PARADISE FOUND!

We left Marsh Harbor for the 5 mile trip across the Sea of Abaco to Man O War Cay. Like most of the rest of this trip so far, we had to use the Iron Jenny (motor). But, the seas were kindly and the trip short and it was pleasant to be on the water again. We dropped the hook at the northwest end of Dickies Cay just outside Man O War harbor. Bill and Maureen (s/v Kalunamoo) had anchored nearby but re-anchored because they found that their anchor was in a submerged trash heap that included junk like old refrigerators. Not the kind of thing you want to get tangled up with.

We had a quick lunch and dinghied in with Bob and Suzanne (s/v Brittany de la Mer), also anchored nearby. I opted to leave my camera on the boat since we were just going on a reconnaissance mission and planned to return the next day. As usual, big mistake! Immediately upon stepping ashore, I again realized that I should never leave the boat without my camera. Oh well, returning the next day, right?

The next day, we put the motor on our dinghy and got ready to go back ashore to walk around some more and take pictures of Paradise. Pull as I might, I could not get the motor to fire. I’ve learned by now not to ask, “Why?” but, “Now what?” As luck would have it, there is a force in the universe that looks out for fools and the unfortunate. Bob and Suzanne decided to do laundry while at Man O War. So, we hitched a ride with them.

Yes, I said, “Paradise.” It would be very easy to choose to live here. There is virtually nothing to do here except enjoy life with your friends. The settlement on Man O War Cay is a picturesque village full of neat houses decorated with island colors and lots of flowers. The island is a tiny one and no one is far from the water, not even the dead.
Most of the native Bahamians who live here make their living as carpenters. In earlier days, they built boats today they build houses. There is an increasing number of vacation homes which could mean, “Paradise Lost.”