CODA : Exploring Eleuthera, Bahamas.
3 March 2025
Spanish Wells Yacht Haven, Spanish Wells, Eleuthera, Bahamas
The Isles of Spanish Wells.
Marc- I awoke at 3 a.m. thinking something is not right. I went to check on the anchor alarm and it indicated that the boat had dragged significantly when a 180 degree wind change had taken place. The anchor reset on its own. I stayed awake for another hour to be sure. This was a good time for me to check on my planning for passing through the Current Cut passage from the Eleuthera Banks to the Ocean. Spanish Wells sits on the Ocean side of Eleuthera. The tidal current through this passage can reach 10 knots and is best passed through at "slack" tide stage. The problem is calculating the time of slack. On line sources do not agree and neither do the boating guides. I found a local boaters site that helped. Slack is two hours after high tide at Nassau. We arrived 2.5 hours after High Tide at Nassau and benefitted from the beginning of the outgoing or ebb tidal current. We left Hatchet Bay just in time to reach Current Cut at 13:00. We sailed the entire distance under main and genoa until arriving in the Cut where we expected a severe drop in wind due to land. The boat really did not need the engine at this point since we had the current of 3 knots in our favor, but it was nice to have it for control.
Leaving Hatchet Bay (with favorable easterly winds of 12-15 knots).
Approaching Current Cut (staying in the dark water is key to getting through this unmarked passage).
Coda is the red arrow.
Right in the middle of Current Cut sits town workboat Current Pride at the Government pier.
The next tricky passage was the entrance to Spanish Wells. The only markings are a couple of poles set at either end of a narrow pass (and some rocks extend beyond the poles).
Entering Spanish Wells inner harbour. Multiple marinas, shipyards and commercial fishing facilities are located here between the several islands that form Spanish Wells.
Our marina was down the channel to the left. One hidden danger in this channel are several old concrete pier footings that come out into the channel edge. A Good Samaritan alerted me to this issue waving me off.
We made it to a very nice first rate marina and cottage complex.
We found our way to the local supermarket, pharmacy and bank. Lots of golf carts on this island.
We walked to the shopping center through a nice residential part of town and were impressed by the neat homes and the nice flowers.
A community garden that grows bananas (really cool).
After dinner we walked up our street to the beach. We had a nice walk on a wide beach with firm sand.
Sue: I want to mention that the high (tourist) season in Cape Eleuthera is in April, and I imagine that is true here, as well. It was very quiet in Cape Eleuthera, as it was a place strictly for boaters, divers and tourists, and we were early getting there. Spanish Wells is a busy place with a lot of residential streets and small businesses. The homes are well kept, landscaped, and there is zero trash. The beach is really beautiful and the homes on the beach are also beautiful. The grocery store had everything we needed. It even has a pharmacy, which we fortunately did not need. It's the first pharmacy I've seen in the Bahamas. George Town had a pharmacy, but it wasn't walking distance from the harbor so we did not see it. The prices here are the usual high prices: $2.50/foot at the marina. The 88 oz All laundry detergent costs $33.11, the 141 oz All is $51.48, a 15 oz can of Del Monte fruit cocktail is $5.45, watermelons are $12.75, a dozen medium eggs $12.75, a 5 oz bag of baby spinach/spring mix is $9.85, a box of Ghirardelli brownie mix is $8.75, a package of 4 Morningstar Farms chick burgers and black bean burgers are $8.64, a package of 4 Morningstar Farms grillers veggie burgers is $9.85, a gallon of milk is $10.73. We bought eggs, bread, bananas, turkey from the US, half and half creamer and oatmeal. I don't know how the Bahamians afford this. This island's primary work is commercial fishing. It is as different as night and day from Alicetown.
There were kids playing in the street in their school uniforms. Running races, riding bikes and scooters. It reminded us of when we were kids and parents didn't worry about you being outside unsupervised.
We walked back to the boat in the dark, and Marc noted that there are more street lights here than in Vergennes.
1 comment:
I've always been shocked by the high prices in the Bahamas as well. FYI, the other day at Shaw's a dozen Maple Meadows extra large eggs were 10 bucks. Meg and I might need to start doing chickens again.
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