4/7/24

 I'm typing this as we sail west through the banks (the shallow waters) of the Abacos.  Our destination is West Palm.  It's sad to be leaving the beautiful turquoise blue waters of The Bahamas!

When I last wrote we were preparing to sail back to Georgetown for my sister Susan's flight back to Maine.

Susan blowing her new conch horn Jerry made at Hog Cay.

While in Georgetown Jerry and I got in the water and scraped the barnacles and growth off the bottom.  It's a real drag to have the growth slow our speed when sailing!  

Suited up with scraper in hand to clean the bottom.

After Susan left, Persephone headed east and then south once again, her 8th trip back and forth between Georgetown and the Raggeds!

More hunting!  Conch, hogfish and lobster.

We returned to Hog Cay in time to help with preparations and to attend Maxine's (the local woman from Duncantown) annual Valentines Day Party.  We celebrated in March this year!

Hog Cay - Valentines Day Party

It was nice to spend some time with Donna and Jerry aboard Bluejacket.  We haven't spent much time with them this season.  We also enjoyed hanging out in the hut.

I brought wine, cheese and crackers to the hut along with some of my seagrass jewelry projects.

From the Raggeds we had planned to meet up with our friends Brandon and Dustyn aboard "Ada".  The destination was the Berry Islands of The Bahamas.  That changed as we were sailing in the Exumas and they called to say they were headed to the Abacos instead.  We immediately changed course sailing across the Exuma Sound, out to the Atlantic Ocean between Eleuthera and Little San Salvador and then up along the east coast of Eleuthera.  Just before arriving at the cut at the south end of the Abacos Jerry caught a mahi.

Enough mahi for a week!

We spent the next couple weeks dodging cold fronts and spending time with Brandon and Dustyn and their friends aboard "Fika" from Michigan: Chris, Alison and kids Ewan and Gwynnie.

The whole gang checks out the library on Man O War Cay.

Brandon, Dustyn, and Jerry walking back from town toward the gazebo - we're anchored just off the gazebo to the left.  To the left is the Sea of Abaco.  To the right is the ocean.  While we were here at Man O War there was a huge north swell.  We watched and took pictures of the waves crashing into this low spot on Man O War.  It connects the north to the south end of the Cay and is well-traveled by the locals in golf carts.

The low spot at Man O War

Full moon over Man O War Cay.

Here's a video of the gazebo.  We were having a grilling party and picnic at the gazebo.  Luckily, we were pretty much finished when the waves started breaking into the gazebo and over the "low spot" washing away the beach on the Sea of Abaco side where our dinghys were moored.

Also, while at Man O War we saw a space shuttle launch from Cape Canaveral!

  

Chris aboard Fika took a picture of Persephone sailing to Man O War anchorage.

I took a picture of Fika sailing on the Sea of Abaco

Our next stop at Manjack Cay included dinghying and kayaking up some mangrove creeks to see turtles.

Another cold front came through with a couple of days of southwest and west winds while at Manjack.  There's no protection when anchored at Manjack harbor.

We were anchored in the harbor between Manjack Cay and Crab Cay at first.  We did the turtle viewing, walked the trails on Manjack, and went snorkeling out on the coral reefs to the east of Manjack Cay.  When the winds changed we moved to the other side along Abaco where the pencil is pointing.  When the winds clocked to the Northwest we were able to move back to the harbor.

The area where we anchored along Abaco during the west winds  had a sandy beach section where we could dinghy to shore.  All sorts of trash littered the beach along with trees that had been uprooted by hurricane Dorian in 2019.  We went treasure hunting and found trash to make a "yacht club".  Perfect place to bring some seafood ashore for another grill party!

Brandon, Dustyn and Jerry on Abaco beach.

Dinner is ready!  Ada, Fika and Persephone are anchored in the distance.

We had to say goodbye to our friends on Ada and Fika last night as we have to make our way toward Florida.  Jerry's brother is meeting us for a visit in West Palm!

One of our many get togethers!  Music night!

Chef Ewan invited everyone over for pancakes aboard Fika!  He cooked and served for 8 people!  He and Gwynnie are wonderful kids lucky enough to be living aboard their boat.  They are from Michigan, started the "Great Loop" in Annapolis, up the east coast, onto the Hudson River and Erie Canal.  All the way through the Great Lakes and then down the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico, the Keys and then The Bahamas!  To read more about it go to: https://www.looplifeacademy.com/

Leaving the Abacos...check our Spot tracker.....we're on our way!