It felt good to put some miles under our keel again, and it was nice to return to a familiar place after exploring for the first half of our time in the Bahamas.
Our friends on Minx (and their adorable cat, Peanut, @imaboatcat) were anchored at Lynyard, and it was great to catch up. We’d originally met for socially-distanced sundowners in Coecles Harbor on Shelter Island, NY in 2020, and they were part of our inspiration to give this life a shot – they were kind enough to answer our barrage of questions about cruising and working and boat life with a feline admiral aboard. It was nice to finally host them aboard our boat one evening and tour their beautiful Valiant 42 the next.
This year, we actually went ashore on the island and found a little beach with a fire pit (we didn’t get a chance to use it) and a trail to the ocean side of the island. We’re always sad to see just how much plastic washes up on the shore, and we spent a few minutes moving some of the bigger pieces we found up to a pile started by other beachcombers well above the waterline. We hoped to swim at lunch, but between busy schedules and weather that turned squally and cold (by our standards), it didn’t work out.
After so much time in Spanish Wells and Harbour Island, we’re curious to see how the Abacos will stack up… the weather was certainly better farther south! I’m excited to be here, but if I’m being honest, I’m a little disappointed so far because of the weather and the “crowds.”
The Abacos are definitely busier this year – last year, most of the Canadians weren’t able to make it down due to COVID-related travel restrictions crossing into the US, and by the time those restrictions were lifted in November, it was too late for many of them to be able to make the trip. Between that and some cruisers choosing not to travel outside the US due to pandemic concerns and others choosing not to travel due to testing/vaccination requirements, the Abacos remained pretty quiet throughout the cruising season. If the anchorages here are any indication, I don’t think that will be the case this year!
