Enjoying the tranquility at Hope Town
Sitting on my very own toilet upon our arrival home, I realized the meaning of “sea legs”. The room was spinning and I felt like I was coming off, as Jimmy Buffet so eloquently put it, “God’s Own Drunk”. Am I home or still on the boat? Hard to tell if I close my eyes.
Dinghy time!
Jeff and I, along with our good friend Neil, just returned to Atlanta following a blissful 7-day sailing adventure in the Abaco Islands in the Bahamas.
Marsh Harbor, Great Abaco
This was our first sailing trip in these waters. We have sailed in the deeper, calmer waters of the Caribbean (BVI’s and Windward islands) in the past, in addition to Washington State’s San Juan islands and the Intercoastal Waterway. The Bahamas, in contrast, are notoriously shallow (depths of 8-9 feet are not uncommon) and the winds averaged 15-low-20’s knots most days. (A more in-depth comparison will be in a future post).
We arrived in Marsh Harbor to temps in the upper 70’s to low 80’s. After picking up our boat and working out the kinks, we enjoyed snorkeling shallow reefs, exploring deserted beaches and feeling the cooling winds in our faces.
Day 2 we met up with some “friends of friends”, Duwan and Greg, who have been sailing these waters for months at a time for the last couple of years. They, too, live in Atlanta, at least for now, and are living the dream that Jeff and I are pursuing. They keep a blog over at Make Like An Ape Man. You should check them out.
new sailing buddies
We spent a couple days sailing along with them, stopping for snorkeling, hiking and, most fun of all, breaking bread (they made pizza) and making music. Greg is a talented guitar and ukulele player, and I pulled out my trusty spoons, and a great time was had by all. I had so much fun, in fact, that I purchased myself a uke as soon as we got home. (That should make for some funny videos, as I have negative musical talent!)
Even though Neil studied as a marine biologist, this was his first experience sleeping aboard a boat. He was a quick adapter, and handled the boat with ease. In fact, he scored the highest speeds while at the helm, at 7.8 knots. He knew the names of many of the tropical plants, birds and sea creatures that we observed.
Neil, our trusty, not crusty, crew.
Another highlight of our trip was a pristine little anchorage we found on Manjack Cay. Nestled on a tiny beach were swaying palms, picnic tables, a tiki hut, a hammock and a coconut-cutting station. After a picnic, Neil had a siesta and Jeff and I took a long hike across the cay to the ocean beach- a long, curved expanse of one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever witnessed. And we were the only people there!
Coincidentally, the woman who owns some of that property and lives between there and Alanta attends the Spiritual Center that we attend, and we just figured that out after our return, when she heard Neil talking about the trip. Small world, no??
Ocean Beach on Manjack Cay
Look at that water! It truly is that color, and as we sailed along, the water’s hues changed intensity from royal blue to indigo to pure, clear turquoise.
Sea of Abaco in all its glory
Beautiful, isn’t it? The video I made is a quick sampling of our adventure, I hope you enjoy it. Have you traveled to the Bahamas? If so, I’d love you to share your story.
