Last Punch in Paradise

The last tropical drink has been drunk and the last conch salad has been tasted. The curtain is dropping on another cruising season.

Before leaving the Bahamas, we spent a couple of wonderful days at Manjack Cay. The tiny island is inhabited, but just barely. There is no town, no public water, no public power and no place to spend money. Claudia and I felt a certain kinship with the couple who make their home there—miles from anyone, completely dependent on their resources. It must be everyone’s dream—move to your own tropical island. It reminded us of our escape to the middle of the woods.

Our return trip differed from our outbound trip because the wind was in our favor. No longer were we fighting the trade winds that brought prosperity to the New World. We could raise our sails and shut off the motor. All we could hear was the sound of the boat sluicing through the water. This is why we sail. Our new roller furler and the finely tuned rig turned Now or Never! Into a fine sailing machine. She sails like a dream.

After a short revisit to Foxtown, a squally night at Great Sale Cay, we headed for West End, Grand Bahama where we started our adventure. We crossed paths with John and Jan on s/v Graduate, fellow denizens of Brunswick Landing Marina. They were headed East whence we had come and we, of course, were headed West. It’s a small world and the connections you make where ever you go are important.

We, along with s/v Kalunamoo left the security of the marina at Old Bahama Bay and anchored in rolly seas so we could head West in the wee hours. Claudia and I grilled some of the last of the fresh lobster for supper. Although the anchorage was rolly, it presented us with a fine final sunset in the Bahamas. Then, at 2:30 AM we left the Bahamas in virtually windless conditions. At least the seas were benign. Fourteen hours later, we pulled alongside the fuel dock at Harbortown Marina in Ft Pierce. Rich, who tuned our rig before leaving the States, happened to be on hand to catch our lines. It was a fine homecoming.

We had not planned on cruising the Abacos. Now, our séjour there is over. We are glad that we ended up there and we cherish the friends we made. Cruising is not about the destinations, it’s about the things you do and the people you meet. Our journey is not complete and we are looking forward to each new day.

Oh, about the tropical drinks and the conch salad. Erica at Teaser’s at Old Bahama Bay makes the best piña colada ever. Conchy Joe in Hope Town runs a close second to Friendly Joe on Bimini. Uncle Lionel on Green Turtle does pretty well. Kendrick at Marsh Harbour runs a close second or third and his fruity conch salad is truly unique. The girls at Conchy Joe’s in Marsh Harbour do OK, but maybe my judgment is impaired but the fact that the girls are real lookers!