After our great stay in Governor’s Harbor we moved further
up Eleuthera to stage our trip over to Spanish Wells. So we motored up island
the short distance to Hatchet Bay for 1 night. Hatchet Bay is almost like a
man-made protective zone. The only way in to Hatchet Bay by water is through a
30’ cut through a cliff into a pond that is completely enclosed.
Leaving Governor's Harbor.
The cut into Hatchet Bay.
Hatchet Bay boasts that they are the safest harbor in the
Bahamas since they offer 360 degree protection from wind and waves. On the
southern shore of the sound is the small village of Alice Town. Not one of the
most exciting towns we’ve seen but it is a quaint little town with a few stores
and restaurants. Many cruisers we talked to spent many nights there which would
be ok if you weren’t looking for anything to do on shore in a secure anchorage.
The bottom was pretty silty and our anchor had disappeared into the abyss so it
seemed to be ready to hold. When it came
up in the morning it was caked in mud so it must have really dug in well.
Views around the Bay.
Scenes in Alice Town by Hatchet Bay.
Although the town seemed low-key during the day, someplace
was really hopping with loud music and party sounds. Otherwise the night was
beautiful with no moon. The stars were so bright that the close constellations
ere obvious and the farther galaxies looked like clouds of lights. We spent the
night planning the next couple legs of our journey. Some people only plan a day
ahead. We try to plan at least 2 days ahead and then use the last night to
clarify and verify everything.
Our travel plans that we were working for the next day would
take us through the infamous Current Cut through the ridge that runs from
Eleuthera to New Providence. If you look at a map you will see a clear line of
islands and shoals that run along the deep water and form the northern edge of
the Bahama Bank. Current cut is a clear cut through this isthmus of Eleuthera
and sees lots of water flow through it either way as the tide if rising or
falling making tremendous current as much as
5-6 kts. When we went through we
had over 4 kts going our way. Timing is everything and to determine the proper
timing requires research and study and we hit it right.
Cruising toward Current Cut.
Our second day plan was to continue on to the Abacos or in
the alternative go into Spanish Wells to ride out a coming front. The pattern
of frontal passages every 3-5 days has continued since December so we either
went to the Abacos to ride it out or get some shelter in Spanish Wells. So we
planned to cross and at the same time made contingency plans for Spanish Wells.
In the final analysis we determined that when we got to Little Harbor in the
Abacos it would be at low tide so we wouldn’t be able to get into the protected
harbor to ride out the weather so we chose Plan B.
Our mooring field in Spanish Wells.
The passage from Hatchet Bay to Spanish Wells was uneventful
except for the run through Current Cut and then dealing with low water around
Spanish Wells due to the “Spring Tide” caused by the recent New Moon. Spring
Tides are extreme high and low tides caused by the moon’s phase and the water
was unusually low all the way into Spanish Wells.
Once in we got a mooring in a sheltered area and enjoyed the weekend in one of the gems of the
Bahamas.
Sunset at the Shipyard Restaurant in Spanish Wells.
No comments:
Post a Comment