Hello and Happy Easter to all,

WIFI connections have been a bit sketchy for the last couple of weeks, so attempts to update the blog led to stress and frustration which totally defeats the purpose of chillin in the islands.  Our connections seem to be strong this morning, so I’ll attempt to give you a quick update through photos of the fantastic people and places we’ve enjoyed since our Cuba trip.

We were sad to say goodbye to Bernadette, but In addition to taking hilarious Australian Language lessons while she was with us, we made plans and promises for a future trip to Australia one of these days. The very next day, we were thrilled to take the ferry from Elbow Cay over to Marsh Harbor and welcome Walsh & Laura!

Having enjoyed our time in the Abacos, we decided it was time to head further south. We  re-provisioned at the Marsh Harbor Maxwell’s grocery store. It is the biggest and most like our American grocery stores with fresh fruits and vegetables, a deli and good selection of most things, especially on Thursdays after the boat has come in.  As a rule of thumb, everything here costs 1 1/2 times what it does in the states, except beer, which costs 3 times as much. Some things are just worth it !

Cruising from the Abacos down to the Exumas requires an ocean passage from Little Harbor to Spanish Wells Eleuthera. We connected with our friends Kathy and Chuck down at Little Harbor who were on a beautiful Grand Banks 49  “Sea Fever”, to make the crossing together on the morning of March 6th. We also had radio contact with another really fun couple, Jeff and Sally, on their awesome Monk 36, “Adirondack” and learned they would be crossing that day as well.   The crossing is about 50 miles.   We had moderate conditions with 3-4′ swells and a little chop. In the wide open ocean we could see other boats crossing north or south.

It’s hard to believe you actually have to be on the lookout to avoid collision with so much open space.  We spied a couple of container ships and Tom taught me how to take a bearing on those approaching vessels useing a hand held compass.  When you spot a vessel in the distance that appears to be coming your way,  you take a bearing every few minutes. If the numbers are changing each time, then you know that the oncoming vessel will pass in front of or behind you. If the numbers are constant, then it means you are on a collision course.

One vessel seemed to be coming along in close proximity. We had taken several bearings and assured ourselves that if we maintained our same course and speed, that we would indeed cross in front of that vessel. We were not so sure about Sea Fever, who was traveling a few thousand yards behind us. As the 2 vessels drew close to one another, Captain Chuck radioed the huge ship to ask if they felt like his course and speed was acceptable. The ship never responded. At the last minute, Chuck did alter his course and speed a bit,  and scooted in front of the ship. That was just a little too close for comfort!

We all arrived safely in Spanish Wells. Spanish wells is a very busy commercial fishing town. The PInder family is the most prevelant name here. It was interesting to visit the local Cemetary and see PInder on 80% of the tombstones.  We rented bikes and enjoyed a strenuous tour over the hilly island. On our way back to the boat, we crossed over a beautiful river bridge connecting Russell Island to Spanish Wells. There were some attractive young ladies swimming in the river , lounging on the sand, and a couple of whom had just jumped from the bridge into the cool clear water below. It was all a little too much for Tom to resist. Check out this 14 second video.

Another highlight of our visit to Spansih Well was meeting Monty and Sara Lewis. Monty and Sara are the authors of “The Explorer Charts and Cruising Guides” .  They were also staying at the Spanish Well Yacht Harbor Marina and were waiting for the winds to settle a bit before navigating around to Harbor Island. That particular trip is very hazardous and they recommend  in their guide books for cruisers to hire a local guide to come onboard your vessel to steer you safely through the coral heads and open ocean surf of the dangerous “Devils Backbone” route. We took their advice one step further. We decided to leave Southern Trawl at the dock and bought passage on the huge, hish speed, island ferry. It was $105.00 well spent. From the top deck of the ferry we watched in amazement as our ship crashed through surf, narrowly avoided coral heads, and at times came with in just a few feet of the shore line. Local knowledge and intestinal fortitude rules out in those situations.

We enjoyed Harbor Island, playground of the rich and famous. There is some local color and spice on Harbor Island, but it is also a favored destination of MegaYachts, expensive boutiques, $42 lunch quesadillas, $358 swimsuit cover ups and the residence of many wealthy residents. (We were told there are 14 Billioneres who have homes on the north end of the island). It is also home to Jimmy Moree, known as Jimmy Devine. We highly recommend you read the engaging life story of Jimmy, one of the most successful marijuana traffickers of the 1970’s, in the bestseller biography, “Weed Man, The remarkable Journey of Jimmy Devine”, by John McCaslin.

The beautiful truth about the Bahama life is that whether you are on a tiny $15,000 sailboat, a 1983 trawler, or a multi-million dollar mega yacht complete with helicopter and fast moving toys , we all have the same front row ticket to enjoy these crystal clear waters, abundant sea life and meet the warm and friendly people of these scattered islands.I’ll stop here for now

Got lots more to share, but hey it’s Easter and we’ve got to hunt down some more colorful scenes. Check back soon!