Paid our bill on the 18th and were underway by 9 AM for our 16 NM passage to Orchid Bay Yacht Club on Great Guana Cay. But, before we left Green Turtle, I filled the water tank. Boaters have to pay for water by the gallon in the Bahamas at a cost of $0.35/gallon in most places and it is all R/O. Needless to say, we monitor our usage over the 2+ months we’re here. And, before we left, Carey insisted we get a photo of an anchored sailboat with an attached menagerie of inflated ducks trailing off their stern. Note in the following photo the larger leading duck is festooned with a real set of headphones. They’re Canadians (our favs!). Then, heading out we quickly found fresh 12-15 knot winds as we made our passage to and around Whale Cay in the Atlantic Ocean. Surprise … the trip was pleasant — two-foot ocean swells with a 6 second period made for an easy ride, even with the moderate south winds. The Whale passage can be hazardous under certain conditions, but we safely ducked back into the Sea of Abaco from the 5 NM Atlantic Ocean travel and proceeded to Orchid Bay. Arriving by noon, we rented a golf cart and quickly toured the island, had lunch at Nipper’s and drinks afterward at Grabbers Restaurant on the beach, both 2 of our favorites. (DON’T FORGET — LARGER PICTURES WHEN USING WEBSITE BY HOVERING OVER PIC AND TAPPING “CTRL” TWICE. USE TWO FINGER EXTENSION ON PHONE OR TABLET).
We woke to strong moderate winds the next day (15-20 knots from the north) and a forecast indicating we may have a week of these and possibly stronger winds. So, we decided to leave tomorrow for Hope Town where there’s lots to keep us happy and busy for a week in case the weather doesn’t improve. Meantime, today, a Nippers lunch and off on the golf cart checking out any changes on the island since our last trip here. Some pictures below.
