Abacos Week 3: Dreams come true

 

When Steve and I first started seriously discussing living on a sailboat and living the cruising life, there were three things that I thought would be crucial for me: 

1. The boat needed to be a catamaran, since I feared that I would feel claustrophobic on a monohull.
2. The boat needed to have enough cabins to accommodate at least 4 guests, so our daughters and partners could visit at the same time.
3. We needed to have guests to share our adventures with at least one week a month, lest I go mad from being too isolated.

Starry Night satisfied the first two of my "must haves" and in Week 3 of our Bahamas trip, the final part of fulfilling my dream came true as my BFF, Darlyn, and her wonderful hubby, Brad joined us in Marsh Harbor for nine days.

Darlyn and Laura Chillin'

As it turned out, Miss Darlyn had her own list of things she wanted to do while we were in the Bahamas and it had just one item. Eat conch salad! We took care of that requirement on Day 1 😀

I had never had conch salad before and it is now one of my favorites too.  It's basically a ceviche with raw conch, lime juice and various diced vegetables and spices, which Brad masterfully prepared.  Since we had plenty of conch, Steve made authentic Bahamian conch fritters from a recipe I found on-line.  Based on a unanimous decision, they were the best conch fritters that any of us had ever had.

Conch Salad

Conch Fritters

       

We ended the evening star-gazing and enjoying a gourmet snack in the Starry Night Lounge, thanks to careful provisioning and availability of fresh produce in Marsh Harbour.

 We're Eating Well

 

We experienced the full range of weather conditions while Darlyn and Brad were here and we spent the next day on the boat doing non-boating stuff while waiting for the weather to settle.

Making Serious Progress on Laura's Starry Night Puzzle

The weather the next day was more amenable to water activities so we traveled to Great Guana Cay, where we had heard snorkeling and lobstering was good.  Unfortunately the destination was upwind and we chose not to sail so that we would arrive early enough to snorkel.

Before we could leave, however, we had an unexpected turn of events, which so often occurs in daily life on a boat.  We have become proficient in weighing the anchor, and I had been looking forward to showing Darlyn how far we had progressed since the last time they had anchored with us.  Instead, the windlass stopped working mid-process (after the anchor was off the ground) and we had to very quickly set up a system to raise the anchor manually using ropes and pulleys. I took over the helm, my primary job being to keep us from drifting into other boats in the strong wind and crowded mooring field, and Steve rigged the manual system, with assistance from Brad.  We were thankful to have extra hands on deck in this situation.  Darlyn's aid to communication was also highly appreciated. In fairly short order, the anchor was up, secured and we were on our way.

Thankfully the windlass issue was nothing more than a popped circuit breaker, which had been the first thing we checked but didn't find.  As we continued trouble-shooting later, we realized there are three breakers for windlasses...not only the two that we had checked.

All's well that ends well, I always say!

The remainder of the trip was uneventful, and we still arrived in time for afternoon lobster-hunting.

One of Brad's primary objectives for his time in the Bahamas was to catch a lobster.  Artemis was with us that day, and he caught his first lobster on our first hunt. He was also equipped with a GoPro, so I'm able to include some underwater action photos!

Spiny Lobster 

Steve Brings Brad's Catch to the Dinghy

Steve in Action

All told, Brad caught three lobsters and we were treated to a delectable lobster dinner prepared by Captain and Chef, Steve.

After our time at Great Guana Cay, we headed for Hope Town and anchored for the night. The weather was good for sailing so we had an opportunity to show Brad and Darlyn the ropes. We spent the next day exploring Hope Town and found a pretty Memorial Garden that we had missed on our first visit.

View from Hope Town Anchorage

Memorial Garden in Hope Town

Plaque Dedicated to the Founding Mother of Hope Town

Unending Beauty

After our visit to Hope Town, we sailed to Water Cay which had been touted as another good lobster haven. It was a secluded spot with a bit of beach for Jake, and lot of critters to observe.

Morning Walk at Water Cay

Beautiful Snail Shell Design

Up until the day before Brad and Darlyn's departure, the water and air temperature had been a little cooler than ideal for Darlyn, but it finally warmed up and she and I snorkeled a bit too. The area wasn't as pretty as some of the other reefs I've snorkeled here in the Abacos but we did see a nice variety of fish, as well as a rather large stingray.  I have to  admit that I thought it was cool, was glad I saw it, and then turned and swam the other way quickly!

Darlyn and Laura Ready for Snorkeling 

We motored back to Marsh Harbor after our snorkeling adventure and spent one more evening enjoying the sunset, island music and lobster appetizers, courtesy of Steve's hunt that day. All-in-all, it was a fabulous week and one we will always cherish.