Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2022, all!

I'm happy to report that the snorkeling at Conception Island was spectacular. Conception Island is a small, completely uninhabited island and we were anchored there on New Year's eve with 10 or 12 other vessels - mostly smaller craft like ours, but also two super-yachts.  

The beach was gorgeous and we took advantage of being able to take the dinghy ashore for a long walk in the morning, before the sun was directly overhead for optimal snorkeling. After our walk, quite a few large, dark clouds appeared and we were concerned about poor lighting but decided to take our chances anyway. 

We needn't have worried.

As I explored the reef, I felt as though I had entered a magical fairy tale forest. The reef is very large and maze-like.  It's also quite tall with features at many different depths. The water was crystal clear and the lighting was phenomenal. The coral on the reef here was the most vibrant and healthy I've ever seen. The density of fish was much lower than what we are used to seeing in the Keys, but there was a large variety of species and I did see a sting-ray undulating along the sea floor in addition to the typical tropical fish.

I also made a friend on the island - 3 year old Keira (sp?) who loves to play chase. That was also a highlight of my day :-) 

We rang in the New Year up in the Starry Night lounge with the stars on brilliant display and accompanied by the party music from one of the super-yachts. 

On New Year's Day, we departed Conception Island and sailed overnight to Eleuthera, which put our total distance traveled at 1639 nautical miles! We're anchored in Hatchet Bay Harbor which is a great little "hurricane hole" that is accessible through a very narrow cut the side of the island and is located near a tiny settlement called Alice Town.  I was quite glad it was Steve's turn at the helm, since it felt like we were threading a needle to get into the bay. 

Narrow Cut Providing Exit from Hatchet Bay

Alice Town still shows the effects of hurricane Dorian, which hit the Abacos in 2019 with sustained winds of 185 mph and gusts over 220 mph. Many of the houses are uninhabited and cinder block is visible in the wind-torn skeleton of church, ready to be used in re-building. The residents here, though many are quite poor,  are welcoming and friendly - stopping to chat or offer assistance finding the local general store.  During our walk through town,we found a small inn whose restaurant which was featured on Top Chef - rightfully so, it turns out.  The menu wasn't fancy but the food was absolutely perfectly prepared and simply delicious.]

Twin Brothers Seafood and Steak Restaurant - Eleuthera

Beach in Alice Town, Eleuthera

One thing that I had heard, but not fully appreciated, about the Bahamas is that provisioning is very difficult.  Especially here in the "out islands" there is very limited infrastructure which means finding grocery stores that are also located in places where we can anchor our boat is a challenge.  Drinking water is also a precious commodity here in the Bahamas, and we haven't found a place to replenish our water supply since we left Puerto Rico. 

Our original plan had been to continue to Marsh Harbor, head west from there to Grand Bahama, and sail from West End to Florida.  As we were researching routes, anchorages and availability of resources, we realized that we could make it from here to Stuart, Florida in a single 48 hour sail so that is what we've decided to do!  We are planning a return to the Bahamas in the April time-frame to explore some of the places that we missed on this trip, and do so at a more leisurely pace. 

We will be somewhere along the east coast of Florida January through March and are looking forward to catching up with family and friends!  Hope to see you soon!