YAHOO, A WAHOO!

Yes, the mahi slayer landed two wahoo at the same time. Well OK, one then the other because I can't reel two poles at the same time. My first catch of the day was a four foot barracuda. I hate that when it happens. It's hard to get them off the hook with all those ugly huge teeth. A while later I was up on the fly bridge while Stephanie was down stairs in the head and we passed through a weed line. I thought, here we go, MAHI. All at once both poles went zing at the same time and Stephanie is still in the head. I pulled back the throttles and ran down stairs. One fish had taken out most of the line so I fought it first while the other pole kept zinging. When I got the first fish close to the boat I thought it was another barracuda. Nope, It's a WAHOO! After getting the first fish in, I worked on the second which had taken out most of the line. Fighting two fish that size was tough, but I got the second one in. YAHOO, TWO WAHOO! What made it even harder was the fact that we were in the Atlantic and had 7 foot rollers with an occasional 8 or 9 to make it even more interesting. I have never caught a wahoo, and to catch two at the same time made it even better. I think it has something to do with the lucky fishing hat that Doug and Tammy gave me. Needless to say, we had Wahoo on the BBQ for dinner that night. I'm all out of breath after telling you that story!
We have been to so many new places these last few days that we haven't been before because this is our first time in this part of the Bahamas. It's alot different than the pristine remoteness of the Exumas, but it's still all good. I can't say it's better than the Exumas, just different.
I am sitting in the pilot house with a cool breeze coming in through the pilot house doors looking out over the beautiful, historic harbour and settlement of Hopetown sipping on a Captain Morgan and Coke in this paradise they call the Bahamas sending you this blog. (got Internet in the mooring field) I've said it before, and I'll say it again. If I am dreaming, DO NOT DISTURB!
We're headed to an anchorage in the AM, we'll be there till we head to Marsh Harbour to pick up the beautiful high school graduate coming in to join us. We may not have internet there, so wait for us, we'll be back.

September Song (WAHOO) out
Bob


September Song on her mooring in the historic harbour of Hopetown.

The Historic Hopetown lighthouse. It is still lit with a kerosene lamp each night.

The first landing spot of the Loyalists in 1785

Beautiful streets of Hopetown

Old settlement home

This is actually a lane.

Flowering tropical plants in all the front yards

You never know who you are going to run into in the Islands. Chet and Linda on 'Cygnet" fellow DeFever Cruisers, were poking around in one of the stores waiting for the bread to come out of the oven at Vernon's Grocery (that's another story) when we ran into them. We chatted for a while and then decided to meet for lunch at Captain Jack's. Great goombay smash. Too many of those and they will punch your lights out, but they are so good.

A fish frenzy under the dock at Captain Jack's. Do you suppose the waitress throwing the leftovers in makes them go nuts?

Beautiful flowers everywhere on this Cay

OK, the other story. This is Vernon's Grocery. Vernon's is a must stop when in Hopetown. Vernon bakes fresh breads all day that are to die for with about a dozen different types to choose from. OH, Did I forget the fresh backed pies and home made jams, the ones with the wax on top? Tonight for dinner we are going to have fresh bread with Vernon's home made pineapple jam, and for dessert we will have fresh baked coconut cream pie with real baked meringue. We are so bad!!!!!! But it is so good!!!!!!!!!!! We may not even use plates for the pie, just a fork and pass it back and forth Bahamas style. You who have been here with us before know what I mean.

Yes, we do get up early enough for the sunrise. I can't tell if the sunrises or sunsets are more beautiful. we'll call it a draw.

The landscape changes quickly in the Islands. Soft sand beach to rough cut-your-foot-on rock.

Can you tell where the high tide line is?

It's hard to capture the beauty of this place in a photo.

When we left Spanish Wells we saw this creative no wake sign. For mercy sake, NO WAKE, thank you.

Bringing in a wahoo out in the steel blue waters of the Atlantic. What a thrill, especially in 7 ft. rollers.

Had two wahoo on at the same time and got them both in. First wahoo I have ever caught. I know what we are having for dinner tonight!

To celebrate my first wahoo catch, Mother Nature put on a show that evening at dinner.

This is where I got my e-mail and sent out the last blog. You have to be creative in the Islands when it comes to Internet.

Map of Spanish Wells

Hair today, Gone tomorrow!

Hello from Spanish Wells. When I last posted we were anchored off Rock Sound Settlement on Eleuthera Island. The two days and three nights we were there it rained a lot of the time so we didn't get to see much of the town. When we did make it into town we found a couple of fun shops and a great little waterside bar called 4 Points where we enjoyed some great cracked conch and, of course, a few brews. The owner is good friends with Tall Boy, who owns a place on Potters Cay in Nassau by the same name, where we spent a few afternoons eating seafood and roaming the markets located there. Rock Sound I think is named for its rocks. Lots of rocks and not much in the way of beaches. From Rock Sound we took the inside route where we had to go through Current Cut. Current Cut is named for,
you guessed it, its current. When we got to Current Cut the tide was coming in, so we were going against the current. I throttled up the engines to the point where we should have been making 9.5 knots. When we entered the cut our speed over ground dropped to 3.7 knots. It was not a fun ride with a six knot current and rocks on both sides. After we made it through the Cut, I went below, changed my shorts, and we headed into Spanish Wells, where I mixed myself a stiff Captain and Coke. OH, not until after we got tied to a mooring ball in the wind. (One bent boat hook and two dropped into the water) You fellow cruisers know what I'm talking about. (time for Stephanie to change her shorts)
The Settlement of Spanish Wells is a large settlement with lots going on, well, not this weekend. Saturday, I wasn't feeling well, so we stayed on the boat. Sunday nothing is open, and Monday was a holiday. We did manage to find the golf cart rental open on Sunday, so we rented a cart and toured the settlement. Monday we found a beautiful beach and played with the girls in the water all day. OH, did I mention that this is a dry settlement. No Captain Morgan in this town! Today we are going into town, rent a cart, (that's also where we can get Internet) and do some exploring. It has been windy the last few days and the seas were 7 to 10 foot on the Atlantic, and that's the only route to our next stop. The Seas are calming today and tomorrow, so we will head out in the early AM and do a little fishing on the 50 mile trip. (FISH ON, FISH ON!) I'm trying something new for this blog. I am putting it on Notepad
and will try to publish it to the blog when we are close to an Internet connection. If you are reading this, it worked.
September Song (not all days are great, but the bad ones are still good) out

Bob

Me at the BBQ grilling mahi for dinner. For Ron - Butchie's Back! Check the lost locks!

Enjoying mahi and spinach pancakes. (From Stephanie - sorry, Adrienne, it'll grow back!)

Another beautiful beach day on a beach that goes on forever

Cassie doing what she does best. Running and hunting fish.

Mom and her girls playing in the water.

Local Burger King. NOT! But they served a great burger

Our ride for the day and a good looking lady on it.

This is our plotter as we went through Current Cut. Notice speed over ground of 3.7 kt. Our speed should have been 9.5kt at the RPM we were at. That means we were in an almost 6kt current.

This is what the current looked like as we made our way through the cut with rocks on both sides. (can you say rapids!!)

Now that's a view.

Part of the fishing fleet a Spanish Wells. Spanish Wells is a supplier of about 50% of the Bahamas seafood.

The fast ferry that passes our mooring twice a day on its way between Nassau and Harbour Island.

The mooring field is tight! This sailboat at times is only 20 feet from our stern. Can we borrow a cup of sugar?

Stephanie waiting for me to return after retrieving the camera from our last stop, the liquor store. OOOP's!

Enjoying cracked conch and conch fritters at 4 Points Bar.

Our bartender and Chef at 4 Points

And another beautiful sunset