Relaxing days in the Abacos

Monday June 21 thru Friday June 25

On Monday we get to Marsh Harbour by 11, and are anchored this time in Marsh Harbour. We have lunch on the Boat as Sean finishes packing. Load up the dinghy and Steve takes Sean to shore to get a taxi to the airport to catch is 2:20 flight. We stay anchored there as we have a good internet connection and some catching up to do. Tuesday Morning we make a quick run into the Island, Trash dump site by the dinghy dock and a few things to pick up at the grocery store and a post office stop. Back to the boat and we are underway by 10:30. The wind is much stronger today and blowing 16+ true at first on the nose as we head east to get around the point of Marsh Harbour. As hard as this is to believe it actually feels COOL !!! Especially in the shade of the cockpit, and when we turn south and have 20+ apparent winds on the beam I am thinking I might need a shirt on over my bathing suit. But that cool breeze feels great as we do 8+ knots hugging the coast in the deep 9’ water since out in the middle it gets to be 6’ and LESS. Once we pass the shallows we turn east again and are heading right for Tiloo Cay. We are anchored by 12:30, have lunch on board and then take naps up in the cockpit in the cool summer breeze. Later Steve goes snorkeling to check the anchor and see if there is anything by the nearby rocks, I feel cool enough with the wind so do not want to get wet and be cold. Something I have not thought would be possible these last few weeks. We take a dinghy ride to check out a “castle” house (2nd one we have seen today). The castle looks like it is built of local limestone, but is properly crenulated, and even has a couple of gargoyles perched on the parapets. Also on the property is a large seaplane hangar with “Scare Air” painted over the doors. As we are going around the corner we see a sign for the house “The Far Side” we do NOT know if it is owned by the man who did the comic but it makes us wonder. Back at the boat we do have internet connection, so we Google the house & sure enough it comes up. It does not make a reference as to who the owner is / was just that is was recently sold for 4.85 million, damn we just missed it. We have dinner on board as we enjoy the evening breeze. Wednesday we are under way by 9:30, still have some strong winds but not as strong as Tuesday. We heard on the cruisers net that the dive shop that told us about Sandy Cay being a good snorkel place is going somewhere different due to the likely hood of the water being rough due to the strong east winds these last two days. We have not been down that far yet so figure we will go down to see how it looks. We are sailing zig zagging around the shallow areas to get to Sandy Cay; it is located right across from a channel out to the Atlantic. The swells coming in are too big to snorkel in, but the boat sure likes sailing in them. We decide with these conditions and it being low tide it would not be a good time to try to get close to Little Harbour, the water nearby is pretty shallow. So we turn around and have a nice sail back to Tiloo Cay. We anchor in a different spot, and as we set the anchor I notice what looks to be a rock off to the side of the boat. We are clear of it but when we go in to check the anchor and snorkel we see it is debris. Old parts of a washer & dryer or something that shape and an old barbeque grill. We are in a pretty isolated area so someone had to bring the trash out here via a boat to dump it. We swim towards shore and snorkel for a while. On the way back to the boat a little further out close to the other debris we see an electric GOLF CART sitting upright on the bottom. The fish are using it has a home but still a shame that people are using these beautiful waters as a dumping ground. The afternoon is spent taking a nap, reading and swimming, just another relaxing day on the water. Thursday since we do not have internet service at this anchorage but did the first night at Tiloo, we decide to get closer to where we were the 1st night. Pull up anchor and go ¼ mile up the Island put the anchor down & test the internet connection, and it is good so we stay there. There are several docks with no homes one has a bunch of signs saying private property but the other two don’t & one says Tiloo Residents. Since we are anchored here we consider ourselves temporary residents, and use the dock to tie up to and go ashore. This Island is not very developed, for the few houses on it I do not think there are roads just get there by boat (or by Scare Air). Off this dock is a “path” that goes up into the trees so we climb up. Great view from up top, wish there was a better way down the other side to the Atlantic. Steve makes it down I wait on top, not wanting to scratch my legs all up. Mostly a rock beach but all kinds of things have washed ashore from no telling where. Steve finds a good 4” stainless snap hook. We go back to the boat for a swim & some snorkeling. Another easy relaxed day and it looks like the tropical disturbance down in the Caribbean will stay south of us. Friday - we have been living on board for 3 months now and are both feeling very comfortable with our new living arraignments. Don’t miss the extra room(s) of the house, it is hard to feel confined when you sit in the cockpit and look out at the beautiful water & Islands. Steve has his “office” just like at home only smaller and I use the dining area as my workspace. Eating dinner up on deck with the sun setting just can’t be beat for ambiance. We are adjusting to this new lifestyle rather nicely.

Link to some pictures
http://picasaweb.google.com/103931849054358791487/TilooCay?feat=directlink