This week started off with disturbing news. A young couple registered as guests here at the Abaco Beach Resort--of which Boat Harbour is a part--had simply vanished without a trace! They had arrived, rented a 26’ “Wave Runner’’ shortly after settling in, and had not been heard from since. All of their belongings were still in their room--but they never returned and were presumed lost at sea. The coast guard was called in to help in the search and everyone in the Abacos was told to keep a sharp lookout for their boat. After 4 days, there was still nothing. But I--ever the skeptic--was not completely convinced. And although everyone else was feeling sympathy and sorrow, I voiced the possibility that it “could” be a scam. Maybe they had simply stollen the boat and motored away happily into the sunset. I was soundly chastised by Vince for thinking so pessimistically, but we’ll see.
This was also the week that I began “water colour” lessons to any members of the RMHYC interested in learned how to paint. We had a great turn-out with 12 new “students” and a handful of “old” ones that I worked with last year. I scheduled three formal lessons involving 1.drawing, 2. mixing colours, and 3.painting techniques and by the end of the week everyone was ready to start their individual pieces. I’ll be working one-on-one for the next 2 weeks and hopefully we’ll be ready for a “show by the end of the month.
On Wednesday Vince and I walked over to the “Jib Room” where we met Muffin and Will from Antares for drinks and a Rib dinner. We had a really wonderful evening with those two old friends with way too much to drink--lots of fun! And then, at the end of the week we cast off our lines and set sail for 3 days “out and about.” We anchored just off Man O’ War Cay the first day and, after dinghying in to the marina, explored the island and poked around our favourite haunts. We bought a lovely handmade toiletry bag at the Sail Shop, had lunch at “Dock & Dine” and then dropped in at a cottage on Dickie’s Cay to pay a visit with Marsha and Barry on “Troubador” who had just arrived from their home in Annapolis. We knew that these two leased a cottage here for the winter season each year, but we hadn’t seen them since Nov. 2007 and it was great to make contact once again. They gave us several “leads” on properties that might be available to rent for guests visiting from Canada and we look forward to both following up on these and making arrangements to get together with them again sometime over the next few months.
The next day it was off to Hopetown. We got a very early start--leaving at the crack of dawn in order to make the “skinny passage” over to an anchorage just off “Fire Fly” and in time to enjoy breakfast at “Sea Spray”--one of our favourite restaurants. We then dinghied into Hopetown Harbour and spent the rest of the morning poking about the town and investigating potential rental properties. It was a very long day and by early afternoon we were completely zonked, choosing to have a nap onboard--rocked to sleep by gentle waves and a soft breeze. Utter bliss! On Sunday--our last day away--we were once again forced to hoist our anchor early in order to sail out on a rising tide. Had we chosen to stay later than our 8:00am departure we would’ve found ourselves trapped in shallow water for the next 24 hours, and unable to return to Boat Harbour until Monday morning. This time we chose to spend the day just north of Tilloo Cay. This really is our very favourite anchoring spot. The scenery is spectacular with islands completely surrounding the boat and the water is a gorgeous shade of turquoise. This anchorage is protected from every direction (except west) and is an easy dinghy ride to 3 restaurant/resorts, good shelling areas and Tahiti Beach--easily the prettiest spot in the Abacos. After a very good lunch at the Abaco Inn--which is now under new management and decidedly more “upscale” than before--I left Vince in a comfortable arm chair with a good book “The Outliers”, while I scoured the beach for shells. Then it was a fast dinghy ride back to the boat and a frantic sail out of the anchorage on a falling tide with only 6” under the keel!
We arrived back with lots of time to relax before dinner and enjoy end of day drinks with RMHYC friends at the end of dock 5. Apparently there was lots of excitement here while we were gone lolly-gagging around the islands. The “Wave Runner” that had gone missing earlier in the week had at last been found--abandoned--in West Palm Beach!! But there was still no sign of the young couple who had taken it out. Did they in fact meet up with “foul play” or was my skepticism justified after all? Perhaps we’ll never know. And that was not all that happened while we were way. A Haitian boat with 80 immigrants on board was shipwrecked just off Little Harbour, a few miles away--there were 59 survivors--the rest drowned at sea. And our friends from Boat Harbour--Sherri and Frank on “Lucky Star” lost their boat off Whale Cay! But I’ll save THAT story for the next blog. Stay posted!
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