Day 287 - 288 April 3 - 4, 2023

 Day 287 Monday April 3, 2023

Marsh Harbour to Green Turtle Cay, Abaco, Bahamas

Today Phil-N-Wild head to Great Sale Cay to spend the night and then on to Stuart Florida.  Their boat, a Meridian 411, can go much faster than our trawler.  They plan to take advantage of a weather window to cross back to the states and will travel much farther than we can in a day.  We are headed, with Call Me Curly, to Green Turtle Club Marina.  After that we will anchor 1 night and head to West End Bahamas before finally crossing back.

 Leaving Marsh Harbor

Our anxiety today will be leaving the relative calm of the Sea of Abaco and going through Whale Cay passage.  It is another opportunity for the ocean and waters in the cut to mix and depending on the tide and winds can be quite uncomfortable.  We traveled through the Shipping Channel/Loggerhead Channel --30 foot water depth and the water so clear that you could still see bottom!  From there it was into Whale Cay passage and still no problems.  We had 1 foot or less waves the whole day!

We saw the Bahamas Express freighter and MadSummer mega yacht with its tender Blue Pearl.  

 

Dredging in Green Turtle Cay

Once in Green Turtle we fueled ($6.16/gal) and headed to our slip.  Grant lowered his dinghy and we rode to New Plymouth to check out the town.  We stopped into the Wrecked Tree for a beverage and local knowledge and then walked around town.

  Wrecked Tree

The hurricane swept through taking the back wall out but sparing the front wall and Pepsi cooler!

 

No damage to the church.

  Beautiful sunset.

Day 288 Tuesday April 4, 2023

Green Turtle Cay

Today we rented a golf cart to explore the area.  We discovered some pretty beaches, some very rough and rocky roads and more of the town of New Plymouth.  

 

 

  Driftwood decorated with conch shells.

We had lunch at the local liquor store!

  

Our golf cart was temperamental so we headed back to the marina.  Gratefully we were able to replace it and continue with our adventures.  

We found the "famous" Pineapples and sampled their strawberry daquiris.  Yummy and refreshing.  We were soon joined by Loopers from Nice Aft and 2nd Seabatical.

   Empty Conch shells

Great news -- Susan and Danny on Phil-N-Wild crossed to Stuart, Florida.  That means they crossed their wake!!!!  They are back to where they started their loop.  I can only imagine what that feels like.  We expect that it will be the end of August before we are home.

 

Another great sunset.

Tomorrow we travel to an anchorage at Great Sale Cay.