Tag: Abaco

Guana Cay, Abaco, Bahamas

Guana Cay is just the next cay up from Man O’ War. It is due North when leaving Marsh Harbor. We’ve visited Guana a couple of times. It’s complexion is completely different to any of the other Keys we’ve been to.

Guana is a very pretty cay. It is the home of Nipper’s famous (or infamous) pig roast on Sundays. Lisa and I stopped by there briefly one Sunday. it’s one of those “must do” things in the Abacos. I have to say I was underwhelmed by the experience. Nippers had a bit of a Spring-Breaky feel to it. There were lots of youngish people standing around drinking and taking selfies. There were lots of other people trying to be youngish doing the same thing.  If you want that sort of entertainment, Key West is way more fun.

The beach that Nippers overlooks, however, is spectacular. Even on a Sunday it wasn’t packed. The water’s spectacular and the sand is pretty much perfect. We aren’t sure exactly what there is to do on Guana besides dive/snorkel and go to Nippers or Grabbers, but the cay definitely has a nice feel to it. Perhaps we’ll spend more time on Guana and get to know it better.

In the mean time, this is what we have.

 

Man O’ War Cay, Abaco, Bahmas

Man O’ War Cay is one of the three “must visit” destinations in the Abacos. It’s a curious community of very closely related people, about 70% of whom are named Albury. I’ve been told that until relatively recently, these people tended to keep to themselves and marry within the community. The result is that most people on the island look very similar —  a bit odd.

Also, unlike the other islands, Man O’ War Cay seems to have had a culture of segregation. In other words Black Bahamians were not permitted to stay on the island after dark. This isn’t true of most of the other islands in the Bahamas. There doesn’t appear to be racial tension, per se, though there seems to be a general dislike and distrust of Hatians.

Man O’ War is pretty, neat, clean, and tidy. It has cute little clapboard cottages with nicely tended yards. it also has a long tradition of boat building and sail making. I have to say that the traditional Bahamian boats made here have beautiful lines.

Man O’ War has a very protected but shallow harbor. It’s probably the best hurricane hole in the Abacos. The harbor is very sheltered. As it has two opening, surge from a hurricane can run through easily rather than just building up.

All told, it was a neat place. While it a nice, it doesn’t seem like it’s a community into which one integrates — like Hopetown. I’m glad we’ve seen the place, and we may use it as a hurricane hole, but my guess is we’ll just as soon head further south.

Hopetown Lighthouse, Abaco, Bahamas

The Lighthouse at Hopetown is one of the towns more noticeable features. It was built in 1862, has an elevation of 120 feet, and a 23 mile visibility. It’s one of three remaining manual lighthouses. Rather than being electric as most lighthouses are these days, it’s powered by kerosene. In other words, it’s a giant Coleman vapor lantern that needs to be pumped up, preheated, and ignited.

The light is driven by a winding mechanism, much like a grandfather clock. The mechanism needs to be wound every 2 hours — a fact that has to be really annoying for the lighthouse keepers. The turret that houses the mantle (the bit that generates light) and lenses is heavy — weighing several tons at least. Rather than using an oil-based lubricant or grease, the turret sits in a half donut-shaped mercury bath. Mercury seemed like an odd choice for a lubricant, but when you think about it a bit, mercury would work pretty well. Given that I had access to the turret,  tried to turn it — as expected. It required only a minimal effort to get it moving. Given the weight and how long the light has been in operation, that’s a pretty impressive feat of engineering.

Technically, it’s names the Elbow Cay lighthouse and keeps people off the Elbow Cay Reef. It also offers a great vantage point for surveying the entire area.

Pictures follow.

Looking to the North. Parrot Keys on the left and the top of Elbow Cay on the right.
Looking to the North. Parrot Keys on the left and the top of Elbow Cay on the right.

DSCF7328

 

Little Harbor to Hopetown, Abaco, Bahamas

Getting from Little Harbor to Hopetown makes one feel like one is in a children’s story.

The route from Little Harbor to Hopetown. Note that the lighter the color of the water the shallower (around 2 ft) it is.
The route from Little Harbor to Hopetown. Note that the lighter the color of the water the shallower (around 2 ft) it is.

First you leave the Bight of Old Robinson (or Spencer’s Bight, as the case may be). Skirt around the top of Sandy Key navigate the shifting sands at the south end of the Tilloo bank. From there, it’s due north through Buckaroon Bay, keeping west of the Tilloo Bank, towards Witch Point.

It’s important to stay close to Witch Point, but not too close as there are shoals off it. Then, keep heading north staying close the west side, to avoid Lubbers Bank. Turn  east around the north side of Lubbers Bank and head north, towards the Nothern most of the parrot keys.  From there you spot the entrance to Hopetown Harbor…. Eh?

The preceding sounds a lot like directions that Johnny Depp would get in “Pirates of the Caribbean.” We love it here.