Evergreen is currently docked at Southport NC. We are waiting out some bad weather and getting some needed rest.

May 11th and 12th- Isle of Hope/ Savannah GA to Beaufort SC

After leaving Savannah we traveled further north along the ICW to Beaufort. Port Royal Sound was a little rough when we crossed. We then headed up the river, passed Paris Island, and grabbed a mooring at the downtown Beaufort marina.

Our flotilla decided to spend an extra day in Beaufort. We did some shopping during the day and met up for dinner at Luther’s. Tomato pie, Nocellara olive oil, and Gumbo Sauce, were some of the culinary treasures we acquired in town.

Brought Ollie to town for a walk just before departure. All is quiet at dawn.

Evergreen moored at Beaufort, South Carolina

May 13th- Beaufort SC to Steamboat Creek/ Edisto Island SC

Today was a mixture of rivers, creeks, and canals. Our trio of boats split for the night. We decided to anchor on Steamboat Creek due to the convienient access to a boat ramp and dock. Rhiannon and Autumn Bourne pushed on a little further to another anchorage. We were the only boat anchored on Steamboat for the night.

Steamboat Ollie. The little white dot in the background is Evergreen.

May 14th- Steamboat Creek to Awendaw Creek SC

We were up before sunrise and off the anchor by 6:30 am. Ollie’s morning commando raid was in the dark. Our plan was to catch up with the flotilla who were another 10 miles up the ICW. We all needed to time our passage through Watts Cut, near Charleston, with slack tide. It was a long, busy, day for us. We caught up with them around 8:30am after fighting current all morning.

May 15th- Awendaw Creek to Thoroughfare Creek SC

We had a peaceful night at Awendaw Creek. The morning brought some wind and current issues. Getting the dinghy on deck and pulling the anchor was a workout. We passed the shallows around McClellanville. As usual, there was a boat stuck there. Next on to Winyah Bay. Georgetown is the usual stop for us but we decided to press on with a favorable current up the Waccamaw River.

We ended the day and anchored on Thorofare Creek. We hadn’t been there before but Autumn Bourne had stopped there and assured us it was a good spot to let Ollie get some exercise. It’s in the jungle off the Waccamaw River but the Creek has a large sand dune left over from an earlier age when this was ocean front property. The anchorage was deep and it is very scenic. We’ll stop here again.

The dune.

Happy Oliver.

Rhiannon and Autumn Bourne

Evergreen

Evergreen anchored on Thorofare Creek.

Sunset.

May 16th- Thorofare Creek SC to Bird Island NC

We were underway by 7:45 and back on the Waccamaw soon after. Ollie enjoyed his shore leave. The “Dune” is actually a park with trails to explore.

Sunrise.

Once out of the Waccamaw we were back in the big ditch. Most of the rest of the day was through a long, straight canal with varying levels of boat traffic. Rhiannon split off in Myrtle Beach to visit with family for a few days. We agreed we’d meet up in the near future. Evergreen and Autumn Bourne continued on.

We crossed into North Carolina. Autumn Bourne picked our anchorage for the night at Bird Island. It is a protected spot and the Island is a barrier beach. The only reason we haven’t stopped here before is because we know of at least two other boats that have grounded out going to the anchorage. Autumn Bourne knew the route in and we followed closely behind. The trick is lining up the G7 green marker off the stern and the big white water tower off the bow. Stay on the line, and you are in.

Some scenes from Bird Island. Ollie cleared all birds.

Autumn Bourne anchored.

Evergreen in the background.

May 17th- Bird Island to Southport NC

There is a lot of current running around Bird Island due to the five foot tides. We timed our departure with slack tide to make anchor retrieval easier.

Autumn Bourne had plans to dock in Southport for a day to visit with friends. Since we needed a rest, Evergreen decided to also get a dock. While in transit we learned the weather wasn’t going to be good for a couple of days. All boats extended our marina stays until Saturday to wait for the weather to clear out.

We ended the day at South Harbor Village Marina. The actual docking went well and the dock hands were very helpful.

May 18th- Southport NC

Today, we slept late and had eggs and bacon for breakfast. There is a park right up the road and Ollie has gotten some ball and frisbee exercise when it’s not raining. Eventually, I motivated myself to get Evergreen filled up with diesel fuel. Lynne’s getting a load of laundry done. The rain has mostly kept us around Evergreen. It’s been a relaxing day. Oh yeah, I was able to get caught up on this blog. Tonight we plan on eating at Joe’s Italian Bistro which is right near the dock.

Evergreen docked at Southport NC.

May 8th- Cumberland Island to Crescent River GA

The extra day we spent in Cumberland Island was very relaxing. We set off early for the Crescent River. Generally we have also stopped at Jekyll Island for a day or two. We decided to press on and anchor further north on the ICW. We also had plans on spending an extra day in Savannah.

Sunrise commute at Cumberland Island.

Kings Bay submarine base. A sub!

Our 3 boat flotilla.

We anchored Evergreen on the Crescent River out in the Georgia marsh. There is a little spot of beach to land Ollie at. The 8 foot tides make for a lot of current running in these rivers and sounds.

Evergreen anchored on the Crescent River.

May 9th- Crescent River to Isle of Hope/ Savannah GA

Georgia has some very shallow spots on the ICW. Yesterday we traversed The Little Mud River. Today, Hell gate. We were close to low tide through the Little Mud. It was nerve wracking.

We made reservations for the Isle of Hope Marina in the Savannah area. We’ve anchored around Savannah in the past but haven’t ventured into town. Rhiannon coerced us into docking and seeing some of the sites.

The marina is well run and is in a really nice neighborhood. Old houses, Live Oaks, water views, and boats made for a scenic backdrop for Ollie’s frequent walks. We try to give him some extra exercise when it’s convenient.

The first night we had dinner at The Sandfly Barbecue with Rhiannon. I’m not an expert on BBQ food but this was the best I’ve had. I will never forget the Brunswick Stew! Lynne and I also shared a plate of pulled pork, sausage, and brisket.

Isle of Hope.

May 10th- Isle of Hope/ Savannah GA

The day started off with boat chores. Lynne went on a quest for groceries. I cleaned Evergreen. It has been a long time since since the last big cleaning. One of the advantages of being on a dock is seemingly unlimited water.

The second half of the day we went to downtown Savannah to celebrate a birthday with Rhiannon. The downtown has many restaurants in a revitalized industrial area. I found the old buildings interesting.

We had another great meal. Both Lynne and I had crab stuffed flounder and shared fried green tomatoes and pimento cheese for an appetizer. A lot of good food around this city. We’ll be back!

Here is rundown of the last week. Evergreen is in travel mode.

May 1st- Vero Beach to Melbourne FL

Our last few days in Vero were characterized by unpredictable, stormy, weather blowing through. We’d have some sun then ominous black clouds on the horizon. We decided to stay in VB until this weather passed.

One day I woke to a weather warning on my phone. Sometimes the National Weather Service has one or two alerts posted. Today six.

Sunday was very windy then Monday the weather broke and we pointed north toward Melbourne. We had previously loaded up Evergreen with all the necessities to minimize our stops along the way.

Currently we are traveling with a small flotilla consisting of SV Rhiannon, SV Autumn Bourne, and us. We’ve been doing some rough planning together and generally have been staying within visual range of one another.

Evergreen anchored in Melbourne.

Melbourne Bridge at Sunrise.

May 2nd- Melbourne to Titusville FL

Tuesday we motored along to Titusville. Occasionally, we get some sail up but with the wind out of the northwest the diesel engine is doing most of the work. We took a mooring at the Titusville Marina to get Ollie to shore and grab a shower.

Evergreen moored at Titusville.

May 3rd- Titusville to Daytona FL

Wednesday. Up before sunrise. Ollie to shore. Dinghy hoisted on the fore deck. Engine on. Off the mooring by 7:30am. Coffee in hand.

The flotilla moved further north toward Daytona. We were able to sail for a bit in the morning but again the northwest wind was on the nose heading up Mosquito Bay. During that section of the passage we had some engine issues. Our RPMs were jumping up and down with the engine almost stalling. Autumn Bourne was behind us and stood by while I stared, angrily, at the engine. Eventually it started running normally. We are not sure if some air got in a fuel line or maybe the fuel filter is getting clogged. It ran well for the rest of the day. I’ll probably change the fuel filter when we are stopped for a while.

We ended the day in Daytona at the Bethune park anchorage. The park is big and Oliver got a lot of, off leash, exercise.

May 4th- Daytona Beach to St Augustine FL

Thursday. Up before sunrise, etc, etc…..

We are developing a travel routine. Normally we stop for a few days in St Augustine but we need to push north. The flotilla has agreed to keep moving along until Georgia.

We passed through the Bridge of Lions and anchored near the Vilano bridge. This anchorage was somewhat challenging due to current and giant wakes from passing motor boats. The boats would fly through the anchorage at full throttle to reach the near by boat ramp. On a positive note, dinner was grilled tuna steaks, fresh rolls (Thai) with peanut sauce, rice pilaf, and a bottle of Pino Grigio. We eat well!

May 5th- St Augustine to Sisters Creek/ Jacksonville FL

Friday. More motoring into the steady north wind. Will it ever come out of the south?

Today was mostly long, straight, canals. We ended the day at Sisters Creek and anchored for the night. It’s technically part of Jacksonville but is not near any populated area.

May 6th- Sisters Creek FL to Cumberland Island GA

Saturday. Today brought cloudy skies and rain. The captains of the flotilla had a discussion about what to do today. Rhiannon and Autumn Bourne both have full cockpit enclosures. Cockpit enclosures keep the helmsman out of inclement weather. Evergreen doesn’t have one. There was some concern about me being out in lousy weather all day. I assured everyone that I have decent foul weather gear and I’d be OK. We could push on. We also came to the conclusion that Evergreen needed more diesel fuel and water. During the day we’d stop at the Fernandina Beach fuel dock before pushing on to Georgia. Onward!

Somewhere on the Nassau River Rhiannon stopped and anchored. We found out their boat had lost all electrical charging under way and the batteries were almost dead. Big problem! Autumn Bourne and Evergreen stood by to see if this could be resolved. The captain was able to raise an electrician in Vero Beach. The electrician had previously done work on the boat and was familiar with the wiring. He was able to talk them through the problem and find the fault. We were all soon underway again. Next stop, Fernandina Beach. We loaded Evergreen up with fuel and water. Underway again, we crossed from Florida into Georgia and anchored at Cumberland Island.

May 7th- Cumberland Island GA

Sunday. A day off.

Cumberland Island is a national park. We all figured it would be a peaceful place to rest for a day. We enjoyed the Island on our 2019-2020 odyssey. Time for shore leave. Horses, Dungeness ruins, forest, and beaches were all on the agenda. After a breakfast of scrambled eggs and blueberry apple pancakes we dinghied in to the Island.

We spent a few hours wandering around the island. Ollie enjoys the extra exercise and is sleeping as I write this. We’ll be getting some extra sleep tonight also. Then, it’s up at dawn…. travel day.

Evergreen anchored at Cumberland Island.

Sunset.

April 27th- Vero Beach, FL

Of course we planned on being in Vero Beach for a few days. Then the Velcro effect took over. At first we were waiting for our mail to catch up with us. Then it was a problem with my credit card that needed to be solved. Now it’s some “funny” weather. As always, we’ve enjoyed our time here, we just can’t leave.

Everything is in full bloom in VB.

Ollie really enjoys his visits to Vero. We’re pretty sure he recognizes the place when we arrive.

We have been splitting the cost of a rental car with SV Rhiannon so it’s been easy to provision Evergreen. We had family visit and went out for a great meal. We have also been touring some of the local eateries with Rhiannon. Calzones, Ruben sandwiches, burgers, fish, dinners onboard, our waistlines are growing! One day we came back to Evergreen to find SV SMAC tied up with us. We had a great reunion and they invited us over for dinner and to share stories from the sea.

The Storm.

There is a saying that sailors have short memories pertaining to the weather. Mostly the weather is good but every once in while it is scary. We have been in a few storms. The squall we had yesterday (April 26th) topped them all. It is difficult to describe the fury of this particular storm. We were on shore when I first noticed it approaching. We quickly dinghyed back to Evergreen. We weren’t really thinking about storm intensity at the time, we just didn’t want to get soaked on the way back to the boat. I didn’t do anything extra to prepare the boat because we didn’t know what was about to hit us. When the storm hit the lightning was constant. The wind intensified and continued to do so rapidly. The boat swung in a circle and continued to buck back and forth through large arcs. The rain was so intense that I’d call it a “white out”. I couldn’t see anything. I also couldn’t hear anything due to the roaring of the wind. I turned the motor on to try to relieve some of the stress on the mooring but couldn’t hear the engine nor could I actually see the mooring. I gave up on that idea since it seemed I’d likely do more harm than good with the engine in gear. Eventually we had some of the heaviest hail I’ve ever been in. I thought it was going to pound through the dodger or the awning we had up.

I don’t know how long it lasted but eventually it passed. The hail melted. I bailed about 6″ of water from the dinghy. Several boats had shredded sails. A few boats had their dinghies flipped over, damaging the outboard motors. Evergreen sustained no damage.

The wind speed indicator at the marina topped out at 75mph. A near by restaurant recorded 100mph. I was told there was evidence of “cyclonic activity”. Who knows what happened? It was a very local event. There were some trees knocked down and tons of leaves everywhere. A few miles away there was only light rain.

Hopefully I forget all this in a day or two.

Let me outa here!

Evergreen moored in Vero Beach on a sunny day.

We are currently moored in Vero Beach, Florida. I’ve fallen behind on typing the log. It’s like credit dept or taxes- The longer you fall behind, the harder it is to get caught up! Evergreen has put some miles under her keel since my last post. Below is a summary of the last week or so.

April 14th- Green Turtle Cay, Abaco Islands to Great Sale Cay, Bahamas

Our second stay at Green Turtle Cay (GTC) was mostly dominated by bad weather. I was glad we took the time to rework the mooring gear. Evergreen withstood the 40kt gusts and the wind was elevated for the remainder of our stay. We were cozy on Evergreen during inclement weather. Between squalls we hungout with SV Rhiannon, SV Outward Bound, and MV Tug Along. We split the cost of a golf cart with Rhiannon for a couple days. It was the first time Lynne or I have driven a golf cart and a first for the necessity of driving on the left side of the road! It took some concentration. One morning me and the skipper of Outward Bound took the golf cart to Coco Bay to see the beach. We got stuck and needed help to extract the cart. Later the Admiral’s club took the cart out for a cruise around the island and also to Coco Bay. They got stuck too!

Stuck at Coco Bay, Green Turtle Cay.

Our Bahamas cruising permit didn’t expire until May 21st but we knew we needed to sail back to the USA soon so we could get headed north. The plan is to try to get back to Massachusetts sometime in June. Evergreen needs to be hauled out for some bottom painting and other various projects. Lynne is planning to sew a new cockpit dodger, which is a very complicated project. Time to go.

We were having northeast winds which are not good for a Gulf Stream crossing. SV Rhiannon had also been watching the weather to cross and determined we’d have a short window to get across before the next front came through with more northeast wind. For this plan to work we’d need to sail for Great Sale Cay Friday, stop there for a night, then set out for Fort Pierce, Florida, on Saturday. The distance between Great Sale and Fort Pierce is around 115 nautical miles and would take us 19 to 20 hours. We’d arrive early Sunday morning to catch the incoming tide at Fort Pierce inlet. The plan sounded good so we readied Evergreen for departure and retrieved our mooring gear.

We had a favorable wind direction for the passage to Great Sale and were able to sail much of the way therefore conserving some of our diesel fuel. We anchored for the evening near a cove with a beach for Ollie’s evening commando raid.

SV Rhiannon having a great sail to Great Sale.

Evergreen anchored off Great Sale Cay.

Sunset

April 15th and 16th- Great Sale Cay, Bahamas to Ft Pierce, Florida

The plan to get back across the Gulf Stream involved an over night crossing. A big first for us. SV Rhiannon were gracious enough to accompany us on this trip. We’d try to keep within visual range of each other and check in every two hours over the VHF radio. They have made many crossings and it was a comfort to have someone with experience near by.

We hauled up our anchor at 11:00am for the voyage to Fort Pierce. It was a hot, sunny, day and I rigged extra “canvas” to provide us with some shade as we motored along the Little Bahama Banks. At sunset we reached our waypoint near Matanilla Shoal and crossed from the shallow banks to the deep water of the Florida Straits. We turned on our running lights and rolled out our genoa for more visibility. Magically, the wind picked up and we were motor sailing at seven knots for a while.

SV Rhiannon sailing into the Sunset.

We followed SV Rhiannon into the night. On our first trip across, there were very few ships on the ocean. Tonight, there were many near to the Bahamas. Rhiannon has a device called an AIS transponder. AIS stands for Automatic Identification System. AIS uses VHF signals and GPS satellites to transmit both ship/ boat location and course for collision avoidance. Most ships have AIS. A very useful tool when crossing shipping lanes at night. Rhiannon kept track of the many ships on AIS, often radioing the ship’s captain if we were close. If there was a problem, Rhiannon would radio us with a course change and speed to avoid the problem. We could see the lights of the ship’s. We were also able to pick them up on Evergreen’s radar and determine the range. We are now convinced that Evergreen needs to have an AIS transponder so we can see, and be seen, by large ships.

Eventually the wind became more westerly and we could no longer sail toward Ft Pierce. We plowed into the headwind with Evergreen’s diesel engine running at full power. At this point it was a wet ride but we could see the lights of Florida and knew we’d be at the inlet soon. Soon after Rhiannon passed through the inlet they radioed us that the current was favorable and the seas were calm.

Sunrise near the Fort Pierce inlet buoy. “Red skies in morning, sailors take warning”.

Fort Pierce was a little bit of a culture shock for us. There were many small runabouts exiting the inlet, heading out to fish. We dropped anchor near a small island, brought Ollie to shore, then got some much needed rest. When I woke, a few hours later, I popped my head out of the hatch to see 100s of people crowding the local beaches! Boats everywhere! I haven’t seen this many people since leaving the US.

We hung around Evergreen for the day, catching up on sleep. At some point some seriously ominous clouds started to roll in. Then our phones started to beep indicating there was a Tornado ALERT. “Take shelter in the basement”. WHAT!! Have you seen our bilge? We could actually see the formation cloud but didn’t see any tornadoes or water spouts. Do to high winds, several boats dragged their anchors but Evergreen held through the storm.

Not exactly what you want to see when you are on the water.

I believe this wanted to be a tornado or waterspout. It had a weird green tinge to it.

No harm done. The salt was washed from Evergreen’s decks.

To be continued.

Comic by Sarah Steenland.

April 10th- Green Turtle Cay, Abaco Islands, Bahamas

We left our anchorage at Man-O-War Cay on Saturday (the 8th) and headed back down to GTC. With big northeast winds coming up, the area around Whale Cay would become impassable for several days and we needed to get through there to get any further north. We had been monitoring this front and decided to leave early and find a protected harbor for Evergreen. Our first call was to Donny’s Marina in GTC’s Black Sound. Donny was completely booked up for the week. There are many cruisers traveling back to the US and Canada. Most probably know about the upcoming weather. Our next contact was to the Skipper of Outward Bound. We met him in Marsh Harbour and knew he had a mooring in White Sound, which is also another harbor in Green Turtle Cay. His boat was on its mooring but he offered to find us another mooring. With that in mind we left Man-O-War for GTC and had a nice day for a sail around the Whale.

A few more pictures from Man-O-War Cay.

Evergreen anchored at Man-O-War. This photo was taken by another talented cruiser from their boat.

Sunset at Man-O-War.

Wing on wing to the Whale.

While we have been to Green Turtle before this was our first time in White Sound so we were cautious. The entry was straight forward and we had plenty of depth for Evergreen’s keel. We contacted Outward Bound and got instructions for finding the mooring. The mooring was free for us for as long as we wanted but the catch was, it’s free because it’s abandoned. On a positive note there have been many boats, larger than ours, using the mooring over the winter. There are other abandoned moorings in the harbor but the others are mostly unsafe. Since we’ll be having some high winds it was suggested to me that I should dive on the mooring and see what’s going on before the front arrives. The winds were light so there was no rush to do the work. We dinghyed over to the Green Turtle Club, did some exploration, and met up with our friends from Rhiannon again. Ollie was adopted by a local Bahamian boy (Rico) and they had great fun running up and down the docks.

The Admiral surveying the entrance channel. She was standing but I was worried she might go over the bow if we hit something.

Eventually I donned snorkeling gear and went to work on the mooring. The pennant was a tangled mess and I didn’t like the way it looked. After about 20 free dives (I have no diving skills) I was able to drag a 3/8″ chain down to the mooring and shackle it up. We had this chain down in the bilge for ballast. To this I shackled a 3/4″ mooring pennant that I had stored for just such an occasion. Lynne assisted me from the dinghy. By the end I was waterlogged and tired. My snorkeling mask leaks and I have come to hate it.

The wind started in this morning and I started to think about the metal that I had our gear attached to. I tend to lose sleep over these things! I then decided to row out our kedge anchor to relieve some of the stress from the mooring. The wind is whipping through the rigging as I type this but we now feel secure. It’s going to be a project to retrieve all of this gear. The harbor is protected so there isn’t much wave action. Ollie and I climbed a hill on shore so we could see the Atlantic side of the island. It’s all waves and a sea of white surf. It would certainly be a bad day to be on the ocean. We’ll be here for a few days waiting for the Sea to calm down. Time for a “Dark and Stormy”.

View off the back porch. Calm before the blow.

A grey day today. Sustained winds 20+ kts. Supposed to be gusting to 38 kts tonight.

April 5th- Man-O-War Cay, Abaco Islands, Bahamas

On Monday (April 3rd) we loaded up Evergreen with as much water as we could fit and sailed from Marsh Harbour to Man-O-War Cay. There are two inner harbors at Man-O-War with rental moorings but we had intel that there was a third protected harbor behind Old Scopleys Rock. It’s a nice spot, out in the open air, and has a beautiful beach to land Ollie at. Anchoring was a bit difficult when we arrived. I tried a few spots but couldn’t get the anchor to set due to rocks and grass. Finally I put Evergreen’s bow right over a sandy bar that extends from the beach. The anchor grabbed right away. Later, I snorkeled to the anchor and dove down to see how it was set (good). The clear Bahamas water sure makes anchoring less of a mystery. Since I’ve been swimming almost every day, I’ve also used my time here to scrape some growth off of the hull and check the center board.

The beach at the cove. There is a little cabana with a picnic table in the middle.

This pirate flag is on Old Scopleys Rock. A good omen.

Man-O-War Cay was (is still) the boat building capital of the Abacos. It was another British Loyalist community whose settlers fled the US after the revolution. It was owned primarily by one family, the Alburys. The descendants of Benjamin and Eleanor Albury populated most of the island and their descendants still own most of the businesses to this day. Lynne bought a new bag from the Albury Sail shop. We visited Albury Brothers Boats which make the (fiberglass) Albury 23 power boats that we’ve seen all over the islands. We also went to the wood shop of another Albury who is in the process of building a wooden Abaco sailing dinghy. He was a really interesting guy and we spent a lot of time talking “wood” and the history of Man-O-War.

Man-O-War is a small island. There are around 215 residents and no less than three churches. It is a dry island and no alcohol is sold or allowed to be consumed in public. Perhaps this has helped to preserve the island from tourists and resorts.

I’m currently reading a book by Ralph Johnston, the sculptor that settled Little Harbour in the 1950s. After leaving the US he and his family lived on Man-O-War for almost a year. Eventually he purchased a 47′ schooner, the Langosta, from Norman Albury. He used this vessel to settle Little Harbour. It’s really interesting to be reading his diary passages about life on Man-O-War in the 50’s while walking the same island. I don’t think the island has changed much. Dorian wrecked this island too but it has come back. There was a marina, before the storm. It is still in the process of being rebuilt. The islander I spoke to felt that the new marina would help island commerce when it is done.There are no big restaurants but we found a little place that sells lunch and ICECREAM!

Albury Brothers boat shop.

The Woodshop.

Some scenes from Man-O-War Cay.

The Library.

Evergreen anchored off Man-O-War Cay.

Sunset at Man-O-War.

Oh yeah. I got a conch horn today. A new sunset tradition. Ollie loves it.

April 1st- Little Harbour to Marsh Harbour, Great Abaco Island, Bahamas

Time to turn around. Little Harbour was the terminus of our southern journey in the Bahamas. We didn’t get to dinner at Pete’s Pub but we explored most of Little Harbour and had a great time. Both my stomach illness and broken toe got better. Before leaving we visited the ruins of a lighthouse and walked the rocky cliffs.

Lighthouse ruins.

Sailing in the Abacos is an absolute joy. We only used the diesel engine to get in and out of the harbors today. While motoring out of Little Harbour I could hear the bottom of Evergreen’s keel just whisk over the sandbar. Maybe our departure was a little too close to low tide. Once again we were happy with our shallow draft vessel. Once out of Little Harbour we raised all sail and Evergreen got to stretch her legs a little. We jibed several times during the day due to the wind being mostly off our stern. All were very controlled and good practice for Captain and crew.

We’ll spend a day in Marsh to get some groceries, booze, and fill our water tanks. Next stop is possibly Man-O-War Cay.

Sunset at Marsh Harbour.

March 27th- Black Point Cay to Little Harbour, Great Abaco Island, Bahamas

On Monday we moved on to Little Harbour. I had hoped for a few more days poking around various anchorages. There is a cold front moving through the area on Wednesday with brisk winds following it for a few days. Little Harbour is “little” so I figured it might be prudent to get there ahead of the rush so we could grab a mooring. Little Harbour is protected on all sides so is a good place to wait out some questionable weather.

Little Harbour is an interesting place. The community is off the grid and relies on solar power and rain water. There is Pete’s Pub, a gallery, a bronze foundry, and a few houses. The community was founded by sculptor Robert Johnston in the 1950s. He built the foundry and a few buildings. Apparently they also lived in a cave near by. His son Pete, started Pete’s Pub and is also a sculptor.

The Foundry.

The harbor is very scenic. Outside, there are many reefs which attracts divers. Inside the harbor is bordered by beaches and limestone cliffs. We went to the gallery but I didn’t photograph any of the work inside out of respect for the artists. The work was very detailed. I did photograph some of the bronze sculptures scattered around the area.

Bronze sculptures.

March 29th- Little Harbour, Great Abaco Island, Bahamas

We’ve been on the mooring a couple of days. There now are many charter catamarans in the harbor and it looks like all the moorings are full. We’ve had a few small squalls blow through. The rain has been brief so far. There was enough to wash some of the salt off of Evergreen’s decks but not enough for water collection.

We explored more of the area. I found the caves and we plan on checking them out. There is the ruins of a lighthouse we’d like to visit. Then there is Pete’s Pub. It looks like a very cool beach bar and I’ve heard the food is good. UNFORTUNATELY, I traveled all this way to eat at Pete’s Pub but seem to have contracted some kind of stomach illness. It came on rapidly yesterday and I hope it leaves rapidly. I am resting and fasting today. Tomorrow is another day! We put together a comprehensive medical kit before leaving on this trip so we have enough medications to treat a bunch of ailments.

The deck on the back of this house is shaped like the bow of a boat.

Amazing how this boulder is just balanced there.

Someone’s barbecue pit.

On top of a hill. You can just make out the boat masts in the background.

Finally! A picture of a sea turtle! We’ve seen many turtles and Rays in Little Harbour. In the same evening the Admiral managed to photograph this ray swimming by the boat. It was huge and had spots on its back.

Evergreen moored in Little Harbour.

March 26th- Tiloo Cay to Black Point Cay, Abaco Islands, Bahamas

Egg Sandwiches, coffee, Ollie to the beach. Today we sailed another 4 or 5 nautical miles south. The weather has been warm and sunny. The water is still clear but it’s been breezy everyday so I can’t see the bottom as well. We crept in to Black Point Cay, watching the depth sounder, and dropped the hook. We probably could have anchored in closer but we were coming in around high tide and if we got stuck…. It would be a problem.

This seems like a remote location but we’re still getting cellular service. We explored a small bay in Black Point and then headed over to Buckaroon Bay for the afternoon. We had our own private beach and went swimming. Ollie alternated between frisbee and swimming. We haven’t seen any sea turtles in the bay but we did see a big stringray. We’ve added more shells to our collection but haven’t located any gold doubloons.

Sunset at Black Point Cay.