Another still day, this time with barely a whisper of wind.
As we motored to Eleuthera (an island even longer than Long Island - go figure), we passed a cruise ship shuttling passengers back and forth to the nearby resort. We knew we were leaving the southern Bahamas behind and entering the central islands, because cruise ships are not seen further south.
At the end of the day, we pulled into our first marina since entering the Bahamas in Bimini; the next anchorage was too far away to reach before dark. But it was no big deal. The showers were weak, the laundry had only one dryer working, but the worst was the proliferation of the no-see-ums. The boat was so hot that we escaped onto chairs on the dock where there was a slight breeze. We endured the biting and itching until the sun set. As the boat cooled down, we draped all of our hatches with screening material enabling us to pass a comfortable night.
Just as we finished anchoring the next day, we were immediately informed by a cruiser in a passing dinghy that Happy Hour was starting, so we grabbed something to share and headed out to meet and greet and watch the sunset!
The setting was perfect - all gathered under the gazebo of a defunct restaurant. Of course, getting up there was tricky - we had to walk over the rocks in shallow water and hoist ourselves up a rickety ladder. It's a sight to see all of these retirees working it out in different ways.
The next day, we headed over to Rose's home and restaurant (notice the floor of sand) on the ocean side for a home cooked Bahamian meal with Sandy and Tom Stefanic (Anania) of the Nyack Boat Club who have been our mentors throughout this trip south. Rose picked us up in her small, rickety car, and as she co
oked, we walked along the beach below her house. Afterwards, she regaled us with the story of how she ended up living in the house as a widow and making do with her entrepreneurial skills.
As the inevitable cold front arrived the next day, we rented a car. See Lou waving next to the mileage signs? (Remember to look on the wrong side of the car! Bahamians drive on the left.)
We saw Surfers' Beach where we watched 2 boys and a girl trying hard to catch a wave in very windy and rough conditions while their parents watched from a covered beach platform.
Another wonderful sight was the Glass Window (Winslow Homer painted a famous picture here) named after the narrowest part of the island. Here you can see the ocean on one side (enlarge the picture to see the breaking waves) and the calm bay on the other. We crossed a bridge traversing this spot where lives hav
e been lost by crashing waves. You could see sections of the bridge where the force of hurricane winds had separated the concrete from the pinions/posts. Such drama here on this small spot.
e been lost by crashing waves. You could see sections of the bridge where the force of hurricane winds had separated the concrete from the pinions/posts. Such drama here on this small spot.
Upon leaving, we actually had a series of real sailing days doing about 6 to 10 knots (When we passed through Current Cut, aptly names due to the swift current between 2 islands.). Unfortunately, I broke out with a case of hives due to inadvertantly taking acitaminaphen (it was one of several medications in a cold pill) which I am allergic to. Other than itching, swelling and turning red, it was gone within a couple of hours; but it did give me a fright.
We are on our way to two islands at the tip of 'Lutra (as the natives call it) for sights very different from what we have been seeing.
