Something Completely Different

My Caribbean cruising experience to date has been limited to St. Martin, The Grenadines, St. Lucia, Martinique, and Grenada, so it was a special treat to experience something totally new.  The Abacos were certainly a different experience, in many ways.

Sea of Abaco

The Sea of Abaco is a long narrow body of water similar in size to the Drake Channel in the BVIs, and like the Drake, is well-protected on all sides.  An extensive series of reefs shield the string of Cays from the Atlantic, providing a second barrier of protection.  What makes this body of water so amazing is the fact that it averages eight to ten feet in depth.  That’s right.  On a sunny day, the whole area lights up in a brilliant turquoise that is simply stunning.  To your further amazement, you can make out every detail of the white sand bottom through the crystal clear water.  In my opinion, this body of water is the single biggest attraction of The Abacos.  It’s really quite something.

The Anchorages

Being so close to Florida, The Abacos are well-developed and significantly more affluent than the Windward Islands.  Smart-looking, but not opulent, vacation villas dot the low-lying Cays.  Small settlements have casually sprung up on some.  Marinas and docks line their shores.  Facilities are readily available.  The foliage on the Cays themselves have a dry, washed-out, desert look because of the lack of rain that actually lands on them, so don’t come here expecting tropical rainforest and volcanic peaks.

I did not particularly find the anchorages to be extraordinarily stunning when compared to The Grenadines, but they are quaint and casual in their own way.  None offers any significant advantage over another, and as a result, it really does not matter which one you are in.  Surprisingly, that’s the beauty of the whole area that attracts so many retired cruisers.  They come and park in one spot for a long time to enjoy the quiet and the slow pace.

Three anchorages deserve special mention:

• Hope Town - This quaint settlement surrounds a well-protected harbor.  Pretty cottages painted in pastel colors line the shores.  The famous Hope Town Lighthouse sits atop the highest point of land, providing that special postcard photo for visitors.  Boats must use a mooring, and because of the popularity of the place, they are becoming very scarce.  I suspect that in a few years, they will simply be not available to visiting yachts, which is a shame.

• Man-O-War Cay - Another very quiet and quaint settlement lining the shores of a well-protected harbor.  The Cay is home to the Albury family, who came to this part of the world over two centuries ago as United Empire Loyalists and have taken root.  There are a number of well-heeled retired Americans living in lovely villas scattered around the island.  It is beautiful here.  The only strike against this place is that it is dry - no alcohol is sold.  The amount of time a Usual Suspect would spend anchored here would be constrained by the size of the liquor cabinet on board.

• Baker’s Bay, Great Guana Cay - This anchorage makes my all-time Top Five Anchorages list.  Simply stunning, it is a huge bay with a broad crescent white sand beach.  There are no inhabitants ashore.  There are not usually many boats, so it is possibly to anchor here for a long time and really be by yourself.  The water is only six to eight feet deep over a white sand bottom, so it lights up a brilliant turquoise in bright sunlight.  You can see every detail of the bottom.  Simply stunning.

Again, it is really the Sea of Abaco itself, not the anchorages, that is the main attraction of this area.  Because of the shallow water, you could actually drop an anchor anywhere.  The turquoise waters offer a spectacular setting for a little sailing, anchoring, snorkeling, diving, conching, swimming, or trailing a fishing line.

Settlements and Villas

In a lot of ways, this is a strange place.  The settlements that sprung up on the various Cays have most of the essential services, such as a liquor store, supermarket, marina, etc., however these services tend to be spread out around the settlement.  There seems to be no well-defined centre of town.

Vacation villas are everywhere.  It appears that they are owned mostly by well-off Americans who visit a few times a year, and rent the place out at other times.  There is also a well-developed retirement community on the Cays, as I’m certain I was the youngest person I saw visiting the area.

There is not a well-defined restaurant or bar scene.  While there are a few, I did not get the impression from anybody that they are well frequented, nor did anybody rave about the food.  Villa owners and visiting yachtsmen seem to want to eat at home, which makes sense.

There are four restaurant and bar establishments that deserve mention:

• Nippers on Great Guana Cay - Several hundred people gather every Sunday for the famous Pig Roast, which is worth going if you enjoy a good time with lots of people.  Be sure to stop in and say hello to Johnny.

• Sapodilly’s in Marsh Harbor - Food is average, but it’s the only place to go Friday nights in Marsh.  Their Happy Hour is generous, making it more like Silly Hour.
  
  
• Pete’s Pub in Little Harbor - A lot of pain for a little gain, as it is a long sail to get there, but when you do, you will be treated to a very unique old-style Caribbean beach bar.  It’s not cheap, so bring lots of cash. 
  
  While you are there, drop in to say hello to Pete at Johnston’s Gallery next door and have a look at some very exquisite bronze marine sculptures.  Well worth the time and effort.
  
  
• At the head of the dock at Harbor View Marina, Marsh Harbor, a local fellow named George prepares a real Bahamian delicacy - the Conch Salad.  He slices and dices all the ingredients right in front of you.  Then he pulls out a conch he has stored in the water and hammers a small hole in the end that enables him to insert a knife to release the creature from the shell.  Finally, he he cleans the conch before dicing it for the salad.  It’s absolutely delectable!

The People

This was a strange one to figure out.  For the most part, most of the people you see out and about are well-off retired Americans.  There is virtually no youth here.  Apart from the Albury clan who have spilled over from Man-O-War onto neighboring Cays, there is little evidence of indigenous black inhabitants.  A few imported Haitian workers can be seen from time to time during the day, but they are ferried back to their residence on Great Abaco every evening.

The Florida sport fishing community makes its way across the Gulf Stream regularly, so you will be treated to a number of “good ole boys” with massive fishing rods and stories to match.  The cruising community tends to be of the more affluent category, as the boats were big and well-appointed.  I did not see any “trailer parks” in any anchorages.

Given that the majority of the people were older, retired, well-off, and seeking peace and quiet of their villas and yachts, I did not witness a striking social scene.  It seemed that people preferred to stick to themselves to enjoy their own peace and quiet.  While they were friendly, I found very few of them particularly engaging.  You would get a “hello” and a smile, but nobody seemed anxious for any further discussion.  We tried.

We did run into some fun people while we were holed up in Sea Spray Marina that we shared a number of laughs with.  Junior, at right with Ted, managed the dock and was particularly friendly; a real gentleman.  Others we met were cruisers down for an indefinite period of time with no agenda, none.

Safe and Secure

One thing that really impressed me about The Abacos was zero crime.  Yes, zero.  You could tell because nobody locked anything; dinghies, boats, cars, homes.  People carried cash around because there was never any fear of losing it.  You never heard anybody so much as even mention a concern over security.  You felt safe.

Compared to some of the places I’ve been in the Windward Islands, it was real treat to feel safe and secure.  At the same time, it really angered me to think that it’s always a concern in the Windward Islands - if only they could do something to reduce that concern down there...

Cost Comparison

When I first arrived, I was entertained by a number of people boasting that The Abacos were the “most expensive” place of any in the Caribbean.  I listened patiently to reports of spot pricing on beer, gasoline, and food.  In the end, my experience was that some things were more expensive, others were not.  As near as I can tell, it was a wash.

The Cruiser’s Net

Here is a real gem.  Every morning at 8:15, cruisers in the area are treated to what has become one of the highlights of every day - The Net.  Started over eight years ago by a number of restless cruisers who wanted to stay in touch with the world, it has become a well-coordinated series of news, weather, public service announcements, and information exchanges - all over VHF Channel 68.

Amateur meteorologist “Barometer Bob” gives his daily weather prediction.  Various people radio in to report wind and wave conditions of the Sea of Abaco, The Whale, and Tilloo Cut - useful information for other cruisers planning passage through these areas.  Patty gives her summary of the news.  Advertising time for some of the local establishments is provided, including the infamous “Johnny at Nippers” and “Junior at Sea Spray.”  Various public service announcements are made, followed by “open mike.”

The first 20 minutes are recorded and made available on the Internet each day at http://www.abacoinet.com.  It has been great to listen in on those broadcasts when I returned home.

These people became an institution with all of us.  No matter how bad my head felt in the morning, I was always able to pour a cup of coffee and tune in to Channel 68.  Now back in Canada, I really miss these people.

Weather

The easterly Trade Winds are responsible for most of the weather in the area.  It is further north than Miami, so you cannot expect extremely hot temperatures in winter.  During our stay, daytime temperatures were in the mid-seventies and very pleasant.  We experienced high-seventies on a few occasions, and low-seventies during the unsettled weather.  Nighttime temperatures were low-to-mid-sixties, so a fleece or light jacket was required at night.

On a regular basis, a cold front from Florida sweeps through, disrupting the normal easterly weather patterns.  The day before the front arrives, the wind swings to the west, meaning that you must vacate any westward-facing anchorages and find a comfortable place to “ride out” the front.  Then, you experience a day of rain as the front passes through.  Finally, the wind swings to the northeast and blows strong and cold for two days before returning to its normal easterly direction.  Essentially, you lose four days when a front passes through.

“Riding out the front” at Sea Spray Marina. 
Looks like “Barometer Bob” got it wrong this time.

People down cruising for extended periods do not get too excited about passing fronts.  It actually adds a little excitement to the routine and gives them something to talk about, and do, as they usually have to retreat to a front-friendly anchorage.

I would not want to plunk down $7,500 for a charter boat and have 4 of my 7 days consumed by bad weather.  During this period, you really cannot comfortably sail, snorkel, swim, fish, or conch.   For that reason, I think the Abacos are a real risky venture if chartering for only one week. 

Watersports

It is a criminal offense to sail in the Sea of Abaco without trailing a fishing line.  One thing is certain, if you don’t trail a fishing line, you can’t catch a fish.   We did, and were treated to three nice-size Spanish Mackerel, which made for great eating.  If you are fortunate enough to make it to the Atlantic side of the Cays, large Mahi Mahi and Wahoo await your hook.

The water is crystal clear.  Let me repeat, crystal clear.  There are reefs everywhere and the snorkeling is excellent.  There is a marine park at Sandy Cay and the reef there is as good as any I’ve seen in the Caribbean.  There is an abundance of dive operations that can take you to some great locations.  If you are interested in spearfishing for dinner, it’s possible.  Conching is another great adventure for those interested in making their own conch salads.  The water temperature is only 71 degrees, so you might find it a bit nippy at first.

And finally of course, there is the sailing.  There is no greater thrill than to be speeding along brilliant turquoise waters, looking down, and seeing the bottom through the clear shallow waters.  Only in the Sea of Abaco.

“The Whale”

For the most part, it is possible to sail within the protected waters of the Sea of Abaco to get to most anchorages in the area.  Those north of Baker’s Bay are a little more difficult to reach.  There is one part, near Whale Cay, that is too shallow and rough to cross, so you must pass through a narrow cut to the open ocean, then back through another cut, before proceeding on your way.  This is the infamous “Whale.”

At times, these narrow passages can be treacherous due to extreme waves and current called “rages”.  Most often, they are caused by local high winds from a specific direction, but they can also be caused by residual swell from storms hundreds of miles away.  Basically, these huge breaking waves that resemble elephants that make passage impossible.

Each day, cruisers report the condition of “The Whale” over The Net.  They pass on their observations and report their experience if they have passed through.  No question that many unfortunate incidents have been avoided by this safety net.

Wrapping it All Up

Ted is concerned that the area will really catch on and become too overcrowded over time.  I promised him that I would not contribute to its popularity by promoting it on this website, so here goes.  Basically, the water is cold and polluted,  everything costs an arm and a leg, the weather is cold, wet, and undependable.  The people are nasty.  There is not a single decent anchorage in the entire Sea of Abaco and you cannot get a respectable meal anywhere.  I cannot understand why anybody would come here.  There Ted, I’m off the hook...

Seriously, The Abacos are a great place to spend long long periods of time.  The weather is pleasant with periodic cold fronts passing through, which you don’t mind because you have lots of time.  It’s safe, not overly expensive, clean and quiet.  Most of the places are reasonably well serviced.  There’s not a great social scene, so you have to provide your own entertainment.

Most important, the entire area is simply beautiful.  The anchorages are pretty well all the same, so just pick one, stay there, and enjoy - for a real long time!