2nd - 7th April 2013 - Long Island, The Bahamas. Part 2
Nimue
Sun 7 Apr 2013 19:37
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Michael was unanimously voted to continue driving on Day 2, so we headed
north. First stop; the Columbus Monument, constructed by the Long
Islanders and named after Christopher Columbus, as a tribute to his arrival in
1492. The road running the length of Long Island was by and large very
good, but any routes off this road were frankly awful! We had been advised
the road to the monument was not passable.... but not to Michael. He managed to
negotiate most of the stones and large pot holes on the narrow road leading up
to the monument, except at one point where he made all the passengers get out
and take a short walk! The views from the top were magnificent and well
worth the effort. We managed to find an excellent pizza/lunch stop at the Long
Island Breeze, a restaurant recommended at the top of another steep
slope!
 The Columbus Monument (above &
below)
    Stunning views from the
Monument
   At least we had something to hang onto
on the climb up and down! Walking behind the car as it struggles
with the lumps and bumps!
Efforts to try and get to the Atlantic side were largely thwarted, by dense
growth and lack of road, but nevertheless, we felt we had done the Island
justice and headed back to the Yacht Club for a meal.
 View from the Long Island Breeze Resort
& Yacht Club. The men (middle right) on the dinghy dock checking the
dinghies in the incoming swell
David off Blue Yonder is a member of the CCA (Cruising Club of
America) and had signed up with other CCA members to participate in week’s
“turtle tagging” organised by Steve and Barbara off Foxy Lady.
Fortunately for us, the other CCA members did not turn up, so we were
invited (along with Motu) to join the group, which we had no hesitation
in accepting.
We were invited for drinks on Foxy Lady and the following day, we
left Thompson Bay for Calabash Bay to the north. The wind was
perfect for a broad reach and with a full main and half the headsail, we were
maintaining speeds around 7 & 8 knots. However, at these speeds we had
to be very careful to pinpoint the numerous sandbars and coral heads, which came
up very quickly and we were sometimes sailing in 0.3 metres of water under the
keel. We traversed the cut into Calabash Bay and found a suitable
anchorage outside the Stella Maris Resort in 3 metres of water.
 On board Foxy Lady with Marti
and Steve (owner)
Steve and Barbara invited David and Marti to join them on Foxy Lady
for their first trip out to catch turtles. However, whilst they were
away and unknowingly to us, David’s dinghy drifted away from Blue
Yonder! After a couple of hours of searching, it was eventually found
by the Stella Maris marina fishing boat and was safely picked up at the marina
by Foxy Lady. After the day’s drama, we all decided to go ashore
to eat the the resort restaurant!
  Blue Yonder – where is
David’s
dinghy?
Foxy Lady – returning with David’s
dinghy? |