Last Weeks in the Bahamas

Hi everyone,

The last three weeks have flown by.  After Cheeseburger in Paradise we sailed to Black Sound on Green Turtle Cay, then Hopetown and then back to Marsh Harbour.  Here in Marsh Harbour we've been preparing for our departure from the Bahamas.

Burger at Sundowner's

Two of the passages were very short.  From Black Sound to John Cash Bay near Marsh Harbour was 27nm and we had a great sail.  We anchored at John Cay Bay to await the next morning's high tide into Hopetown.

Black Sound Arrival Track

Black Sound to John Cash Bay Track

Hopetown Arrival Track

Hopetown to Marsh Harbour Track

Black Sound on Green Turtle Cay appears to be recovering from hurricane Dorian more slowly than White Sound.  We took a mooring for US20/night, the same as White Sound.  Donny's marina was up and running with a new jetty.  We used their laundry and loos.  It's a 15 minute walk into New Plymouth from there.

Rear-view arriving in Black Sound

Rebuilt Marina Jetty

New Plymouth is quite an old town.  Many initial settlers were Loyalists who moved there during or after the US War of Independence.  Lots of pretty buildings with many sadly not rebuilt after Dorian.

Well-kept New Plymouth cemetary

Hurricane-damaged house

Nic in her happy place

The happy place

New Plymouth's small supermarket

Interesting memorial to Loyalists

New Plymouth store

New Plymouth house

Another hurricane damaged house

Wrecking Tree cafe

Sundowner's Bar & Cafe in New Plymouth

From Black Sound we sailed to Hopetown with an overnight stop to await the tide.  Hopetown is on another Sound.  Like the others the entrance is shallow but inside there's 3-4m.  We needed 0.5m of tide to get in safely.

Entering Hopetown

The conspic lighthouse in Hopetown is the last operating kerosene burning, hand-wound lighthouse in the world.  Well worth a look.

Famous Lighthouse

View from the top of the lighthouse

We took a mooring here too. US$25/night or US$150/week.  It was a very short dinghy ride to Hopetown Marina Resort whose loos we could use.  Their bar & cafe is good and they have a pool.

Most of the town is on the E side of the Sound.  There's a dinghy dock next to Capt'n Jack's.  It's a nice walk up and down the road past all the pretty cottages.  Apparently you can buy one for US$2M.

Capt'n Jack's Bar & Cafe

Dinghy Dock next to Capt'n Jack's

Hopetown House

Even the mailboxes are pretty!

Hopetown Marina Resort

Local sailing vessel on the Sound

A seat with a view

We spent this morning readying Zen Again for sea.  This afternoon we cleared-out using 'click2clear' then a quick visit to the nearby Customs office.  The forecast isn't ideal but it's OK.  Thunderstorm activity is meant to be easing, but so are the winds.  Unsure how far north we'll get.  Ideally to the Chesapeake but failing that hopefully Beaufort, NC.

Trust all's well where you are!