Tour of the Abacos

4.26.11

We left early yesterday morning to head South to Man-O-War Cay – unfortunately, the wind had other plans. Rain and strong winds of about 20 knots were blowing right on our nose. We attempted to tack into them for the first two hours, but finally had to give in to motoring. Even motoring was slow going as we were only make 2knots/hour headway into the wind. My parents took it like champs, each bundled up in rain gear, my Mom steadily clicking pictures, my Dad hoisting sails and steering wherever we directed. They were a bit put out by the nasty weather, but didn't complain...too much.
We finally made it to Man-O-War and anchored close to the beach in a “protected” anchorage. The weather cleared up by the afternoon enough for us to venture into town. Unfortunately, it was Easter Monday and everything was closed. But, we had a great walk around town and had dinner at a fabulous dock and dine restaurant right on the water. We were treated to a spectacular sunset before heading back to the boat.
The wind picked up overnight and shifted to a more Southerly direction, which we were not protected from. We were bouncing all around and the surge was throwing our boat from side to side. Brad was up constantly checking the anchor and my parents didn't get much sleep due to all the bouncing around and the noises that come with strong winds. By early morning, the wind died down and everyone slept in to make up for some of the lost zzzzs.
We left mid-morning for Hopetown, the last stop on the tour. Hopetown lighthouse is historic - a fresnel lens, only 1 of 3 left in the world. Google it, it is unbelievable how they work! The weather was good, so we all headed into town with Koa in tow. No dogs were allowed in the lighthouse and since I had already been up, I walked Koa around the grounds while Brad and my parents headed up. My Mom, having already done her homework, was very interested in the inner workings of the light and they spent quite a long time up there. The height also allowed for a beautiful view of the Sea of Abaco and the many islands scattered around.
Hopetown itself is quite a gem and we spent hours wandering around the streets admiring the houses and the views. Mom took at least 200 pictures of all the houses there until I finally had to cut her off. Enough with the houses! We walked around a bit more, enjoying the town before heading back out to the boat. We took a dip in the crystal clear water and then had a relaxing evening on the boat.
Tomorrow we head back to Marsh Harbour to drop them off for their flight home.