The day began, as most, at 6:30 with Chris Parker’s weather report covering the next five days over various regions of the Bahamas.
Flying Fish Marina dock overlooking Clarence Town Harbour
Without turning on the motor, Matt pulled up the anchor and set the sails to gently lift us toward our next destination (a first for us as we usually motor out of a harbor before setting the sails). The light winds moved us along at about 2 knots (pretty slow) but with 38 miles to cover, we fired up the motor to make better time.
By 3:00 we had the anchor down in Clarence Town Harbour and a full to-do list in our hands.
Christie started the laundry at Flying Fish Marina while Matt refueled the boat. Joined by Mili, Christie explored the government packing house, where once a week the mail boat comes to collect locally grown produce from farmers in the area. On this particular day (and time) it had limited fresh produce (tomatoes, plantains, bananas) for purchase at very low prices.
Matt connected with a Bahamas customs agent to get a 90-day extension on his visitors permit, which was set to expire April 20. (We’re set to explore the islands a bit longer.)
After a productive afternoon, it was time for dinner. Perched alongside the marina is a colorful and quaint waterside grill with a deliciously robust menu and very inviting, breezy patio tables. It was quickly decided that we had a double date night ahead of us.
Our orders arrived and the table was filled with cracked conch, BBQ ribs, grilled grouper, conch burger, Bahamian mac ‘n cheese, fries, coleslaw, mixed vegetables and salad. While we were stuffed to the gills, we made room for their homemade desserts of lemon meringue pie and warm chocolate cake. Delish!
We plan to get a few more groceries tomorrow to stock up for our upcoming trip to the Jumentos. This chain of remote islands offers rugged beauty, reefs teeming with tropical fish and adventures well off the beaten path. With no stores nor services of any kind. No fuel. No internet. No cell service. There will be little to none in terms of civilization so we’re topping off our provisions before heading out. We will essentially be off the grid for about a week. We are traveling alongside “Morning Glory” and our SPOT tracker (click the globe icon on the upper-left hand corner of this site) will continuously update our sailing progress.
N 23° 05.9 / W 74° 57.4
We’ll be thinking of you while you’re away from the computer! Enjoy what sounds to be yet another beautiful place!
Thanks for your thoughtful and fun notes, Cheryl. We always enjoy hearing from you as it makes us feel a little closer to “home”. Hope some of these posts are useful in helping you guys plan your trip. You’re going to have the time of your life!