Spanish Wells (5/24 - 6/3)

We planned to stay a few days, but adverse weather extended our visit.  It is a really nice, clean fishing village (mostly lobster).  There are no bars and liquor is not served in the restaurants (we did find out if you are discreet, you can BYOB).  The businesses and homes are brightly painted, and the beaches are really beautiful.

This was our transportation while we were there (we spent a lot of time buzzing around in both of them:

 

Shots from around town

Waterfront Real Estate Office

Lobster Boats

Bridge between Spanish Wells & Russel Island

Looks like the perfect spot!

Some of the typical homes on the island

 

We took the dinghy across the bay to the mainland (Eleuthera) to pick up some Kalik - the local Bahamian beer.

 This is the ferry boat that  the locals use to travel between Spanish Wells & Eleuthera:

Most locals use golf carts to get around

We took a day trip over to Harbour Island on the ferry from Nassau - lots of nice homes, several nice marinas, lots of yachts.  Dunmore Town itself is another golf cart village with several upscale resorts and a real nice beach.

The Bo Hengy - Our ride to Harbour Island

Street shots on the harbor - bay side

Beach shots on the ocean side

Before we left Spanish Wells we did find the one and only liquor store - Budda & Joanies on 12th Street (you had to look for it - there are no signs advertising a liquor store), but we found it!!!

This is only a trial post - we'll see what happens!!!

I gave up doing this blog based on past experience (or "lack of experience") for several reasons:

•  My patience/abilities seems to run out before I finish posting (which causes a lot of foul language)
• Wi-fi hook-ups never seem fast enough
• It cuts into beer drinking time
• Sunny days make it hard to sit inside
• It's dangerous for me to try this at night
• I promised myself, I would never do this again

I'm sure there are numerous other reasons and, as I remember them, I may add them to this list.

That said, I am going to try to use this blog to post pictures while we are cruising, we'll see how that works for me!

You can make the photos larger, if you single click on the photo (I found that out by accident)

First fish (Dolphin aka Mahi)  How about that water?

Second fish - Nothing like fresh filets in the freezer!

Happy Cruiser!

Mooring field Warderick Wells/Exuma Park ("Tide's In " on left, "Conched Out Too"on right)

Top of Boo Boo Hill (Bill carved us a sign with the boat name on it to leave in the pile) - Warderick Wells

Scenes from Compass Cay Marina

Nurse sharks @ fish cleaning table

Yes, at high tide they get on the pier waiting to be fed

Marina Office

Night shot in the marina

Black Point Anchorage

Looking toward Black Point Anchorage

Lunch & beers @ Staniel Cay Yacht Club (Do I look happy to be there?)

Pipe Creek Yacht Club

Our cruising buddies - Pam & Stephen from "Tide's In"

Lunch @ Highbourne Cay Yacht Club

Snorkel pics - Photos by Pam & Stephen

That's me (not a manatee)  Bill is in the background

Checking the anchors

We spend a LOT of time doing this!!!

How were we to know Pam was the "Queen of Jello Shots"?

Another day, another shot!

Did we mention how clear and beautiful the water is?

  

Rich man's raft up (the big sport fish boat is missing in this photo)

 

HAPPY, HAPPY CRUISERS!!!

 WooHoo it worked!!!

 Guess I should fess up and admit it took damn near all day.  While we are waiting on weather here in Spanish Wells, what else is there for us to do?  By the way, I don't plan to make a habit of this.  Once the weather clears, this may not happen again, but I will try.

Pictures

5/30 - 6/6.....Leah & Scott's trip

5/30 - Our daughter Leah & her boyfriend Scott flew into Marsh Harbor for their week in Abaco. We were still dealing with bad weather, but it faired for a great Sunday afternoon @ Nipper's & Grabbers. The crew of "Journey" (Annette, Barney, Trisha & Richard) joined us and a very big time was had by all!!

6/1 - Better weather and a great afternoon at Tahiti Beach. 6/2 - We had sunny skies and rented golf carts to check out the south end of Elbow Cay. We didn't miss any of the bars!

6/3 - Had a great time at Tilloo Bank - beautiful water, great snorkel.

6/4 - Tour of Hopetown and climbed to the top of the lighthouse

6/5 - Back to Marsh Harbor (flights out in the morning).

5/14 - 5/29.....Thunderstorms & WET !!!

5/14 - Arrived at Great Guana Cay and spent a few days - rented a golf cart for a tour of the island and spent some time at Grabber's & Nipper's (way too much time!)

5/18 - Headed into Marsh Harbor to pick up Steve & Rose Simmons (they flew in for their vacation and brought the rain with them). Spent several days on the mooring in Man-O-War since the weather was so bad. "Journey" came in and the excitement started. After he picked up his mooring he called to say he was taking on water (shaft & rudder had slid out of the shaft log). The next morning we get another radio call that he had been hit (a sailboat in front of him broke loose and had hit him) Fortunately it did not cause him to break loose and the damage was cosmetic. I forgot to mention both events happened during major storms.

5/22 - Still wet weather but we decided to relocate to Hopetown. Spent the next week between storms at Tahiti Beach and Marsh Harbor. Steve & Rose got a couple of visits to the beach but mostly had a wet vacation until they flew out on 5/27. The following days brought more of the same weather.

5/1 – 5/13…..Ft. Pierce, FL to The Bahamas

It took us a while waiting on weather, winds & seas, but we made it!!! We left Harbortown Marina on 5/1, spent 1 night at Peck Lake then headed for Lake Worth (Palm Beach) to wait.

5/7 - Crossed the beautiful, cobalt seas of the Atlantic Ocean into Old Bahama Bay Marina at West End, Bahama. It's great to be here! Headed out onto the Little Bahama Bank, stayed 1 night at Great Sale Cay, then headed for Allans-Pensacola Cay. Enjoyed some beach time (Sassy had her 1^st beach day) and left our sign at the "signing trees"

5/11 - Tried a new spot we didn't try on our 2005 trip – Powell Cay. Loved it and stayed for a couple of nights.

5/13 – Another 1^st for us, somehow we missed Green Turtle Cay going both ways last time, but have always heard it's a "must go to" spot. We are currently located at Black Sound Marina and will start exploring the island this afternoon.