Manjack, Cleaning our bottom

In the morning at high tide around 10:00 am we dinghy up the mangrove creeks on the island. Linda counts at least 30 turtles. Unfortunately there is enough wind, that ripples on the surface in the protected creek reduces the visibility. 

 

Underwater view of fleeing turtle

Mangrove Channel

From there we head out to the ocean side. It is rather rough so instead of heading out to the reef we quickly head south and back through a small cut to the lee side of the island boarding the south side of the anchorage. We stop at a beach where we found lots of dead sea biscuits and conch on our first trip, but do not find much this time. Mark and Karen zip back to their boat and we poke along the shore line as we head back. Crab Cay here seems to have one lone pig that we can see on the beach from our boat. For some reason there are a number of “Piggy Beaches” in the Bahamas to attract tourists, but this is the first I heard of pigs here. I guess someone figures they can get tourists to feed their livestock. Does not always work out so well. Last year a number of pigs died at the original “Piggy beach” in the Exumas, because they ingested too much sand during a period of drought. Most people toss food in the sand or saltwater.

Lone Pig Beach

Later back at our boat Mark and Karen zip over on their dinghy. They had not noticed us poking along the shore and checking out the pig. They thought we may have had engine problems and when back to the beach we stopped on to find us.


My afternoon project is cleaning the bottom of our boat. Unfortunately both my masks keep leaking which made it rather annoying. Hard to get a good seal with a mustash. Normally face down, snorkeling is not a problem, but cleaning the boat bottom, face up, I get a lot more leakage. Linda suggests some Vaseline , which helps. Even with a neoprene jacket I am a little cold when I get out, so I decide to bake some brownies. We have lots of brownie mixes for happy hour get togethers, but Karen avoids wheat, so we have not been using them up as fast as we planned.

Manjack Cay

We head to Manjack Cay about 5 miles north of Green Turtle Cay for two nights and then plan to head back south to Green Turtle to wait out some forecast bad weather. I call the Bluff House Marina and get reservations for three nights. We motor the 30 miles north and get to Manjack around 2:15. Manjack is one of our favorite anchorages in the Abacos and usually we are here with only a couple other boats. Well, today there are 26 boats in the bay by evening. Lots of room in a very large anchorage with pretty good holding, but strangely it takes a second attempt to securely set the anchor. Warm with a moderate breeze, I put up the wind scoop on the front hatch.
 

Manjack Cay

We put the dinghy down and go ashore with Mark & Karen. Manjack is a private island, but the owners encourage cruisers to come ashore and enjoy their island.  Near the beach the owners have a pile of coconuts and a anvil like device for splitting them open. In the past as soon as you start doing this their free range chickens suddenly appear, apparently they like coconut meat. I am too lazy to open up any coconuts so we don’t see any chickens. 

Years ago they made a nice hiking trail to the beaches on the Atlantic side. After our long walk to the beach and back I make Mango Daiquiris for Linda and Karen on our boat. We bought a frozen mango mix at a bar back in the Exumas and I am finally finishing it up.

We have a gorgeous star filled evening and shower off on the back of the boat.

Hopetown, Mexican Train

After some morning chores we meet Mark and Karen at Hopetown Hideaway Marina for Lunch and an afternoon of Mexican Train.

Hopetown, Bikes

 


We had hoped to rent a Golf cart for the day, but none are available, so we rent bikes. 

Sign Post, "Malletts Bay" our homeport

After riding to the north end of the island we head south to the Abaco Inn for lunch. Then we head for the southern end to Tahiti Beach, a sand bar beach that is very popular. Mark, Karen and Linda aren’t so interested in walking out to the beach and decide to head back while I walk out and take pictures. Unfortunately for picture taking it is rather cloudy, but for biking the cloud protection from the sun was very nice.
 

Tahiti Beach

Nice View

Linda's knees were bothering her on the way back and she scores a ride back on a golf cart for her and her bike. I putz my way back and stop for ice cream at a new “Take away” cafe. We have a quiet evening on the boat.

Hopetown, Cruising Permits II

After breakfast Karen texts us about her and Linda going to Marsh Harbor to renew their permits. We scrabble to get them on the 9:45 ferry. Not only do they get their permits taken care of, they stop at the supermarket and do some food shopping. I hang out on the boat mainly cleaning stainless steel and various other projects

Hopetown, Cruising Permits

Our orginal cruising permit was only issued for 3 months. It is renewable for a year, but different Immigration officials issue various times of 3 to 6 months, for no particular reason, before you have to renew. Our 3 months are almost up and the closest place to renew is at Marsh Harbor, so Mark and I take the ferry over to the Immigration Office. 

Well it turns out the renewal is on the individuals on the boat, not the boat and the individuals have to be there. The official tells us we need to come back with our wives and hands back the paper work. I ask can’t she renew Mark and I then. She says yes and does so. We may send the ladies back over tomorrow on their own. Meanwhile back in HopeTown they do some shopping and go out to lunch.

 

Late afternoon I decide to run over to the Hopetown Lighthouse for some pictures. It is still sunny and the next couple days are suppose to be cloudy. 
















Hopetown Lighthouse 360 Panorama


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Click on the below link for full screen 360 panorama
http://360.io/9GUd3e


After dinner we watch the new Twilight Zone on CBS, pretty good, Rod Serling would be pleased.

Hopetown, Bright Ayes

Sunrise in Hopetown

I finally get our AIS WiFi device working the way I had hoped to, transmitting and displaying AIS target information and our own boat information like speed, wind, etc. on our iPad apps. Our sailing friends Wayne & Betty, who we first met on our last trip, are in the area on their sailboat and we plan to meet for lunch at the Hopetown Hideaway Marina. They are pretty hardcore sailors and have been across the ocean on their Caliber 47. They usually leave the Abacos at the end of their time in the Bahamas and do a 4 day/night sail all the way to their home port in Barnegat Bay, NJ. They are here for another month or so and will be back in New Jersey long before we get there. We have a fun lunch with them and Mark & Karen who also had met them on a previous visit to Great Harbour in the Berries.

Linda, Karen, Mark, Wayne & Betty

Hopetown Hideaway Marina