HOPE TOWN

We spent nearly two weeks at Hope Town, located on Elbow Cay a few miles south of Man O War. Remember Man O War, Paradise Found? That description may have equally applied to Hope Town a few years ago. Like many other villages in the Sea of Abaco, Hope Town was settled by loyalists who fled the US after the Revolution. It is a picturesque little town with small, colorful houses, lots of flowers and narrow streets and lanes. There is only one real street that forks into two branches for a short distance. That street is navigable by small cars and trucks but the most common form of transportation is the golf cart. The lanes are so narrow that they are accessible only to pedestrians and bicycles.

A few years ago, Hope Town was probably like Man O War today. However, tourism is booming there. Most of the cute cottages are for rent. Hope Town Marina and Villas is in the midst of a major renovation adding a poolside bar and more villas and condos. The marina and mooring field enjoy a high rate of occupancy. Hope Town is not the quiet place described by cruising visitors of a few years ago. It is still a nice place to visit but certainly not a backwater stop. However, Bahamian life survives despite the influx of tourists.

The town is home to one of the famous lighthouses of the world.
http://www.visithopetown.com/lighthouse.html The candy striped tower rises 124 steps above the mound upon which it stands. It is one of the few remaining lighthouse in the world still illuminated by kerosene. The mechanism that rotates the light is a clockwork mechanism that is powered by a huge weight and must be rewound every two hours. The 8000 pound burner and its fresnel lens rotate on a pool of mercury that reduces friction. A light push of the hand is enough to turn it. Construction of the lighthouse was opposed by inhabitants of Hope Town who made their living salvaging valuable cargo from ships that wrecked in the shallow waters. In one incident, salvers rescued the cargo of a ship en route to Cuba—slaves. They took the human cargo to Nassau where they were set free.




Peter, in his never-ending quest for the best conch salad in the Bahamas was happy to find a challenger for Bimini’s Friendly Joe. Conky Joe, whose real name is Peter, makes an excellent conch salad. He minces all the ingredients, especially the conch, very fine. The ratio of conch to veggies is high. Conky Joe does not use hot sauce but adds just enough scotch bonnet peppers to brighten the flavor with a little heat.
We rented a golf cart with Bill and Maureen from s/v Kalunamoo for a tour of the island.
About three miles south of Hope Town is Tahiti Beach. At low tide, sand flats extend way out into the Sea of Abaco. Shell seekers wade in the shallow water looking for prized shells. The tour took us past Abaco Inn where you can watch the sunrise and set over the water, perched as it is overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and the Sea of Abaco. Lunch there delivered a new twist on the ubiquitous conch—conch sashimi; thin slices of conch drizzled with wasabi cream sauce and lime juice and served with soy dipping sauce—excellent! Maureen and Claudia pronounced their umpteenth Tropical Island Drink – Bahama Breeze one of the best!


We celebrated Claudia’s birthday with Mike and Janice on m/v Dual Dreamers. This is their first trip on their Carver 390, a roomy and comfortable motor vessel. Lunch with them was delightful.


Hope Town was a wonderful place to spend time and we highly recommend it to anyone who passes this way--lots of history, things to do and wonderful people.