Little Harbour and back to Hope Town again

After a good dinner moored in Little Harbour (near Pete's Pub) , we enjoyed teaching Bill & Paige how to play Mexican Train. Off to bed at a reasonable hour. Next morning was very lazy and relaxing...reading our books, waiting for the tide to come in and Bill & Paige went for a walk on the beach (Bill brought a lot of the beach back to the boat with him - and it was a mystery for a long time as to where all the sand came from)! Set sail for Tiloo Cay and anchored in a lovely spot for the night near Tavern Cay. Grilled chicken salad for lunch, then beef tenderloin, garlic mashed potatoes and broccoli for dinner - what more can you ask for in a beautiful place than lots of rum, sangria, red wine and beer??!!  Tonight was the official start of the Mexican Train tournament (Whoo ohhh ohh ).  Early to rise on a clear, calm, and exquisite morning. Breakfast of bacon and egg "mc muffins" (with tomatoes and cheese!) at Tahiti Beach, Elbow Cay - what a gorgeous site! Headed back to Hope Town b/c the wind is supposed to pick up tonight...got a great mooring = but in front of us is a "power cat" that we have seen before (Fisher's Bay) - and boy did they have the rap music turned up and are apparently another boat with a drinking problem!! We enjoyed lunch at On Da Beach, then walked on the beach as the aqua waves crashed all around us. Another walk thru town, then back to the boat for a relaxing afternoon. Saw our friends we met in Miss Emily's Blue Bee Bar today at Harbour's Edge - and chatted with them for a few mintues - they also own a Lagoon 38 and are from Albuquerque - Mucho Gusto.  Back on the boat, Alison made her black bean and corn app, we enjoyed drinks as the sun set - what a bright blue the sky was all day long - not a cloud in the sky. Now the boys are all taking turns blowing the conch - it is a tradition to blow a conch shell as the sun sets - and they have some kind of  lung power! Looking forward to Paige's marinated pork tenderloin salad with freshly baked Abaco bread tonight!  And some of the boys are wearing their Pareos tonight - hope the breeze doesn't pick up too much!

Strokin Dancin and Brown Tip

Nipper's Bar Need More Kalik w/ Atlantic

Before we left Grabbers in the afternoon, Robin narrowly defeated Bill in a Bocce Ball match (but no, we are not old - at least it was not bingo or shuffleboard - and it was overlooking a gorgeous harbour with palm trees).  Then.... Oh what a night! We arrived with the boys wearing illuminated and flashing tiaras (they were really meant as a Valentine's present for the girls but the boys looked so cute in them that the girls made the boys wear them) and we got the party started!! Every lady there was envious of the Valentine embellishments!  We danced all night with Brown Tip.  Many dances to "Strokin" (Ed's favorite song--and he knew every word). The band was so nice to let us accompany them:  AliHaHa on the bongos, Robin on the saw and Bill on the maraccas. Oh my word, it was a sight to see! Only one casualty on the way home when Nohu took a dinghy dip on the way back to the boat. After a "rocking" night, we took off for Elbow Cay and moored at Hope Town. Cloudy and a bit of drizzle along the way. Bloody Marys kept us warm. Lunch at Harbour's Edge, naps, then dinner on board (rock fish - delicious, thank you, Bill). Next morning, up to the top of the Light House, then rented a golf cart and drove to the south end of Elbow Cay - Ed was our main driver, but he allowed Alison and Paige to drive just enough to give us all a little whiplash. Down to Tahiti Beach and a quick stop at Sea Spray Marina (bought all the boys matching shirts - thank you , Junior and Rodney). Lunch at Abaco Inn overlooking the beautiful Atlantic. Back to Hope Town and walked around. Dinner on board (Gary's chicken piccata - yum!), a little music and a game of Mexican Train, then early to bed. Next morning, the girls dinghied to town to do a little shopping, then met the boys and the boat. Off to Little Harbour we went - a little bit of a chilly and beautiful sail. Great mooring... Delicious lunch thanks to Paige's butternut lasagna, relaxing afternoon... dinghy rides around the harbour, trying to catch up with the turtles... some of us went to Pete's Pub to get some Blasters to go, and Ed climbed up on the roof to write "Go Hokies" - wish we had a camera with us to take his picture! Anticipating shrimp with red wine reduction and kalamata bread for dinner tonight...

New Crew

Valentine's Morning                        Palm tree @ Grabber's                       Sea Star in Sea of Abaco

Thursday evening we had a good dinner at Mango's compliments of Ed and Sharon.  Then over to Snappa's to listen to Brown Tip, the Rake and Scrape band.  Their only instruments were saws and knives as scrapers - pretty amazing.  Lots of energy!!!

At 5:30 a.m. the next morning, we said goodbye to Ed and Sharon, cleaned the boat, emptied the liquor store, did laundry, grocery shopped and waited patiently for the new crew.

Ed Miner, Bill and Paige arrived better late than never.  The party started with Alaskan salmon, rum punches, cheese and moved on to sauteed Halibut cheeks (breaking rule #18-675 - cooking fish indoors).  Early to bed with the sounds of Brown Tip singing Strokin'.  Woke up to Valentine's breakfast, decorations included, and a gorgeous day!  Back to the liquor store just to be safe then off to Great Guana Cay for a "Grabber" but enjoyed another swim in the Sea of Abaco on the way (see picture of sea star).  Now we are off to Nippers, to view the Atlantic, walk the beach and have a Kalik...

A great day for swimming

Another wonderful day in Abaco. The weather has finaly turned warm, 80 Deg the last two days.

It's been very interesting. When we arrived, there was no one, I mean no one, except Taravana out on the water. It was cold, windy, and uncomfortable. But Capt. Gary and mate Ed insisted on going out. It was well worth it. The experience has been well worth the trouble.

But, three days ago, everything changed. The temps changed, and winds died down. Now there are boats everywhere. The water is so clear you can see down many feet. 

We've been very impressed with the way Gary and Alison have kept Taravana in top shape. She is beautiful. And they have made the boat very welcoming. Which is not easy to do. With different types of people as crew, they are easy-going and graceful. For example, I get up at 5 and, if I'm quiet, I can just sit around and read as the sky turns from dark to violet to blue. Outstanding. Others get up as they awaken and no one is put out by this. That is the sign of gracious and understanding hosts.

Around 7:45 Gary is up and starts the generator -- for fresh coffee -- and a hot shower for Alison. Then its breakfast and time to lounge around as we listen to the cruisers' net.

We usually get underway around 10 and just have the best time in world.  Lunch happens somewhere around noon and then we anchor around 2 for an afternoon of Train Wreck, reading, touring around or swimming.

Then dinner comes around 7 pn. Of course, since we're all old fogies, we're in bed no later than 9. Ed got a call at 9:30 last night, and he was so sound asleep he took a while to wake up and take it. 

This is our last night on the boat, and while we've had a great time, it seems to have flown by, and also seemed very long. Both very good things to feel.

What is our favorite anchorage? By far, it is Hope Town. I love the name. And the town is so cute and traditional. If we ever come back, we'll definitely make Hope Town our home-port.

Tomorrow we head back to VA and winter. But in the meantime, we'll treat the crew to dinner at Mangoes.

Hopefully this won't be the last blog entry. I'm hoping that Gary and Alison bring the boat back to the US around Easter so I can help bring Taravana up; the Ditch to beautiful Gloucester.

Ed and Sharon Walker

Robin arrives and we set sail for the sea of fun!

Back in paradise...that means Taravana.  It was worth the trip from the west coast just to see the Virginians!  It has been a bit chilly but nothing that a little of laughter and rum can't overcome.   Yes, Alison's rum punch sister has arrived!  It is beautiful here.  The water is amazing.  The sun is hot, the breezes cool and the rum is yum! Picked me up at the Conch Inn Marina on Sun. afternoon (thank you , First Lady), then off we went to Great Guana Cay. Dinghy ashore to Grabbers for a Grabber on the Rocks, then down the street and over to the ocean side to Nippers for a Nippers on the Rocks. The ocean was at least 20 different colors of blue and green - gorgeous. Then the moon came out and shone so brightly on the water, it was amazing. We had to dance to Van Morrison's  What a Wonderful Night for a Moon Dance. I (Robin) saw Orion walking on the water - it was so clear. And what an amazing sunset that night!!! The next day we went to Green Turtle Cay - it was the most beautiful water we have seen thus far. Beautiful warm day, mooring in Black Sound. Had fun exploring  New Plymouth. Conch fritters at The Wrecking Tree and Goombay Smashes at Miss Emily's Blue Bee Bar (couldn't find Gary's hat that he left 18 years ago). Back to the boat after Pineapple's was not open to grill hamburgers w/ Abaco buns (so sweet!) and then played Mexican Train. To bed early except me (Robin) who's still on west coast time. Finished books, good night's sleep. The next day, the girls dinghied ashore to take trash, go to grocery store, then nab some lobster tails and champagne for dinner!! Set sail for Fisher's Bay on Great Guana. Happy hour on board, then dinghied to Grabbers where we are now posting this blog... later...  Here is a lesson for all you youngsters and oldsters... Cherish your friendships, they are priceless! :)  Robin

Jay & Leslie Leave Taravana

Sherman of Abaco Charters at Elbow Cay Hope Town.

Can't believe how fast a week has gone.  What a blast being with good friends.  We are all empty nesters and feeling good about how well our children are doing on their own.  Yesterday the weather started out well and we put on shorts and bathing suits, sunscreen too.  As we sailed, the sun went behind the clouds and the sweatshirts came back out.   I got to drive, but I'm quite sure that's not what its called.  We spent the night in Hope Town in Elbow Key, under the watch of a 1700's lighthouse.   Celebrated Leslie and Jay's last night by going to Captn Jacks for a dinner of lobster, peas and rice, macaroni and cheese and keylime pie.  Alison had a close encounter with a mouse.  Might have been a little confused when we dinghyed back, we left the anchor out for half the trip.  Slept like babies.  This morning we are off to Marsh Harbour - Leslie and Jay are flying home.  

Southbound to Little Harbour

We woke up to another cool and windy day in Marsh Harbour. After a quick trip to the airport to pick up Ed and Sharon's luggage -- thank goodness it arrived -- we set off for Little Harbour -- a four hour sail. We saw winds gusting to near 30 but mostly in the upper-teens. Because we were in Abaco Sound, there were hardly any waves. But the wind chill must have been in the low 50's -- brrrrrrr!!!

We arrived in Little Harbour about 1:30 and tied up to a mooring. Then to Pete's Pub for lunch and 'blasters,' their famous drink akin to a Bahama Mama. Then games of Mexican Train Wreck back on the boat.

Little Harbour, like Marsh Harbour, seems to be empty of people. We hear that the cold temperatures are keeping people in their boats and homes.

Since Ed and Sharon had not spent much time with Jay and Leslie in a long time, they have had quite a bit of 'catching up' to do. What fun it is to all be together again.