Great Harbor Cay, Bahamas (Berry's)

Feb. 10 – Feb. 27

The cold fronts kept coming thru every 3 or 4 days. We are so glad we decided to come into a marina. Everyone keeps saying this is very unusual weather and that the cold fronts usually come every other week. Oh well, we are enjoying ourselves anyway. It’s sunny almost every day with temps. staying in the 70’s.

Jack Nicholas's 125' yacht (Sea Bear). He came into the marina for 3 days to fish. 

We didn't get a chance to see or meet him. 

 

We rented a Tracker and spent one day touring the island, checking out several beaches and the town of Great Harbor. The town boasts 2 grocery stores, a police station, several churches, and restaurants. The grocery stores are the most interesting. Once a week (Weds.) the mail boat comes in with supplies and food so if there is anything you want or need you better get there early or it will be gone.

Cave by Sugar Beach.

Shell Beach

 

Beach Club restaurant.

Jim, Sharon, & Randy at the Beach Club.

 

 

 

Mail boat bringing in supplies.

 

 

Finally after Feb. 22 we started having days with light wind and warmer temps. We took advantage of the weather and took the dinghy out exploring the area checking out some neighboring Cays, walking the beaches, snorkeling, & fishing. One area, called Shark Creek, took us thru a very narrow cut thru the mangroves, where we found dozens of sea turtles and ended up at a beautiful beach.

 

Shark Creek.

 

Spotted stingray (about 5' wide tip to tip).

We are really getting into the island life. Mon. is potluck night, Tues. Happy Hour by the pool bar, Wed. boche ball, Fri. “Chill & Grill” (for $10 you can buy a meal which is grilled by a local and you bring your drinks while you wait for the food).

 

"Junk a Roo" (locals dress up and play drums and bells) during one of the Chill n Grills.  

 

 

Alice Town, Biminis to Great Harbor Cay, Berry's

Jan. 29 – Feb. 9

We left Biminis, crossed the Great Bahamas Bank (very large shallow body of water between the Bahamas Islands) anchoring for one night, then moved on to Frazer's Hog Cay, Berry's. Once there the winds picked up so we stayed on anchor for 4 days. The Berry's are made up of lots of Islands (Cays) stringing from north to south. The Atlantic Ocean is located on the east side where all boats travel. If you stay about a half mile off shore you will be in several thousand feet of water. The west side of these Cays (which is part of the Bahamas Bank) is very shallow with 90% of it being too shallow for boats to cruise in. The other 10% is where we tuck into behind Cays and anchor to get off the deep Atlantic and hide if there is any wind.

Chub Cay, Berry Islands, Bahamas

Frazers Hog Cay anchorage.

 

 

After Frazers Hog Cay we moved north and anchored among a cluster of Cays, the largest 2 called Hoffmans and Devils Cays. Once again the winds picked up so we stayed put. Most of these Cays are uninhabited and have white sandy beaches where we can take the dinghy. The water here is so clear at 14 feet its like looking thru a window. After beaching the dinghy on one Cay we took a walk thru the vegetation to what’s called a Blue Hole. A Blue Hole is a water filled sinkhole with the entrance below sea level. They can be formed by rainwater soaking thru fractures of limestone bedrock.

Coast line between Frazers Hog Cay & Hoffmans Cay.

Hoffmans Cay anchorage.

Stingray

Blue Hole, Hoffmans Cay.

Trail to Blue Hole.

 

After several more days of windy weather we decided it was time to move to a marina. We pulled up anchor and moved 35 miles north to Great Harbor Cay marina. Since the forecast is calling for more cold fronts (which bring on the winds) we may stay here for a month. Now don’t feel too sorry for us when I say “cold front”. A cold front here might be windy, but the temperatures are still in the 70’s.

Crossing the Banks to Great Harbor Cay. (water is 12' deep)

Entrance to Great Harbor marina.

 

Bimini, Bahamas

Jan. 23 - 28

Waiting again for a weather window to travel farther south. A “cold” front came through which means strong north winds and temperatures dropping to upper 60’s. During our stay in Alice Town we have been walking the beach almost everyday finding sea glass, shells, coral, and even a couple of sea beans. Randy and several other guys have gone out lobster diving a couple of times. The first time they came back with 12 of them. Needles to say that night we had a very delicious dinner.

Man O War washed up with the winds.

 

Shells, sea glass, & coral.

 

 Sea beans & nuts.

(bottom left: sea heart-native of Australia, bottom left: red hamburg-native of Africa)

These beans float in the water for months following the gulf stream.

 

 Squid swimming past the boat.

 

 Some of our lobster dinner.

 

Sunday we went to a Baptist church service in the morning and in the afternoon we were treated with a parade of people and drums from a local lodge.

 

Everyone on the Island is very friendly and helpful, always saying Hi as you meet and pass them on the street. Food is very expensive (example: gal. of milk $10) in the grocery stores. Every Thurs. a boat comes in loaded with fresh supplies which are then delivered to the stores.

Our plan is to leave here on Thurs. or Fri. (which ever is the calmer weather day) and head south to the Berry Islands.

The guys discussing the weather.

(Randy, Roger, Jim, Jesse)

 

Key Largo, FL to Bimini, Bahamas

Jan. 18 – Jan. 22

We spent Jan. 18-20 on anchor by Pumpkin Key, Key Largo with several other boats visiting and taking care of any last minute chores.

Our wait was finally over!! We had a weather window on Jan. 21 to make the 70 mile crossing to Bimini, Bahamas. It was a beautiful day to be on the Atlantic Ocean with sunny skies and less than 2 foot waves the whole way. There were 5 other boats we traveled with and after 9 hours on the water we were checking into a marina in Alice Town, Bimini, Bahamas.

Sunrise on the Atlantic.

 

 Left to right - Blue Angel, Perfect Balance, & Bama Dream.

 

 First sight of Bimini, Bahamas.

Coming into the harbor.

 

 Our marina.

 

 6 foot Bull shark swimming next to the boat at the docks.

 

Star fish (the water was 10 foot deep)

 

Kings Highway, downtown Alice Town.

Check out that beautiful water.

 

 Buying lunch. This lady sells home made food right out of her car.

You can buy snapper, chicken, or ribs. We tried the snapper and it was very good.

 

We will spend a few days here than head south to the Berries mostly anchoring out among the islands. I will send updates on our travels whenever we have WiFi service.

 

 

Marathon, FL to Key Largo, FL

Jan. 6 – Jan. 17

We made final preparations to leave Marathon. Randy dove under the boat to check for barnacles that attach to the bottom and the props. Good news, the bottom looked really good and we didn’t need to hire a diver to come clean them off. The bad news (there is always bad news), our props where loose on the shafts, (no idea how this happened!). This meant we needed to be hauled out for them to be tightened.

"Wounded Warriors" biked past so we came out from the marina to support them.

 

We were hauled out on Jan. 13, props were tightened, the boat put back in the water and we were on our way to our first stop in Islamorada. Spent 2 nights on anchor there and then headed east to Barnes Sound, Key Largo to another anchorage. At this time we are slowly heading east so when a weather window appears we will cross to the Bahamas.

While in Islamorada we walked through a very large Bass Pro shop.

 

 In Key Largo we took our dinghies in to a restaurant called Alabama Jacks,

which is famous for Conch fritters.

 

 Stingray next to the dock.

Ken, Jim Angel, Sharon, Randy, Jim Mitchell, Mimi.

Alabama Jacks from the road.

The space between the red and silver car is reserved for motorcycles.

Very high class place but the food was great!

 

 

Marathon FL.

Jan. 1 - Jan. 5

We are currently in Boot Key Harbor, Marathon FL. on a mooring ball, waiting for a weather window to cross to the Bahamas. The window we are looking for is 2-3 days of light winds (10 mph or less).

We have been catching up with a lot of friends we met last year during our stay here and also making new friends. Randy & Jim Angle have gone out a couple of times diving for lobster. So far only one has been found that was big enough to make it to the stew pot. The days here have been sunny and averaging 80 degrees. Every day we get out for a bike ride or walk. There is always something going on here so you can stay as busy as you want. People get together for softball, tennis, soccer, basketball, bocheball, cards, or dominos. The park next door is always looking for volunteers to help out with festivals & events. This coming weekend there will be a Celtic festival.

                                                        Sunset in the mooring field.

                                                                     Floating houses.

      Talent at the local bar & grill. 97 yr. old & 19 yr. old playing awesome music together.