Eleuthera to the Abacos

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We blasted through Eleuthera in 4 days, but we were all anxious to get to the Abacos to spend a few  weeks before heading back to Florida. A perfect weather window was predicted for our passage across the northeast channel today.

On Sunday we travelled from Rock Sound to Hatchet Bay with a very rough and bumpy ride. Unfortunately we had trouble rolling in our mainsail and it was a challenging 30 minutes to get it fixed with waves rolling the boat up and down and from side to side. Finally we entered the cut to a very protected Hatchet Bay,


Things settled down at night and the next day we had a calm and uneventful trip to Royal Island. Anchor up at sunrise.




Royal Island and it’s neighbour Egg Island are at the northern tip of Eleuthera and are a popular staging anchorage  before heading to the Abacos. Egg Island  had some great sandbars at low tide.




Interesting how our perspective on the weather changes. It has been so windy this year in the Bahamas - we were always hoping it would settle down to a nice breeze. Now that we have had a couple of days of no wind it is hot and we are hoping for a cooling breeze - can’t win! Another fabulous sunset last night and sunrise this morning.




Hard to tell which is which until I look at the time stamp. About 16 boats left the anchorage this morning in a convoy. The day was very calm with no wind or very little wind and some large low rolling waves - much more comfortable than short tall waves that bounce the boat. Around noon we heard some chatter on the radio about a pod of whales. Sure enough we could see the dorsal fins of about 20 whales surfacing off the port side of the boat. They didn’t stay long but it was amazing to see.

No sailing, motoring all the way- this is how we look:



Arrived at 4:30 to this lovely anchorage in front of Lynyard Cay at the south end of Great Abaco Island.




Now a beer, a shower and dinner!











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