Keene Sailing

Marsh Harbour

The passage over Whale Cay channel was pretty tame, we left early to hit the high tide and it was smooth sailing all the way to Marsh Harbor. We took a slip at Marsh Harbour Marina for several nights, the marina was very clean, with a small pool but best of all is the Tiki Bar called the Jibroom. We got to know the owner Tom and his son Steven along with a whole cast of folks. Many of the cruisers that were there use this marina as a base, they rent a slip for 3 months or longer and mostly party with all their friends, but because the rent is very inexpensive they can go on short excursions to other islands and then come back the Jibroom. Pretty cool huh? We went to the huge supermarket called Maxwells several times, you have to understand that most of the islands have tiny stores that may or might not have what you need, if they do you can bet it will carry a sticker shock price. Maxwells was not inexpensive but it had everything we needed, close by was a liquor store which sold Bacardi Rum for $16 for 1.75 L while Miller beer was $44 a case, California wines $25, so we stocked up on Rum! Marsh Harbour is the largest city/town in the Abacos, but it is not on the ocean so there is no beach, the town itself was clean and colorful but busy with real cars and trucks (most small islands use golf carts to get around).As the cars drive on the wrong side of the road (sorry Ian) and the roads are very narrow, walking can be dangerous because it seems cars have the right of way. So on Monday we had a pot luck dinner at the Jibroom with the rest of the cruisers, then Tuesday morning we left for Hopetown. We tried to sail as much as we could, but the winds called the Trade-winds blow most of the time from the east at between 10-20 mph. We were going east so we had to tack into the wind. We were in no hurry to get here so we took our time.

Elbow Cay Lighthouse

Elbow Cay Light Gear train

Hopetown Street scene

From our mooring in Hopetown Harbor

From the lighthouse Hopetown Harbor

Hopetown

We arrived in Hopetown, located on the north end of Elbow Cay, around lunchtime. The harbor was pretty full of cruising boats mostly on moorings, there are a few places to anchor but the bottom does not have good holding and the moorings are everywhere so we took one. Once settled in we fired up the dinghy and went into town to scope out where we were going to have dinner. The narrow streets with white picket fences and unique small houses painted in bright colors, and friendly folks made this a really charming town. For dinner we settled on Capt Jacks, looked like a fun place with happy hour starting at 5 and Tuesday was Taco night they said till they ran out. We came back to the boat to close it up because it looked like it was going to rain, sure enough it rained for about an hour, so we eat on the boat Capt Jacks will have to wait. Today we went to the Elbow Cay Lighthouse, wow what a neat lighthouse.  We went to a little museum earlier and read the history of that lighthouse, built in 1860 and rebuilt in 1932. It seems that the primary occupation of the town folks up until it was built were wreckers. Wreckers wait for a ship to run aground then they go out and salvage the goods. Before the lighthouse there was an average of 2 ships a month on the reef, so they were very unhappy about its being built and tried to prevent the workers from completing it. Today it is still manned and using the same technology as when it was built. Amazing to think they built it by hand with no power tools. The Fresnel glass lens has to weigh several tons and this was I think over a 100 feet high. Today the light keeper still has to wind the weights 3 times each night to keep the lens turning at maybe 10 rpm.

We have a cold front coming thru on Friday with gale force winds so we will just stay put till it blows though.

First Mates view of Marsh Harbour and Hopetown

Marsh Harbor was our next stop after Green Turtle Cay. It has a lively community of cruisers, which was welcome by us after the quiet of GTC. This time we were in a slip at the marina. Next to us was a gorgeous sail boat from Maine. Elaine, Steve and their sweet dog Ella were the owners. They were a bit younger than Bob and I, but Elaine and I started talking like we were old friends. Their boat had developed some electrical problem, so to ease his frustration; Steve got out his guitar and played for awhile (after calling an electrician).

The marina had a great set up. There was a Tiki bar, open on two sides to let the breeze blow through. The décor was tropical, and I had a hard time not breaking out in a Jimmy Buffet song. In the back was a lovely patio, which had a set of stairs that led to a gazebo. Out front of the bar was a modest size pool. The neat thing about the bar was that you could stop in any time of day (or evening), and immediately be drawn into the current topic of conversation, or have a conversation with person sitting next to you. Everyone has a story. The young guy next to me was a chef on a 130 ft. boat that belonged to the owner of the Baltimore Ravens team.

We are currently in Hope Town on the island of Elbow Cay. The streets are quaint and narrow, with cascading flowers in vibrant colors. The houses all along the water edge are also painted in striking colors. The architecture is old style and so very charming. It seems almost every house has been converted into a business to take advantage of the tourist dollar. The one striking feature on the island that draws more attention than any other is the red and white candy-striped lighthouse. It is a 120 ft. tall beacon, and the only manned lighthouse remaining in the Bahamas. We climbed the 110 winding steps inside to view the hand-wound kerosene light, and the magnificent prisms. The reward at the top was the 360 view of the surrounding area. Before the lighthouse was built, there was an average of one ship wreck a month. The salvage business was a big business, so the people of that time tried to sabotage the building of the lighthouse by sinking the supply boats at night.

There is a pretty Methodist church in the center of town that plays beautiful chimes at 12 and 6 every day.