Da Bes Yet, Mon

The Great Abaco Island

We spent this past week sailing around the hub of the Sea of Abaco visiting many of the islands. Marsh Harbor is the largest town in the Abacos we visited, with a population of 5,300. It is big enough to warrant a stop light and all the noise, commotion and traffic that goes with it.

Marsh Harbor
Government Complex

 

But, the benefits of Marsh Harbor include the largest grocery store in the Abacos. This means a greater variety of food, but not necessarily cheaper prices.  For example, milk costs $4.83 a gallon, cereal $6.00 - 9.00 a box, yogurt $1.50 for 6 oz, cheese $8.00 per pound, sliced turkey $12.00 per pound, and the most shocking was paper towels at $29.70 for 8 rolls!  On some of the other islands we visited, apples were going for $2.00 each and bread for $6.00 per loaf.  So while everything here is very expensive, we can't complain to much because the beaches and the people make it all worthwhile! We spent two days in Marsh Harbor doing laundry, going to the bank, filling prescriptions, mailing letters and going to the hardware store.

Man-O-War Cay
"Little Lara" is moored
right about there ...

Soon we had all our errands completed and we were off to Man-O-War Cay. This tiny island of about 300 people is 2.5 miles long and lies just four miles from Marsh Harbor. It is known for its boat building history, which dates back hundreds of years. We enjoyed the canvas shop, woodcarving store, narrow streets, well manicured lawns and the marvelous beaches. We found the people to be very conservative, very religious and very friendly.  There are few restaurants here, but there are four churches.

"The Low Place", Man-O-War Cay
Note, the Sea of Abaco is to the left and the Atlantic Ocean is to the right

Lots of work to get this coconut opened!

Knowing that there was nasty weather coming, we decided to leave Man-O-War Cay and sail four
miles to Hope Town on Elbow Cay. Elbow Cay is another one of the many small cays in the dog-legged-shaped barrier islands near the mainland of Great Abaco Island. At around 4.5 miles long and 1,100 yards wide, Elbow Cay is home to wonderful people, great food, beautiful beaches, coconuts, breathtaking sunsets, and an amazing light house. The famous Elbow Reef Lighthouse is probably the most recognizable landmark in all of the Abacos.  It is one of the last manual lighthouses in the
world.  The lamp burns pressurized kerosene oil with a wick and mantle.  The Fresnel lenses concentrate the mantle’s light into a beam directed straight towards the horizon.  The lenses and burner equipment, weighing 8,000 lbs, float in a circular lubricated tub.  This reduces friction so that the 700 lbs of weight, when wound up to the top of the tower by hand, smoothly rotates the 4-ton apparatus once every 15 seconds.  The lighthouse keeper on duty must wind up the weights every 2 hours in order for the red and white candy-striped lighthouse to be seen from 17 miles away.

Hope Town Harbor

Streets of Hope Town

In  1863, England decided, to build a lighthouse at Hope Town to steer ships clear of the extensive “Elbow Reef”.  Despite protests made by wreckers (salvagers), the lighthouse was completed in

Elbow Cay Lighthouse

1864.   In 1996, for economic reasons, the Port Department was prompted to automate the hand-wound kerosene–burning lighthouse in the Bahamas.  The Lighthouse Preservation Society (the non-profit historical and educational society dedicated to its preservation) convinced the government to reconsider, as long as the Society would provide the Port Department with the parts they needed that were no longer available through their previous supplier.  Since then, the Society has been using mantles from the Coleman Company (manufacturer of Outdoor Equipment).  Today, the Elbow Reef Lighthouse is still sending out light, rated at 325,000 candlepower, with the same light source it acquired in 1863.  As we waited for the weather to improve, we enjoyed seeing the lighthouse lit up for the Christmas season with Christmas lights and its bright, rotating "star" on top.

Attending Church Meetings at "Summer Magic"

 

We loved walking through Hope Town, admiring the beautiful flowers, narrow streets and quaint homes. We noticed that the houses in Hope Town do not have street addresses, but names, like boats. We attended LDS Church in Hope Town, in the beautiful home of Chris and Lisa. They were kind enough to invite us to worship with them. We truly appreciated being able to attend Sacrament Meeting with them.  We loved everything about Hope Town.  Thus far Hope Town is "Da Bes Yet, Mon".

Who is at the helm?

"Where to now, babe?"

Fair Winds