2015 - 7/13 to 7/14 - Lynyard to Spanish Wells to Ben Cay - Eleuthera

Now's probably a good time to tell you about the routine on the boat & how amazing Laurel's been.
Laurel does almost everything giving me the best vacation. She makes the morning coffee; feeds the dogs at 9 & 5; she's gotten them to stop most of their barking, she washes the dishes every night; she helps take the dinghy on & off the deck; she takes the helm when raising & lowering the anchor; she takes the helm when Wayne needs a break; she helps my old body on & off the dinghy & everywhere else I have difficulty; she carries the heavy bags; we share in buying groceries & booze; she's taken us out for dinner, bought us drinks; & beats me all the time when playing Rummy. We've been reading novels like crazy-switching them back & forth. 
She's just great company & boy, am I gonna miss here when she's gone. And Laurel, thanks for giving US a great vacation.

7/13, we pulled anchor at Lynyard Cay about 1130 - not able to say goodbye to Laura & Daniel as they had company on the boat the night before so figure they're still asleep.
We arrived Spanish Wells about 7 pm & anchored outside for the night. We're now in Eleuthera.

Chart showing outside anchorage

(Taken from The Bahamas Cruising Guide) "Spanish Wells Harbour is, in fact, just one long cut running between St. George's Cay (Spanish Wells) to the north & two islands, little peanut-shaped Charles Island to the south-east, & Russell Island to the southwest...St George's Cay is so totally identified with & as being Spanish Wells that we deal with the island & the settlement under the heading of Spanish Wells...The name Spanish Wells sounds romantic. The legend that the Spanish filled their water casks from the sweet wells of the island...before setting off on the long haul to Spain sounds good, but is it credible? Look at the charts. Look at the reefs. Study the wreck history of the area...Spanish Wells is no tourist resort...it is fishing, serious fishing...It is self-reliance taken as far as you can reasonably take it, that goes straight back to 1648 & the Eleutheran Adventurers, who were tough, ornery, independent of mind & not prepared to live by the rules of the day just because that was the way it had always been...Spanish Wells is Bahamian lobster fishing with something like 75 percent of its annual production & exports that have long found markets worldwide."

The next day we went 'inside' & slowly cruised the narrow channel (as described above).

  The fishing fleet was in. These boats were so well maintained, clean & seemed freshly painted it puts the Key West & Ft. Myers fleet to shame.

This is only a small segment of boats that were in the harbor

R & B Boat yard on the harbor

This small & unassuming boat yard has the largest marine rail-way in the country, handling boats up to 120 tons & 95 ft. in length. They are capable of taking care of the entire fishing fleet in Spanish Wells & other poor souls like us. 
I remembered this small island had their own radio station  - SPLASH 89.9.

We haven't had the radio on since we left the states. Pleased to hear real old-oldies-the ones DJs don't often play. I was in heaven. During the broadcast & after a commercial, a preacher was giving a sermon - what? I thought someone changed the station. After the sermon, which, in fact, was inspiring, they played a string of country songs; then reggae; then a mix. We loved it.
We chatted briefly with the people on a gorgeous Choy Lee sail boat from Key West docked at Yacht Harbor Marina.

Gorgeous vessel - about 65' - we were hoping to get a tour but no such luck.

They told us about Budda's, close by for a bite to eat. We decided to take a slip for the night.

We got provisions at the Food Fair grocery store-fully stocked, well organized & clean. It put our Winn Dixie to shame.  Wayne got Bahamian bread at the bakery across the street. It was a long walk back to the boat in the hot sun & the bags were really heavy. We thought we deserved a night out - we walked to Buddas snack shack, (a true description)

an outdoor restaurant/bar - they had a dart board but lacking good darts - I played anyway.

 

I never did find out his/her name. I used to have an African Grey & I miss her

7/15 We woke to a stormy & rainy morning - we slept in. Rain cleared & we left the dock at 1 pm. 

We anchored in Ben Bay.- we had nothing else to do but take the pups to the beach, snorkel & fish - lucky us. Coral patches were all around us, in fact, one was clearly visible & some kind soul marked it with a few buoys.

Chart going into to Ben Bay. (the + marks show coral patches - * means the coral is above the water line)

Wayne & I took the dinghy & slowly headed for the reef. I was the look out for coral heads  Very quickly, the coral heads were nearing the top of the water - STOP! We heard a clunk & the bottom of the dinghy scraped on the coral. Too late. Ever so slowly we found our way to safety. I fished just on the outside of the patches. I caught a small Hind grouper then got some nice hits but before I could reel them in, they scurried their way into a hole - I lost 3 rigs. That's enough. I'm done let's go back to the boat for happy hour & sit in the shade on the fly bridge. 
We still have TV reception over here!! but no internet. As usual, every door, window & hatch that can open is open. No need for A/C especially at night. We were playing dominoes & little by little light-colored bugs were flying in. When we actually paid attention, we saw they were all over the ceiling & partially covering the windows trying to get in. The three of us made a dash to close everything that didn't have a screen. In the morning, the outside of the boat was covered with them. We agreed they were termites. We read that termites are a huge issue in the Bahamas but we've never experienced a problem with them until now.
We pulled anchor the next day about 11ish - destination -  - Dunsmore Town on Harbor Island - Eleuthera. Which way to go?? that was the question.
The next segment talks about the dreaded & feared DEVIL'S BACKBONE route.