Elbow Cay, Abacos
Sea Spray Marina
Hello from Harmony
We are now at a new marina and might be able to put an update on the blog. Everything changes with location and the weather. However, if we pay extra for it, we might get the internet now and then.
We left Marsh Harbour about 10 AM Friday morning and had a lovely but slow sail down the Sea of Abaco. We took a little side trip, motoring into Man O War Cay, just to see that lovely harbor. It is considered the least changed of the islands or cays around here. It was well worth the visit. Instead of the hustle and bustle of "city" life in Marsh Harbour, everything seemed so peaceful and simple.
Then we put the jib back up and sailed to Sea Spray Marina in White Sound on Elbow Cay, which is the next island east of our old dock, only five miles as the crow flies. However it took us four hours to get here because we were doing only two knots and had to go around the point that protects Marsh Harbour from the east. Coming in at low tide was fine but Florrie was nervous because the depth was only six inches under the keel. She'd prefer at least three feet of water. Getting our 21.5 foot wide boat into the slip that is only about four inches wider was another minor adventure but we did really well. No bumps or scrapes. Amazing.
What a spectacular place this is. We're in a very protected harbor, waiting out the next cold front that is supposed to be a doozie. But for now all is calm and gorgeous. The sky is clear, the air crisp and we hear the constant roar of the Atlantic Ocean about 200 yards away - on the other side of the cliffs. Yesterday afternoon we went to the top of the cliff and marveled at the crashing waves. It is a dramatic scene that Florrie hopes to capture in paint before we leave.
Today we've had a chance to do a little exploring. There was a fund raiser for the Volunteer Fire Department in Hope Town. That's a town filled with colorful homes. The architecture is similar to Cape Cod but without all the gray. Imagine such houses in soft pastels with contrasting trim. The yards are full of bouganvilla and other brilliant flowering shrubs. We watched as a hummingbird kept chasing large butterflies off of "her" flowers. Of course there were a few curly tail lizards scurrying out of our way.

Our "plan" to go to the Exumas changed with the weather. There are just too many cold fronts coming through every few days to be able to make the four day trip comfortably. There are harbors along the way to spend the night but not any we'd want to have to hole up in as different fronts come through. This has been the coldest winter in the Bahamas, we hear from those who come every year. That's too bad because we would have liked to see friends in Staniel Cay. Maybe next year. Being here is not really a hardship though. Tahiti Beach is a reasonable walk to our south. Delightful Hope Town is a short golf cart ride to the north. The restaurant here is well recommended. The marina is well run by very accommodating people so how

Lew
S/V Harmony
http://CatamaranHarmony.blogspot.com

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