Our weekend in Spanish Wells was fun. Another front passed through
while we were there and confounded our travel plans. Since we decided a
Saturday departure to the Abacos would not work it meant that our next best
window would be Tuesday so we hunkered down to enjoy Spanish Wells.
Last year we spent a weekend in Spanish Wells and enjoyed the
picture book town jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean. Spanish Wells is home to
most of the Bahamian commercial fishing fleet. 75% of the seafood harvested in
the Bahamas comes from Spanish Wells. It’s interesting how every island in the
Bahamas is different and unlike most of the southern islands, Spanish Wells and
several of the Abaco Islands have indigenous industry and the prosperity shows. 
Views of some of the fishing fleet in Spanish Wells.
Views from walking about.
Friday night we had dinner at the Shipyard
with some new friends that we met on the cruise from Hatchet Bay. Joe and Char
from Sun Cat left Hatchet Bay almost the same time we did so we began
communicating during the passage. We followed Sun Cat into the mooring field
coming around the outside in very shallow water because there was a dredge
blocking the channel. While at the Shipyard we met several other cruisers that
we had seen before who were going to be there also waiting out weather.
Saturday was a relaxing day as we walked
about the town and had a refreshment at Buddha's Place and then back to the
boat for some cleaning and boat work. While were doing that Joe and Char
stopped by in their dinghy and invited us to go with them on Sunday back to Harbor
Island. We initially accepted but later changed our minds given the weather and
past instances where the moorings failed so we thought it best to stay close to
the boat.
On Sunday morning when Joe and Char were headed to Harbor Island
we dinghied in to chat with them and noticed the golf cart rental agency was
open so we asked if we could rent a cart for the day. Normally they are closed
on Sunday. We returned ashore after going back to the boat and drove down the
island and crossed the little bridge to Russell Island where we went to the
Sand Bar for lunch. We had visited it last year when we were here but we were
there before it opened and didn’t stay. We followed another golf cart into the
parking lot and noticed Joe and Char pull in behind us. They decided not to go
to Harbor Island because they were told everything is closed. They knew the
couple who pulled in ahead of us and the six of us had a nice leisurely lunch.
The Sand Bar
That night we met on Sun Cat for drinks and then went to Buddha’s
for dinner.
Again we enjoyed our few days in Spanish Wells.
Monday we got ready and left about high tide downwind sailing to
an anchorage in Royal Island which is about 5 miles from Spanish Wells, mostly
deserted but features a nearly fully enclosed bay which offered excellent
shelter from the heavy winds.
Next stop, the Abacos.
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