Elbow Reef Lighthouse

Hello

we have been looking at this lighthouse since we arrived, sooooo  for our last hike we went to the Lighthouse today, climbed the 100+ to the top and enjoyed the view and crisp breeze. We have a weather window so we will be leaving tomorrow heading to Treasure Cay and a short visit with Tom and Joy.. then make the 200 mile run back to the USA... we hope Fort Pierce then to Lady's Island.

We have had an interesting adventure, did not get as much diving in as we wanted but that gives us an incentive to return next winter. 

Laura and Tom

Hope Town is the home to the famous Elbow Reef Lighthouse.  Probably the most recognizable landmark in Abaco, the lighthouse is one of the last manual lighthouses in the world.  The lamp burns pressurized Kerosene oil with a wick and mantle.  The Fresnel lenses concentrate the mantle’s light into a beam directed straight towards the horizon.  The lenses and burner equipment, weighing 8,000lbs, float in a circular lubricated tub.  This reduces friction so that the 700lbs of weight, when wound up to the top of the tower by hand, smoothly rotates the 4-ton apparatus once every 15 seconds.  The lighthouse keeper on duty must wind up the weights every 2 hours in order for the red and white candy-striped lighthouse to be seen from 17 miles away.In 1836, 2 lighthouses were built in the Bahamas in order to improve navigation and decrease the amount of shipwrecks.  One of the lighthouses was stationed at the southernmost tip of Abaco called Hole-in-the-Wall, and the other just south of Bimini.  Even with the lighthouse at Hole-in-the-Wall, wrecks were still building up around Abaco.  As a result, in 1863, England decided, to build a lighthouse at Hope Town to steer ships clear of the extensive “Elbow Reef”.  Despite protests made by wrackers (salvagers), the lighthouse was completed in 1864.  At this time, the lighthouse was equipped with a non-rotating, first-order light.  In 1936, approximately 73 years later, the Imperial Lighthouse Service closed the Lighthouse at Gun Cay (south of Bimini), and realized that the lighthouse at Hope Town was in need of a beacon for easier identification by ships.  The Gun Cay lighthouse was then decapitated, and the iron lantern room with its dome, petroleum burner equipment, turning mechanism, and the rotating Fresnel lenticular panels were brought to Hope Town to replace its standing wick-type light.  In 1996, for economic reasons, the Port Department was prompted to automate the hand-wound kerosene–burning lighthouse in the Bahamas.  The Lighthouse Preservation Society (the non-profit historical and educational society dedicated to the preservation of Bahamian lighthouses) convinced the government to reconsider, as long as the Society would provide the Port Department with the parts they needed that were longer available through their previous supplier.  Since then, the Society has been using mantles from the Coleman Company (manufacturer of Outdoor Equipment).  Today, the Elbow Reef Lighthouse is still sending out light, rated at 325,000 candlepower, with the same light source it acquired in 1936.  

have to photo some wild life

We can see the light house and the light house can see us

waves breaking on the reef

Hello from Hope Town

A small word about Hope Town "Hope Town was settled by British Loyalists who were seeking safe refuge after the American Revolution.  Many of the settlers came from the Carolinas, by way of East Florida, after that area was turned over to Spain in the Peace of Paris (1783).  The same treaty called for the evacuation of New York by the loyalists.  Many people moved back to England, Canada, or south to the British Caribbean.  The initial settlements were at Carleton (near the current Treasure Cay) and Marsh Harbour.  By 1785, there were over 1,000 refugees in Abaco who were distributed in five or six settlements.  The settlement at Hope Town was founded in 1785, in part, by a widow from South Carolina named Wyannie Malone.  Wyannie, along with her children, started a dynasty in Hope Town that spread the Malone name throughout the Bahamas, over to Florida, and outwards from there.

That out of the way.... We love it here. The small bay is filled with mooring balls and boats of every shape and size attached. The population is divided between the residences, long term guests, boaters both long and short terms, everyone very welcoming. This is the first place we found with pump out facilities (free) and a regular trash pick up schedule. We arrived knowing that a front was coming through so we choose to stay at the dock. We have had dinner at the on site restaurant, used the free pontoon ferry to the other side of the bay to walk around, and get ice cream. The post office has regular hours!! It is a relaxed and easy going place to be, I know we will return.  

mooring field from our slip, storm clouds coming
good news it mostly rained at night, oops I left my shower
window open

open air restaurant on site, cold drinks, good food.

white bird of paradise... I love all the flowers around here

Local light house, more on next blog

The house are great to look at... all the island colors, clean and neat
If not on a boat this place is a great place to stay for a week

Ocean side 

tide out and all the nooks and crannies filled with life

Ice cream at the end of our walk..... good walking

Leaving Marsh Harbor, Anchoring out at Great Guana Cay

Hello again

Well we have had an interesting few days. The M/V Knot to Worry next to us in Marsh Harbor, Ron and Ellen have become traveling friends. I helped to load Active Captain on their I pads and they invited us on a car ride, initially to Treasure Cay, but we got turned around and ended up in Little Harbor at the southern end of Abaco Island and had lunch at Pete's Pub. Owned by the Johnston family they have been in the harbor for over 50 years. In addition to the Pub that serves wonderful food, I had the Honey Mustard Hog fish sandwich DELICIOUS.  they still run a Bronze Art Foundry and have a Gallery of beautiful work. 

Saturday morning Ron and Ellen helped cast off lines, we had !!!! to leave at high tide and we were off for a couple of days living on the Hook. We were told that Great Guana Cay had some good beaches, it was easy to dingy to the other Atlantic side, and maybe some fishing. I have still not caught anything :(.

We found a spot off Bakers Bay in front of Joes Creek. S/V Kokopelli joined us and soon there was a large mega yacht and another s/v. Our anchor did its usual thing but it was holding. Once bit twice shy, we were extra vigilante, Tom had his anchor alarm on and I had my Garmin map recording our track. Sunset was gorgeous, words can't describe. The yacht was lit up like a Christmas tree the sailing vessels had their anchor lights on, bobbing lights in the dark. Saturday passed to Sunday................. 

Sunday I had breakfast on deck, went below knitted, napped and looked at my Garmin map and WOW

WE WERE FEET FROM SHORE, a rocky shore.  All hands on deck we got going pulled up anchor and moved further west and south between Fishers Bay and a boat ramp were the ferries come in. The area was sand with very little weeds and we were hoping that our anchor would hold. Shortly after we arrived a pod of dolphin came by ... this was a good omen. The wind and fetch picked up, rocking and swaying we spent an anxious day ever vigilant.  The sun went down and on one of my bouts on deck I saw Kokopelli's lights dancing in the dark and remembered thinking we were not alone.

9:30 PM we got a frantic call from Kokopelli they were hit by a power boat. They are alright though they did have some injuries... the boat has a hole in it, their story will continue for quiet a while as they sort through all the trials and tribulations of their situation. I spent the rest of the night virtually sleepless worrying if our anchor would drag or if another person would hit us. Outside of a sleepless night it was uneventful and we have moved to Hope Town Inn and Marina for the week

More to come 

L & T

\

Pete's Pub, sandy floor, Tee Shirts signed by passing cruisers, a great
place to stop

Little Harbor

Ellen waving us on our way

You just can't get enough of the horizon

settled in off Joes Creek

Setting sun

Yep that's our beloved anchor

Dolphins greeting us at our new anchorage

a passing Cat... just looks so top heavy, it was bobbing all over

Moving south, Trip to Marsh Harbor

Tuesday, St.Patty's Day, 

The entrance into Black Sound is shallow and with our draft we can only enter or leave at high tide and today high tide was at 6 AM. Alarm went off, toast and coffee, power disconnected and soon it was light enough to let loose the lines from the dock and off we went. 

One of the challenges is a passage through the Whales Cut, leaving the Abacos sea out into the Atlantic then back into the Abaco's Sea. We had perfect conditions and with a few rollers to rock us awhile we were back into the sea and on our way to Marsh Harbor. It was a beautiful day. The water here is crystal clear, I rode at the bow for awhile spotting starfish and just marveling at the view.

Entering our marina was a challenge, back to the low tide-low water problem we plowed through and just made our slip, and waited for water to float us up again. 

We are here for at least 3 days, going to look for a new anchor and relax. Bigger city, better wi-fi.

Sun shining

Laura and Tom

Marsh Harbour is a town in Abaco Islands, Bahamas, with a population of 5,314.

The settlement lies on a peninsula just off the Great Abaco Highway, which runs south through Great Abaco to Cherokee Point and Little Harbor. North of town, the road becomes S.C. Bootle Highway, another smooth stretch that runs north and west toward Treasure Cay and Little Abaco.

Marsh Harbor has the majority of services available in all of the Abacos, including a post office, bookstore, grocery stores, specialty shops, travel agencies, and laundries. Visitors come to boat, swim or snorkel, and stay at one of the lodges located near Bay Street on the waterfront, though some adventurers reserve a day or two to kayak in the Marls on trips conducted by naturalist guides.

Sun rise

Starfish  in clear water

one of the many small rock cays

Whale Cut Cay

Walking around Green Turtle Cay

Hello again

Well this page is a little out of sequence. We ended up spending a week and a day at Green Turtle Cay at The Other Shore Marina. While the dock is nothing to right home about, the price was great and Kevin the dock master was helpful. We found Charlie  S/V Sandpiper moored right in front of us and with S/V Kokopelli joining us three days later we had a merry group. 

The Bar and Grill Pineapples is on site and they do have some of the best Conch Fritters I have tasted. Yvonne makes one of the best Pina Colodas I have had in a long time. We also dinned at Harvey's the home made ice cream very good. This is a small cay with only 450 residences, a lot of part timers, visitors by ferry from other cays and boat people. New Plymouth the main city was founded in the 18th century and they are very proud of their heritage. You can rent golf carts to get around, however  to just about everything is in walking distance or a short dingy from White Sound to Black Sound.

 I am sure we will return to this laid back, idyllic Cay 

 Green Turtle Cay is an island in The Bahamas. It is located in the "Abaco Out Islands" and is 3 miles (4.8 km) long and 1/2 mile wide. It was named after the abundance of green turtles that inhabited the area. The population of the island is about 450 and its main settlement is New Plymouth which was founded in the 18th century. The architecture of the older homes in the village is unique in the Bahamas, with steep-pitched roofs, originating with settlers from New England.

Cool Hand at mid tide 

Yvonne , a great bartendress !!

Salt water pool at Pineapples

The entrance to Black Sound

Sculpture garden of  the Cay's founders

Just one of the many unique boats at anchor

one of the many lizards that scamper all around