Guess who’s having a ball?!?!?!?

All the work that he put into restoring this boat and making sure that it was everything it needed to be has rewarded us beyond measure.   It’s comfortable, it works  -and if it doesn’t, he can fix it!  We could not wish for more.

We left Manjack after that lovely walk over to the ocean side and headed to GreenTurtle Cay.   This is one of the bigger islands and has lots of accommodation available should you wish to come to this area other than by boat.   We stayed at Green Turtle Club which was a great marina with everything to offer.   They have an excellent chef and their menu leaves you wanting to try everything.   We did it justice!   We were there for Thanksgiving and had our first Turducken.  (Deboned chicken inside a duck inside a turkey).   It was delicious and served with all the traditional sides.   We caught up with all our laundry ($$$), filled up with water ($$$) and diesel (also $$$) – but that’s part of the experience and we expected and budgeted for it.  I wish I had taken a photograph of the marina – it is spic and span and so well run.

We found the burgee that our BOLD (Beneteau Owners Living the Dream) group had tacked up in the bar when we were all there in 2007 – we added a $1 bill with our re-visit update.   Tall Gary kindly stood on a stool for us!

On Thanksgiving day we dinghied over to New Plymouth, originally a settlement of British Loyalists who left the USA at the time of Independence.   They had their ups and downs, but the town survived and is now quaint and welcoming.  The pictures show a typical little house, the old jail and what a lovely final resting place!

Some great options on this Thanksgiving menu!

Loved the “stupid” sign!

Great Thanksgiving options at this place!     And loved the “stupid” sign.

Bahamian Christmas – up before Thanksgiving!

I don’t know whose job it was to string this cactus – glad it wasn’t me

Christmas decorations were up everywhere already – I thought that only happened in the States.   Don’t know whose job it was to string the cactus – glad it wasn’t me!

The next morning we left in time with the tide (the channel into the sound is very shallow and not to be attempted at low tide) and planned to be at Guana Cay that night.   We stopped at No Name Cay – lovely beach – and found that they had brought pigs to the island!   We can’t wait to show Will and Penny …. although the pigs get a little bit “pushy” when it comes to grabbing food from you.   I ducked behind Garth a couple of times when the snorting and pushing got a bit close!

We walked around the island – the other side had another long beach with interesting shells and rock pools.  We went for a great swim, walked out through the grass to the sandy patch where it was a little deeper – until Gary, who had brought his snorkel and goggles saw a huge ray settled in the sand!    We all went horizontal and swam until we were in 2ft water and HAD to stand!!!

The conch live on the sandy bottom and among the grass – it was nice to see some live ones as you normally just see the empty shells.

Sailed over to Guana Cay where we visited our favorite haunts – Nippers and Grabbers (sounds a bit suggestive when you put them together like that!?).   We will spend New Year’s Eve at Nippers with Kate and Will and Penny.  We have done it before with the Clarences and it is a wild night.

Next day we wanted to get to Marsh Harbor as a front was due to come through and we needed to be in a protected anchorage.   On the way we stopped at Fowl Cay, which is a protected reserve.   It was a perfectly calm day and we were able to snorkel around these two big patches of coral reef.   We were the only ones out there (we have found that it is still early in the season – a lot of the places are still closed, but it means that there are seldom other boats where we want to be and it suits us perfectly).  A photograph just doesn’t seem to be able to do justice to the color and quality of the water – but this picture of Second Sojourn I think shows how the exquisite turquoise light was throwing back on the sides of their boat.   We were in about twelve feet of water and the dark patches, if you zoom in, are actually grass that you can see clearly on the bottom.   It blows me away.

So we are finally in Marsh Harbor.   The biggest town in the Abacos with all the amenities that we may need.   I am going to the telephone company tomorrow to see how to make the data I purchased on my local sim card work …. definitely need a twenty-something on hand to help with this kind of stuff!!  I thought about it and realized that many of you reading the blog don’t have a clear idea of exactly where the Abacos are – so here are two photographs of our chart book.   The first shows the relationship of the main island to the USA and to Nassau etc. and the second give more detail of the relationship of all of these cays that we are visiting, which are sort of barrier islands to the main Abaco Island.

We will stay here in Marsh Harbor until the weather improves and then make our way over to Hope Town on Elbow Cay.    Another favorite spot with lots to do.