THE ABOVE PHOTOS FROM LEFT TO RIGHT AND TOP DOWN ARE:
THE VILLAGE OF NEW PLYMOUTH ON GREEN TURTLE CAY. VIEW OF TH E SEA OF ABACO FROM THE PATIO OF THE BLUFF HOUSE ON GREEN TURTLE. BILL AND BETTY CORNELL RELAXING AT SPANISH CAY POOLSIDE. SPANISH CAY OFFICE, SHOP AND CAFE. THE BAYLEYS, CORNELLS, JODI MILLS, AND THE POWELLS ENJOYING LUNCH AND THE VIEW AT NIPPERS ON GREAT GUANA CAY. BLUFF HOUSE MARINA WITH POOL, BAR AND CAFE IN THE BACK GROUND. DOCKED AT SPANISH CAY MARINA - DESERT ROSE, R KA NU, MAGIC LADY AND CAVALIER. SIGN ON THE FIRST CARIBBEAN BANK IN NEW PLYMOUTH WITH WORKING HOURS.
.
After delaying the trip from May to July due to weather, it went well and all had great fun. Following is a detailed report from Joyce Powell that was too good to not share completely. (Dave & Joyce, and kids, lived in the Bahamas for 14 years.) See Stuart Sailfish Club Pictures for an album of images.
.
We just returned from a 4 boat...12 people trip to Abaco. Dave and I were the only ones who had been to Abaco before and I think it was my 12th time!!! There have been so many changes and there is a lot of development going on (we think too much) in the Bahamas. We talked with many people who have been there a long time as well as other boaters and fishing guys to get impressions. It was a great trip...really good weather for both crossings, enough rain to cool some days down but not enough to keep us from doing what we wanted to do and see and Dave and his buddies caught a bunch of black fin tuna so they were happy campers.
We spent the first two days at Spanish Cay because that is where you clear customs and immigration now since Walkers Cay has closed and shut down. Spanish use to be a private and EMPTY island and now there is an air strip, large marina, restaurant, pool, rooms to rent and homes on the island. However, because of the new Bahamian fishing regulations which border on ridiculous and the high cost of fuel, the boaters and fishing folk numbers are WAY down and we were the only people in the dining room that night for dinner. Friends say the Marina has been hurting all year. However, the Immigration lady was delightful---yes you heard right. She came down to our boats, was laughing and joking and welcomed us all to the islands and was very efficient. I complimented her and later learned that the Ministry of Tourism now requires a little bit of training for folks who meet with the tourists. The dock hands (Felix) were delightful and provided a jeep one morning to visit the beach on the other side of the island.
We left on the second day for Green Turtle Cay. We docked at Bluff House which was substantially destroyed by Hurricane Floyd, reinjured further by Frances and Jeanne but has been totally redone and is very very nice. THe docks are beautiful teak and very roomy and at the shore they have built a huge deck, pool, locker rooms, bar and bistro and gift shop. We didn't HAVE to climb up the high hill to the main building if we didn't want to but did go up for dinner one night. Bluff House was busy but certainly not full. Dock hands again (Zhivago) were delightful and employees were all friendly and easy to joke with. Service was up and down but overall better. Green Turtle Club where we use to stay was very quiet although we went there to fuel up because diesel was 30 cents a gallon less there than at Bluff House. Some of our folks wanted to do a reef snorkel trip from the Green Turtle Club but their boat was broken down. Same ole Same ole.
We visited Great Guana Cay and swam at the beautiful beach at the north end in turquoise super clear water. All the folks with us kept saying you can see the botttom! Unfortunately, they are building Bakers Bay at the northern end of Guana which will have a marina (already started) golf course, and homesites including 27 lots of one acre or more that are on the market for you guessed it $ 8 milliion dollars each. These sit up on a sand dune overlooking the Atlantic. We were speechless. I kept telling Dave to go back to the real estate people which had set up shop right there on the beach with floating chairs, swimboards, kayaks etc for the lookie loos to use and to ask them again what the price was for the lots. One of the other guys got the same number. ???
Went down to Nippers for lunch and had a great one overlooking the beach and ocean. I had to golf cart most everywhere because I was in an aircast with a recovering broken foot for the first few days we were there. Continued on down to Man O War Cay for touring and fuel. Uncle Norman Albury (sailmaker whose shop was in an attic loft) has died as well as his daughter who ran the business. Talked with Ann, his grandaughter who has the shop now and it is very nice at the end of town, down on the water. Talked with another shopowner about Bahamian politics. As you know, Ping was voted out in the late 80's and Hubert Ingraham from Cooperstown, Abaco was head of the FNM and voted in. He did a lot for tourism and Abaco and is well thought of. He was voted out in the late 90's when the PLP got back in and Perry Christie took over. This past May, the PLP got the boot and the FNM is back in power with Ingraham the new prime minister again. People are cautiously optimistic in Abaco because under the PLP, all lthe money and development went into Marsh Harbour which must be a strong PLP area. Now, Abaconians are hoping the Treasure Cay airport and area will get some funding to expand and improve. The Bahamians we talked with all were happy that Ingraham is back in. Everyone said that he is much better for all Bahamians.
One day we went to islands north of Green Turtle but shelling is almost non existent there since the hurricanes. It use to be a treasure trove. Left early due to a big thunderstorm and it has been a long time since I witnessed one from a boat!
Another day the guys went fishing and caught a bunch of black fin tuna which we had Bluff House prepare that night and it was delicious. Served with peas and rice and veggies with conch fritters for an appetizer. Only the jonnycake was missing! While the guys fished, we gals took the golfcarts to New Plymouth for "shopping" and breakfast. Some of the old places are gone as the cooks died, but a few new places were open and we were able to go online at a realty office which had a mini internet cafe. Hunted high and low everywhere for Bahamian bread but no one had it ...not even the bakeries. That was the big disappointment! It is like no one knows how to make it anymore. There were two new shops in New Plymouth that had better than usual t shirt stuff but prices were steep! The old shell shop had only junk and no shells. Go figure.
Another day, we and another couple took the golf cart into New Plymouth and explored. We found the New Plymouth Inn (closed for past 4 years) had just reopened the week before. Wally Davies still owns it but had recently hired a couple,( he a Jamaican chef and his Bahamian wife who grew up in Freeport served and greeted) They were unbelievably hospitable and lunch was delicious. We had not planned to return for dinner as it meant a taxi, but decided we would and Wally was there that evening to visit with us for an hour before dinner and after. Food was TERRIFIC but not the previous Abaco fare..like conch and lobster. They are trying to cosmopolitize the place I guess....but the word was getting out and they were getting busy. Wally has been trying to sell the place which sustained heavy hurricane damage but has been repaired for the past 5 years. It was an enjoyable evening and worth the extra expense to return that evening. There were no docks available to handle our size boat, actually there was only a public dock and some smaller falling down ones so had to use golf carts or dinghies and the motor on our dinghy refused to start on day 3. Always something. As we sat on the porch of the New Plymouth Inn ( still no AC) it was like being in a time capsule. I could see all of us at the long table eating and laughing!! (Yes I am getting old)
We returned making the run all the way from Green Turtle in calm seas and only had one small rainstorm to go through. Ten minutes after we docked here at the house, the heavens opened and that is sure a nice way to clean the boat.
Observations: the Bahamas is truly teeming with development. We toured the Leeward Yacht Club on Black Sound....28 homesites, 3 homes almost done starting at 1.5 million and only one sold. There is strong opposition to Bakers Bay on Guana Cay. One cannot imagine paying 8 million for a lot even if it has a private golf course and ocean view. There is a lot of development going on at Scotland Cay (south of Great Guana). There are now multimillion dollar condos at Treasure Cay and of course the new big golf course and resort south of Marsh Harbour. You would not believe West End.....where Ginn is building Ginn Sur Mer. We get two calls a week from them wanting to fly us over in their corporate jet to see the project which is suppose to be bigger and better than Atlantis in Nassau. Our friends who have been boating and fishing all over the islands this year say that every island has some massive high end development going on. Build It and They Will Come???
We spent the first two days at Spanish Cay because that is where you clear customs and immigration now since Walkers Cay has closed and shut down. Spanish use to be a private and EMPTY island and now there is an air strip, large marina, restaurant, pool, rooms to rent and homes on the island. However, because of the new Bahamian fishing regulations which border on ridiculous and the high cost of fuel, the boaters and fishing folk numbers are WAY down and we were the only people in the dining room that night for dinner. Friends say the Marina has been hurting all year. However, the Immigration lady was delightful---yes you heard right. She came down to our boats, was laughing and joking and welcomed us all to the islands and was very efficient. I complimented her and later learned that the Ministry of Tourism now requires a little bit of training for folks who meet with the tourists. The dock hands (Felix) were delightful and provided a jeep one morning to visit the beach on the other side of the island.
We left on the second day for Green Turtle Cay. We docked at Bluff House which was substantially destroyed by Hurricane Floyd, reinjured further by Frances and Jeanne but has been totally redone and is very very nice. THe docks are beautiful teak and very roomy and at the shore they have built a huge deck, pool, locker rooms, bar and bistro and gift shop. We didn't HAVE to climb up the high hill to the main building if we didn't want to but did go up for dinner one night. Bluff House was busy but certainly not full. Dock hands again (Zhivago) were delightful and employees were all friendly and easy to joke with. Service was up and down but overall better. Green Turtle Club where we use to stay was very quiet although we went there to fuel up because diesel was 30 cents a gallon less there than at Bluff House. Some of our folks wanted to do a reef snorkel trip from the Green Turtle Club but their boat was broken down. Same ole Same ole.
We visited Great Guana Cay and swam at the beautiful beach at the north end in turquoise super clear water. All the folks with us kept saying you can see the botttom! Unfortunately, they are building Bakers Bay at the northern end of Guana which will have a marina (already started) golf course, and homesites including 27 lots of one acre or more that are on the market for you guessed it $ 8 milliion dollars each. These sit up on a sand dune overlooking the Atlantic. We were speechless. I kept telling Dave to go back to the real estate people which had set up shop right there on the beach with floating chairs, swimboards, kayaks etc for the lookie loos to use and to ask them again what the price was for the lots. One of the other guys got the same number. ???
Went down to Nippers for lunch and had a great one overlooking the beach and ocean. I had to golf cart most everywhere because I was in an aircast with a recovering broken foot for the first few days we were there. Continued on down to Man O War Cay for touring and fuel. Uncle Norman Albury (sailmaker whose shop was in an attic loft) has died as well as his daughter who ran the business. Talked with Ann, his grandaughter who has the shop now and it is very nice at the end of town, down on the water. Talked with another shopowner about Bahamian politics. As you know, Ping was voted out in the late 80's and Hubert Ingraham from Cooperstown, Abaco was head of the FNM and voted in. He did a lot for tourism and Abaco and is well thought of. He was voted out in the late 90's when the PLP got back in and Perry Christie took over. This past May, the PLP got the boot and the FNM is back in power with Ingraham the new prime minister again. People are cautiously optimistic in Abaco because under the PLP, all lthe money and development went into Marsh Harbour which must be a strong PLP area. Now, Abaconians are hoping the Treasure Cay airport and area will get some funding to expand and improve. The Bahamians we talked with all were happy that Ingraham is back in. Everyone said that he is much better for all Bahamians.
One day we went to islands north of Green Turtle but shelling is almost non existent there since the hurricanes. It use to be a treasure trove. Left early due to a big thunderstorm and it has been a long time since I witnessed one from a boat!
Another day the guys went fishing and caught a bunch of black fin tuna which we had Bluff House prepare that night and it was delicious. Served with peas and rice and veggies with conch fritters for an appetizer. Only the jonnycake was missing! While the guys fished, we gals took the golfcarts to New Plymouth for "shopping" and breakfast. Some of the old places are gone as the cooks died, but a few new places were open and we were able to go online at a realty office which had a mini internet cafe. Hunted high and low everywhere for Bahamian bread but no one had it ...not even the bakeries. That was the big disappointment! It is like no one knows how to make it anymore. There were two new shops in New Plymouth that had better than usual t shirt stuff but prices were steep! The old shell shop had only junk and no shells. Go figure.
Another day, we and another couple took the golf cart into New Plymouth and explored. We found the New Plymouth Inn (closed for past 4 years) had just reopened the week before. Wally Davies still owns it but had recently hired a couple,( he a Jamaican chef and his Bahamian wife who grew up in Freeport served and greeted) They were unbelievably hospitable and lunch was delicious. We had not planned to return for dinner as it meant a taxi, but decided we would and Wally was there that evening to visit with us for an hour before dinner and after. Food was TERRIFIC but not the previous Abaco fare..like conch and lobster. They are trying to cosmopolitize the place I guess....but the word was getting out and they were getting busy. Wally has been trying to sell the place which sustained heavy hurricane damage but has been repaired for the past 5 years. It was an enjoyable evening and worth the extra expense to return that evening. There were no docks available to handle our size boat, actually there was only a public dock and some smaller falling down ones so had to use golf carts or dinghies and the motor on our dinghy refused to start on day 3. Always something. As we sat on the porch of the New Plymouth Inn ( still no AC) it was like being in a time capsule. I could see all of us at the long table eating and laughing!! (Yes I am getting old)
We returned making the run all the way from Green Turtle in calm seas and only had one small rainstorm to go through. Ten minutes after we docked here at the house, the heavens opened and that is sure a nice way to clean the boat.
Observations: the Bahamas is truly teeming with development. We toured the Leeward Yacht Club on Black Sound....28 homesites, 3 homes almost done starting at 1.5 million and only one sold. There is strong opposition to Bakers Bay on Guana Cay. One cannot imagine paying 8 million for a lot even if it has a private golf course and ocean view. There is a lot of development going on at Scotland Cay (south of Great Guana). There are now multimillion dollar condos at Treasure Cay and of course the new big golf course and resort south of Marsh Harbour. You would not believe West End.....where Ginn is building Ginn Sur Mer. We get two calls a week from them wanting to fly us over in their corporate jet to see the project which is suppose to be bigger and better than Atlantis in Nassau. Our friends who have been boating and fishing all over the islands this year say that every island has some massive high end development going on. Build It and They Will Come???
