Are We There Yet?

"I think we’ve found the Bahamas!" Ken exclaimed as we looked down from Nippers Restaurant to the white sands and mottled, turquoise and green sea. Dark underwater patches and gently breaking waves about 1 mile offshore hinted at the coral reef at Great Guana Cay. We sat in a thatch covered restaurant eating freshly caught grouper and the ubiquitous French fries that come with every meal. Nippers Restaurant rests on a dune overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and offers a variety of entrees and liquid refreshments. They also offer entertainment in the form of singer/songwriter “Barefoot Man”, warning that you can’t leave the Bahamas without seeing him. Unfortunately, he wasn’t around so I guess we’ll have to come back. Sitting at this thatch-roofed restaurant with a warm breeze, a tropical sun and a postcard view, we felt, at last, we were seeing the Bahamas that we had imagined.

After weighing anchor at Fox Town, Tuesday morning, we had a great day of sailing and entered the harbor to anchor in White Sound, Green Turtle Cay, adjacent to the port of New Plymouth. New Plymouth was founded in 1786 by American Loyalists, who opposed the American War for Independence. Pastel, neatly kept cottages draped with bougainvillea and oleander line narrow streets. The economy is based largely on tourism with bonefishing the primary attraction. We wandered the town, bought provisions, stopped at the Captain Roland Roberts House Museum and Environmental Center, and ate grouper and fries at the Wrecking Tree Café; sampling the ‘Wrecker’, their signature drink consisting of a variety of tropical juices, including mango, coconut, and pineapple with a liberal dose of rum. Green Turtle Cay had thoughtfully arranged a lunar eclipse and a clear sky Wednesday night and we spent several hours lying on deck as the moon gradually darkened to a ghostly gray smudge then reappeared in all her splendor to the accompaniment of crowing roosters.

Our journey through the Abacos from Old Bahamas Marina, West End to Great Guana Cay took 6 days of truly magnificent sailing; stopping each evening before dark in sheltered anchorages . With steady winds and protected waters Live Now performed wonderfully reaching nearly 8 knots with an easy, ‘sit your drink anywhere’ motion. The smoother seas and gentler motion prompted Pat to ‘kick the habit’ joining DA (Dramaminaholics Anonymous) and enjoying most days sitting upright. We continueds to marvel at the clarity and color of the water and with at least 4 feet under the keel and open water, experienced trouble-free cruising. To our surprise, we found ourselves virtually alone on the water. We went whole days without seeing another boat. Still, the low lying, mangrove covered cays and cloudy skies did not match the Bahamas of our mind’s eye. As we circled southwest, sand covered shore and palm trees began to appear but it wasn’t until Great Guana Cay that we felt we had arrived.

Our resident beach expert, Ken, proclaimed Great Guana Cay as one of the best. He’s not alone. Those who rate such things have determined that this is one of the top 10 beaches in the world! I had to agree, having had little exposure to sandy beaches. My shore side experience has been largely confined to New England where heavy hiking boots are the suggested footwear when walking the typically rock strewn beaches. Here, the white sand is powder fine. Three bands of reefs parallel the shore out to about 1 mile to the coral breakwater. Colorful coral-dwelling fish are found in waist deep water right off the beach. Ken and I snorkeled away the afternoon while Pat relaxed on the nearly deserted beach. Our paradise was made even more idyllic when Ken found a ripe coconut and a.k.a. Survival Man opened it for us to sample. If only the Barefoot Man were here to entertain us, life would have been complete. But, alas, he was not to arrive until March, so we’re off to Treasure Cay; a ½ day sail to another one of the top ten beaches in the world (a google on top ten beaches finds 1,154 beaches are among the top ten).