February 2014 was our first vacation together. We rented a house in Rainbow Bay on the island of Eleuthera. We always knew we wanted to come back. Little did we know that we’d be coming back as liveaboards on our own sailboat, seeing as neither of us knew how to sail at the time.
After leaving Cat Island, we had a 63nm squally sail to Eleuthera. It became a nonstop game of raise the sails, lower the sails, reef the sails! All depending on what weather was approaching us. We had the option to split up the passage and stop off at Little San Salvador, a private island owned by Holland America cruise line. It offers little protection and doesn’t have much to offer for cruisers so we decided to pass on by.
We dropped the hook on the south side of Rock Sound Harbour and found ourselves at another beautiful, peaceful anchorage. There was something about the surroundings here that felt a little bit like Maine. The next morning as the winds were shifting out of the north there was a procession of boats making their way to the anchorage in town. A lone dolphin came to visit the bow as Rocky pulled up the anchor, looked him in the eye (or into his soul, as Rocky explained it), and was gone as fast as he appeared.
We were in need of some provisions so we set off for shore, started walking to the nearest grocery store, and stopped at Frigate’s Bar & Grill for a beer on the way. Needless to say, we never made it to the store that day. But we did meet another couple who have become our new buddy boat & good friends since.
That night our new friends (Christina & Spencer on s/v Lune), along with our old pals from Elation all had dinner ashore at Wild Orchids and made plans for the following day.
All aboard Blue Pearl! We took a day trip to the south end of Rock Harbour to a marked fishing/diving “hot spot.” Later dubbed a cold spot (the area was lacking fish, live coral and the water was quite cold!), we motored back to the anchorage. Spencer & Christina did harvest a few crabs that they steamed, coated in old bay and brought over to enjoy that evening.
From Rock Sound we sailed up to Kemps Bight and then over to Pau Pau Bay in the Pineapple Cays. It started to feel like we were just passing time. The magic of Eleuthera that we’d had nine years ago was missing and we were worried we weren’t going to get it back. The water was the murkiest we’d seen in all of The Bahamas. Snorkeling and spearfishing was out of the question.
The next day we moved up to Governor’s Harbour, the capital of Eleuthera. This was the furthest south we drove on our trip in 2014, so it felt special to be back.
The highlight was our evening ashore at The Buccaneer Club to watch Marshall from s/v Elation play with the band. He killed it on trumpet!
Before we knew it, it was time to say bye to Elation who were bound for a crew change in Spanish Wells. Steve made us the most delicious meal of shrimp & grits. Accompanied by an Exuma, Steve’s signature cocktail, Coconut rum, tonic, topped with Myers dark rum and a squeeze of lime!
Rocky and I continued anchorage hopping up the coast heading towards Hatchet Bay where we’d be meeting a couple special visitors!
About 2/3 of the way up the island we came to Hatchet Bay. Following the chart you wonder if there is in fact an entrance, but as you get closer it slowly appears. Back in the 1940s this man-made entrance was created to allow boats access to the harbor. Today it’s a cruiser’s haven for all around protection.
When you dinghy to shore you immediately see Farrington Boater’s Haven. A restaurant, bar & convenience store owner by Emmett Farrington. This is where you’ll learn that “no other island will keep you smiling like Eleuthera!’ And if you don’t believe me, watch this to see why!
With our boat safely anchored in Hatchet Bay, we were able to stay ashore with Amanda & Adam at their airbnb in Surfer’s Beach. Such a great spot for anyone looking to visit Eleuthera and would highly recommend! Link here for anyone interested: Cocomo Cottage Rental
We had the absolute best week with our friends on land. We did a day trip over to Harbour Island, stopping first to jump 20 ft into the Sapphire Blue Hole. We ate fish tacos & conch fritters at as many restaurants as we could and visited the gaulding cay, rainbow, cocodimama & surfer’s beaches. We even managed to fit in a day on Blue Pearl.
The week was up faster than we wanted, but it was also time for us to keep moving. Freshly showered and once again loaded up with clean laundry (thank you airbnb for washer/dryer!), we set off for Spanish Wells. First stopping off for a night in Gaulding Cay, one of our favorite beaches. You can swim out (or really wade out, it’s so shallow) to the little cay off the beach and snorkel around. It surprisingly still has healthy coral and lots of fish!
We passed through Current Cut on our way. This cut is also known to be one of the fastest drift dives in the world. With currents running up to 10 knots, you don’t want to go against it. You’d be going nowhere (or backwards) real fast. In good wind, we can sail faster than we can motor so we kept the sails up, engine off, and entered at slack tide so there was no noticeable current in either direction. With our new Yo-Zuri Deep Diver Lure out, we saw our bungee stretch as Rocky stayed at the helm navigating the cut as I reeled in a large, delicious mutton snapper! Our first snapper!
Taking advantage of some calmer days up in Spanish Wells we went snorkeling & spearfishing off a big reef to the north, and Egg Reef to the west. It was a successful day! The crew caught a few lion fish, a nassau grouper, and Rocky speared a tasty black grouper.
We enjoyed our fresh catch, along with a ham for Easter Dinner about Journey. Steve & Diane graciously hosted our rowdy crew.
Once again it’s that time for everyone to start making their next moves. We’ll be saying a sad goodbye to Lune as they prepare to head to the Berry Islands before crossing back to Florida. Journey is patiently waiting for us to make the 50nm passage to The Abacos. We’re broken down with a new fresh water pump en route from Florida supposedly arriving Saturday. Will the parts arrive? Will we need more parts? Different parts? It’s anyone’s guess. For now, I’ll have another cold Sands and see what tomorrow brings.
-LS
Blue Pearl Sailing 
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