The Sea of Abaco is the body of water sheltered by the Great Abaco Island to the west, and a chain of barrier islands known as the Abaco Cays to the east. As the crow flies, Great Abaco is 50 nautical miles of open ocean north of Spanish Wells. However, the recommended route takes you first about ten miles almost southwest around three islands before heading north, in order to avoid the coral reefs just north of Spanish Wells.
Our mooring neighbors decided to recruit Bandit, a local guide, to do the shorter north route that threads through coral heads. We accepted their offer of joining them and split the cost of the guide, who turned out to be the only grumpy Bahamian we’ve met. So there we were, departing Spanish Wells in a tight dawn caravan of a cat following a cat following a skiff at seven knots when Bandit radioed after a turn. “Pump it up, Ñandú. You can do it.”.
“Er… this is about as fast as we can motor, Bandit.”
“Ok, we’ll slow down, then”, he replied bluntly. There was of course no need to reduce speed, but he nevertheless slowed down. To four knots. To make some kind of statement, I presume. Fine by us.
A few minutes later, before turning around to head home, Bandit directed us to continue with the same heading until we saw a depth of 100 feet; then we could alter course however we wished. When we reached that depth we set full sails and had a quintessential downwind run in company of several other boats that were also taking advantage of the perfect weather to reach Abaco.
By late afternoon we were lowering sails and dropping the anchor in The Bight of Old Richardson, in the exact same spot we had anchored three years ago on a charter boat.
Nearby was Little Harbour, a very special town. In 1950, Randolph Johnston, a renowned Canadian sculptor and college professor set sail from Massachusetts with his family to run away from the hectic pace of modern life. They settled in Little Harbour, which by then was home only to a lighthouse. The Johnstons settlement expanded from a cave to a thatched hut to a foundry to an art colony to a whole off-the-grid and still remote town. Johnston’s artistic legacy is pervasive, with the foundry still working, an art gallery run by one of his sons, and bronze sculptures all over the place.
gorgeous!
Is that you wind surfing Juan?
Yours truly.