Exploring Eleuthera - the Northern Portion

It has been a long winter of scheduling our sailing around the continual frontal passages.  It appears we have a period of settled weather, so we leave Rock Sound and begin the trek further north.  After a pleasant reach back to Governor’s Harbor, we leave the next morning for Alabaster Bay. This pretty section of crescent beach is anchored by the upscale Coco deMamas Resort.  We head in for lunch but find that the resort has gone out of business, a turn of events that isn’t too unusual here in the Bahamian Out Islands.   

The now closed resort at Alabaster Bay

Instead of lunch, we take a long stroll through the shallow waters along the beach.  The water is crystal clear and sea life abounds.  One family has discovered a cache of sand dollars while we enjoy watching all the minnows darting through the knee deep water. 

Interesting patterns of fish and shadows over the sand bottom

 

Our next hop takes us past the picturesque Glass Window where only a narrow section of rock separates the ocean waters from the banks were are traversing. 

The Glass Window from a distance - water levels can differ by up to two feet between the banks and the ocean.  A bridge takes traffic over this narrow sliver of rock

The sail is typically delightful, gliding over turquoise flat waters in mild trade winds from the east. 

Glorious sailing in the lee of Eleuthera

We time our arrival to coincide with slack tide at Current Cut, a narrow passage between Eleuthera proper and an outlying cay.  If you haven’t figured correctly you could find yourself bucking currents of up to five knots.  We have an easy passage through and drop anchor off of Meeks Patch, a cay about two miles from the town of Spanish Wells.  We have a bumpy and wet ride in the dinghy into Spanish Wells. We can’t take the boat in at this point of the day as the water is only passable at high tide for vessels of our draft.

Spanish Wells has been described as very different from the typical Bahamian settlement.  And now we know why.  It is a working town invested heavily in fishing.  The harbor is lined with well maintained fishing boats, but there is very little other infrastructure for tourists.  

The fishing fleet tied up in Spanish Wells

After tying up the dinghy we climb up a high wall and walk through the town.  The houses are remarkably well kept and large by typical out island standards. Obviously the residents are very successful.  They are mostly white Bahamians descended from the Eleutheran Adventurers, a group which came from England to avoid religious persecution shortly after the Pilgrims settled in New England.  They struggled to survive in this challenging environment, and their work ethic is still obvious today. 

Once again, weather is dictating our plans.  Another strong front is predicted to come through, so we make the decision to take the boat to Harbor Island, about ten miles east of Spanish Wells.  The harbor will afford us good protection from the clocking winds, but getting there is another issue.  We hire Bandit as our pilot for the trip.  At the appointed time he arrives in his fiberglass skiff at our boat which is anchored on the west side of Spanish Wells.  After tying up behind Exuberant he climbs aboard and takes over the helm.  Getting in and out of Spanish Wells requires high tide, and once we clear the harbor we need to deal with an intricate passage through dangerous reefs. 

Leaving Spanish Wells for the beginning of the Devil's Backbone

Ocean swells break right next to the narrow channels between reef and rocky shoreline.  It is a daunting trip, but we do have an opportunity to chat with Bandit, otherwise known as Jock Morgan. He traces his family back to the original Eleutheran Adventurers and has made a career of piloting and captaining boats.  For a period of time, he even captained a Matthews 52 that summered in Port Clinton, Ohio and wintered in Spanish Wells.  We safely arrive at Harbor Island  - pilots aren’t cheap but we feel it is money well spent.  Jock speeds back to Spanish Wells where he will pick up another boat, this time most likely one of the large luxury yachts that populate the marinas in Harbor Island.

Harbor Island is quite different from most of our stops in the out islands.  It is definitely an upscale tourist destination.  The marinas are expensive and are filled with large sport fishing boats and luxury motor yachts.

Some of the mega-yachts at Harbor Island - the one to the far left belongs to Denise Rich of the Clinton pardon fame.  Sometimes you just can't resent the wealth when it is obtained illegally. She has now given up her US citizenship due to tax issues.

There are only a few sailboats anchored off the town in the “cheap seats”.  We spend around a week here, exploring the town and awaiting the bad weather.  The bikes finally make it to shore to aid in exploration and trips to the laundromat and grocery store. Despite the upscale nature of Harbor Island, the only coin laundry is in a Haitian refugee neighborhood, and it is probably the most decrepit laundry we have seen in the Bahamas.  Apparently, visitors either have laundries on board their boats, or they use expensive wash and fold services. 

Exploring the town is a delight.  Along the harbor side there are century old cottages and modern vacation villas.  

Bougainvillea along the road in Harbor Island

Cottages along a narrow road

Water taxis come and go, and native fishing boats gather around the Fish Fry area.  Biking up and down the hills, we arrive at the southern tip of the island, affording views down the length of Eleuthera proper and out into the sapphire waters of the ocean.  On the way, we stop at the “Haunted House”.   

The remains of the haunted house  - it must have been spectacular in its time

When Burt visited Harbor Island with his parents years ago, this was a recently deserted mansion with furnishing still intact and rumors of ghosts in residence.  There was no other development nearby.  Today, a marina is situated down the hill, and the mansion is just a ruin with a remarkable view. A three mile pink sand beach graces the eastern side of the island.  Here there are several large resorts with their rows of lounges and beach umbrellas.  We tuck in between resorts and enjoy a day on the beach, interrupted by a gourmet lunch at the well known Sip Sip Restaurant atop the dunes.  Locals say this beach is rated on of the top ten in the world, and they may have a legitimate claim.

View of the beach from the deck of Sip Sip

The anticipated frontal system arrives, and we are marooned on our boat for two days with winds gusting into the thirties and several heavy rain squalls. There is minimal activity in the harbor, skies are steel gray, and the water is whipped up into a froth. We are living on a bucking bronco of a boat, something that wouldn’t be recommended for those with a tendency for sea sickness.  It may be spring by the calendar, but we are still awaiting the more typical settled weather of the season.

Exploring Eleuthera – the Southern Portion

The winter fronts just won’t quit, and we take refuge in the large harbor at Rock Sound in south Eleuthera.  Two fronts are predicted, about four days apart, and will provide intense rain, high winds, and some serious lightning.  It is obvious that winter isn’t over, even if the calendar says so. 

Squalls approach

In fact two friends’ boats experience a near lightning strike.  One loses its wind indicator, and the other has a damaged VHF radio.  Although they were not hit directly, the electrical surge from the lightning is the enemy of electronics.  We put everything electronic that isn’t permanently installed in our oven when storms lurk nearby, as the oven can act as a Faraday cage for protection.

Rock Sound isn’t an especially interesting place, but it does have a nice laundry, a good grocery store, and several decent restaurants.  We avail ourselves of all of the above.  Between the fronts we head out with our friends on s/v Delicia  for a 25 nautical mile passage further north to the more picturesque town of Governor’s Harbor.  It’s a tight reach in around 20 knots of winds, so we have a lively and fast trip there under reefed sails. 

Governor’s Harbor was the original capital of the Bahamas, and its colonial architecture and commercial area known as Cupids Cay attest to its past.  We stroll along the waterfront 

Sea life along the shore at governor's Harbor

and wonder about the unusual raft floating nearby.  

Anntiki at her mooring in Governor's Harbor

 Later we meet “Carl from Austria”, a winter resident and bit of a character, at a coffee shop.  In his heavily accented English, he tells us that this raft, named Anntiki, was sailed from Spain by several men in their 80’s about five years ago.  They were duplicating a trip they had taken many years prior in a traditional sailboat.  The raft made it to the ocean side of Eleuthera Island and then was towed to Governor’s Harbor by Carl and several of his friends.  It is now for sale and can be yours for only $5000, although you’d have to spring a bit more for an engine.

We wander through the small town, admiring the well kept homes.   

Attractive cottage and plantings in governor's Harbor

The waterfront library is beautifully restored and a source of pride for the community. 

Haynes Library in governor's Harbor

And its graceful interior

Next door is the Anglican Church with its detached bell tower, something that seems typical of Bahamian churches, although we don’t know why. 

Anglican Church in Governor's Harbor

Stopping by the Duck Inn, we ask permission to visit their extensive gardens.  Rainfall has been unusually heavy this winter leaving the garden lush and full of blooming plants.

Gardens at the Duck Inn

And one bloom we thought was especially beautiful.

Our main reason for visiting Governor’s Harbor is to gain access to the Leon Levy Nature Center, a park within the Bahamian National Park Service.  After a several mile taxi ride we arrive at the center.  The cost of the land and all the construction and maintenance was donated by a successful American financier, Leon Levy.  He had vacationed in Eleuthera for many years, and as he had aged and had some health issues, he was treated by local practitioners with traditional bush medicine which he found to be effective.  The establishment of the preserve was his family’s way of saying thank you. The center features only indigenous plants and has an extensive area dedicated to bush medicine plants, divided into areas that treat specific bodily ailments. We even have an opportunity to sample some of the bush teas.   

A blooming plant along the trails whose leaves are brewed for medicinal purposes.

Further along the hiking trails we find an area displaying native agricultural plants, all arranged by region of origin. 

Banana trees - origin from Africa

Agriculture is important on Eleuthera as this is one of the few islands in the Bahamas that has decent top soil. As we hike the well groomed trails, we see several large termite nests (Don’t want to take these guys home!)

George and Burt examine the termite nest

and a variety of orchids and bromeliads growing on trees.  

One of the orchids growing along the trail

Birds abound, and we even encounter a Bahamian Boa Constrictor which is a rather small and harmless snake.

After the strenuous hiking we reward ourselves with dinner at the Buccaneer Club in Governor’s Harbor. 

George and Doreen Menke join us for recuperation and dinner.

 We have enjoyed our little excursion with George and Doreen from s/v Delicia.  We first met them in 2006 when our sailing club in Sandusky joined with their club for a cruise across Lake Erie.  They were just about to depart the Great Lakes to head to the Bahamas, and we were so impressed when they described what they intended to do.  And now, eight years later, we have joined them on this adventure.

The next day we head back to Rock Sound.  Another nasty front is on its way, and Governor’s Harbor is just too open for the predicted strong westerly winds.  Again we have a fast and lively sail back to protection.  We will await another opportunity to head further north.