Marsh Harbour, Bahamas

We left Lake Worth, (West Palm Beach) at 5am Sunday Jan 13. Two hours before sunrise. Gentle swells greeted us at the inlet. Winds from the South were forecast, - good for a crossing of the Gulf Stream which is a strong current to the North East at about 3kts. We arrived at the Bahamas Bank about 12:30pm. Beautiful Blue/Green water, 12-15 ft deep signaled the arrival.


We pressed on to Mangrove Cay and anchored for the night. Spanish Cay was our next destination. Only two other boats were in the marina when we docked. Encountered my first problem. When I engauged the bow thruster, nothing happened. Thankfully, I tried it while Wink and Wilma were docking and I was standing off in open water. Even though the winds had picked up, docking was no problem. A night of fishing and drinking followed. We ate our catch and required another night in the marina to recover from the drinking, or, at least I did, and set off for Marsh Harbour.



At Marsh Harbour, we had plenty of help on the dock. Several Great Harbour boaters already here, were waiting for us to help with lines. seaDee and John Henry are secure, and it's nice to be in one place for a couple of days.

From the Bahamas Guide:

Abaco Island has naturally protected waters and dozens of offshore cays covering over 130 square miles of aquamarine water. The Abacos are a pleasure to yachtsmen and fishing enthusiasts. It is referred to as the sailing capital of the world. Here you will find excellent marinas, guides and boats for hire as well as a championship golf course, one of seven in The Bahamas, the others being in Nassau, Freeport, Abaco and Eleuthera.

Abaco is the third most populous island in The Bahamas and bears a resemblance to New England from which it attracts so many of its visitors and winter residents. Marsh Harbour is the commercial centre located on Great Abaco.

Home to the famous red and white striped lighthouse, Abaco with its numerous offshore cays and reef protected waters, once served as a safe harbor for British loyalists during the American Revolution. The first settlement on Abaco Was Carleton Point, located at the northern end of Treasure Cay a luxury resort development. Carleton was settled in 1783 by 600 Loyalists refugees from New York, fleeing the newly independent United States. Now it serves a more useful purpose as the one of the most favorite destinations among yachtsman the world over.

Filled with excellent marinas and boats for hire, not to mention a championship golf course, Abaco truly is a sailor's paradise.Its two major islands, Great Abaco and Little Abaco, have a myriad of small cays flanking the mainland. The sea channel between the islands allows for good cruising. Abaco, located in the northern Bahamas, typically boats pine forests and is frequented by hunters of wild boar and ducks. Its waters abound with fish, including the marlin and sailfish. It also has bonefishing flats.

Other settlements include its northern cays, such as Walker’s Cay and the Grand Cays; Crown Haven and Fox Town in Little Abaco, and Cooper’s Town on Great Abaco; Green Turtle Cay, Hope Town, Moore’s Island, the tourist resort of Castaways Cay, Great Guana Cay, Cherokee Sound, Little Harbour, Hole-in-the-Wall, Sandy Point, Crossing Rock, Spring City and Man-O-War Cay