Off to Eleuthera

After completing several errands in the morning we untied our dock lines and left Nassau. We motored out of the harbor and navigated our way through the shoals and reefs that line the northwest edge of the Bank into deep water. There is a line of shoals, reefs and islands that run all the way from New Providence to Eleuthera with a few navigable cuts along the way. Once in deep water it was a straight line to Eleuthera. Eleuthera is about 40 miles northeast of New Providence.

Initially there wasn’t much wind and it was behind us so we motored for the first hour in order to ensure we would complete the long trip before dark. Into the second hour of motoring the wind became more northerly thus increasing our apparent wind and we went to sail. As the wind wasn’t all that heavy the chop was minimal and we sailed very nicely right up to where we needed to pull in our sails to enter Spanish Wells.

The sun was warm and the breeze pleasant with very few other boats in sight.

We motored into the narrow and shallow channel for Spanish Wells and took a mooring in the mooring field by the east end of the island. There were many moorings available but the space between moorings limited. In fact when we took the wrong mooring because we didn’t even see the mooring we were to be on because the cat on the mooring next to it was covering it. With the wind shift we could get on the ball now and we may move to the other one but there isn’t much room.

Spanish Wells is a beautiful little town. It looks more like the towns in the Abacos than it does those in the Exumas or New Providence. This is the center of the Bahamas fishing industry and compared  to the towns in the Exumas it looks very prosperous with homes and businesses in good condition. There is also a big cruiser community here like in some of the other islands.

We went to Happy Hour at the Shipyard Inn and it was busy. The place was well kept and the heads were clean and orderly. We had an order of conch poppers which were exquisite. Beer was 2 for 1 so it was the best priced beer in the Bahamas! The scenery was great as well. We’re going back there for dinner. What a great celebration after a beautiful sail.

Next stop, Little Harbor on Great Abaco as we continue moving further north along the route back to the US. Wind is forecast to be from the southwest so it should be a perfect beam reach for the 50 mile sail over open water.