Our favorite beach so far: Calabash Bay on Long Island
Our arrival back in George Town was supposed to be all business, but the weather had other plans. Strong winds ripped through the anchorage for an entire week, bouncing boats day and night and making it difficult to dinghy back and forth from town. Facing the prospect of drenching ourselves on each trip to town, we procrastinated a little, and then a little more.
This was a problem for us, as we were supposed to be on a mission to complete our formidable to-do list: a month’s supply of food (most of it cooked by me and frozen), 150 gallons of water, 60 gallons of diesel, 10 gallons of gasoline, laundry, BTC top up, two spark plugs, a can opener, a case of the local beer, a bottle of rum, and a new insurance plan. Towards the end of the week, we sucked it up and braved the waves, soaking ourselves to the bone on each of a dozen wild rides, the dinghy piled high with jerry jugs and groceries.
When the winds finally calmed, we said a hasty goodbye to friends in George Town. It was time for us to move on past the Exhumas and begin working our way down the next chain of islands, known to sailors as the Thorny Path. As we passed the cut out into the sound, our auto pilot began acting up again, which turned out to be a blessing because we were forced to hand steer through one of our most fun sails to date. Nightingale Tune was loving the light wind and calm seas at close haul with all three sails flying, and we screamed past more modern boats that would typically smoke us at any other point of sail. Accustomed to being the passed, not the passers, we thoroughly enjoyed this fleeting moment in the sun.
Our perfect sail led us to Long Island and beautiful Calabash Bay, where we discovered everything we could possibly hope for in an anchorage: a perfect beach with sand as light and soft as pastry flour, seclusion and solitude, crystal clear water, colorful reefs with abundant fish, and a tiny resort a few miles down the way with an enticing nightly happy hour. And just like that, we were right back in our cruising groove.
I will never tire of seeing my anchor set before my eyes, eight feet below the surface.
Marks made by our anchor chain dragging slowly across the ocean floor
Laundry day! One thing I didn’t get to check off my list before we left George Town.
Brian replacing some markers that had fallen off of our anchor chain. It’s important to have the right depth-to-chain ratio, so we mark it with tags we sew in every 25 feet.
Brian enjoying happy hour at the Cape Santa Maria resort. Drinks in glasses made of real glass (a first since Florida) and free conch fritters!
We had the beach and anchorage to ourselves
Brian speared a Nassau Grouper
Sunset in Calabash Bay
Sunrise the day after we turned the clocks ahead for Daylight Savings Time. We’re back to getting up before the sun to catch our weather guru, Chris Parker, at 6:30AM on the SSB radio.
Calabash Bay was so lovely, we decided to stay on for three nights. We knocked out chores and still had plenty of time for relaxation. If this spot is any indication of the delights in store for us down the Thorny Path, it’s going to be a pleasure cruise down to Turks and Caicos.
Where are we now?
Your adventures are the stuff that dreams are made of!
Very happy to hear that you are Cuba bound this very minute! Have a wonderful trip and we will see you down the road someday. Sending love and fair winds your way. Rico Rally on!
Stunning photos! We can’t wait to visit the Bahamas this winter!
Thanks Lucy! You’re going to love it here.
It looks like an amazing journey that you are on, and you capture it beautifully on camera. We are a Family of four from Denmark, who are planning a one year trip to Caribbean in 2018, and it is so inspirational to read and follow our blog and intragram! Thanks for sharing..
Katrine
Hi Katrine,
Thanks for reading and for your kind words! I’m excited for you as you make preparations for your big adventure – it’s not so far away!