) Wekerle; he has 6 kids; he's a Canadian Merchant Banker-started when he was 18...If interested Google him he's quite amazing.

This picture taken from the net...even though he's in a suit in this picture, this is most how he looked that night.

                                          From an ad on the web about the 'Devil's Den'

So now I'm kicking my self for not getting a picture of all of us like I always do!
These unexpected, interesting & wonderful things that happen to us along the way is one of the reasons we love this life style.

Michael's home - highest on the island

The next day Laurel & I took the dinghy ashore for some 'girl' time. It was quite a trip. We got into some very shallow water, went 'slightly' aground then hooked onto a buoy - thankfully it didn't wrap around the prop but it did get tightly wedged between the motor & the transom. I know the guys on the dock were have a great laugh watching us try to pry it loose. We headed towards the dock (where the guys were watching us). Thankfully there was a ladder on the dock - I've got to have a ladder cuz this old body can't get up onto the dock without one. While trying to tie up, one of the guys (in stocking feet) came to lend a hand. This is where the locals hang out but it's also where the liquor store is. Off we went. Laurel & Wayne had wandered here before & she had her eye on a hand-made large carry-on bag with leather handles & bottom. Lovely little artist shop...No price tag (already I see this as a problem). He quotes over $200 - excuse me?? We leave the shop & head for the  liquor store talking about the bag the whole way. She wants it badly. I offered to return to the shop to see if there was any negotiating room...Laurel agreed & back we went. So I say to the guy, "it's summer; off season; you're getting a new shipment in soon; you'll be left with these 4 bags...What can you do for us?" He agreed to 20% off. We left, again, heading for the liquor store. While I was getting their last two monster jugs of red wine, (4 liters each) Laural was calculating the 20% off price. she went back to buy the bag while I stayed in the air-conditioned liquor store. She was gone what seemed to be a really long time - I was getting worried. I kept busy by meeting many interesting people while sitting on a case of beer in the middle of the store. I was about ready to go look for her when she returned - with the bag. We lugged our goodies back to the dinghy - her new bag & two, 4 liter bottles of Carlo Rossi red wine. I can tell you these two bottles felt way heavier than 2.2 lbs. each.  

Of course they were full at the time

Uh..oh, the tide was way out. the dinghy was inches from being hard aground. To make matters more complicated, one of the lines was wrapped around part of the lower dock which meant we couldn't bring the dinghy close to the ladder. ...even going down the ladder we couldn't reach the line to free it. So what else can possibly happen today? 
Once again, sock man came to our rescue - he climbed down the ladder & with a longer leg than either of us had, stepped on the line & freed it. He then told us which way to get out without going aground.
Pulled the anchor at 11:30 on the 19th. The weather, for the most part, has been spectacular. Cool, gentle breezes day & night so it doesn't feel like it's in the 90's unless you're ashore & in the sun.
We moved the boat to a spit of land called Egg Island.

Egg Island. You can see Royal Island's harbor where we anchored later in the day

from the Web:"Egg Island is an uninhabited island, officially an islet, comprising 8,611 sq ft. in the Bahamas. It's so named because it is home to chickens owned by residents of other nearby islands who travel here to collect the eggs.
The island has a crescent shaped beach that is protected by a reef that protects the entire beach. The water behind the reef is generally less than 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) deep making it a good place to swim or watch the sea life. Since the water is so shallow and well protected, it tends to be warmer than the surrounding sea.
Egg Island gained some fame in the 1980s when Arne Molander claimed that this was the first island where Columbus landed in his 1492 voyage to the New World.^"
Then again, many of the islands want to take credit for his landings. 
A barren island but the beauty is beneath the crystal clear water. Most of the water in the Bahamas is clear but with a tint of green (similar to the green tint our water is in the Keys) But this was, by far, the clearest water we've seen. Wayne says it has a tint of blue.

 

We didn't want to leave but the anchorage is not protected & we didn't want to get caught in a storm in the middle of the night - which is when 90% of storms occur. We moved the boat to a protected harbor on Royal Island.

Royal Island anchorage

In 1999 there were reports that the island was sold & a marina & maybe a resort with housing was planned. Today, you can still see the remnants of construction trailers & a few old, broken down earth-moving machinery on the hill-side.
It was cloudy the next day with intermittent rain - another lay day.
Let's see, only 11 days until Laural flies out of Nassau. We decided to head for Alice town in Hatchet Bay on Eleuthera. I've never been there before. 

The 'kids' didn't care where we were going, they were happy sitting in 'daddy's' chair.