Recap of the week

Preparing to leave Marsh Harbor for Little Harbor, about twenty miles away, but we may make an intermediate stop if we see good snorkeling conditions. I'm waiting for a load of laundry to finish, and Wayne is trying to get the depth sounder working . . . AGAIN.

The reasons we haven't blogged all week is because, first of all, there's been nothing interesting to blog about, and second, because we've been hanging out with friends a lot and doing a bit of snorkeling.

Tuesday and Wednesday we moored in Orchid Bay on Great Guana; Thursday and Friday we anchored at Treasure Cay; Saturday we anchored in Fisher's Bay on Great Guana; Sunday and Monday we docked at Harbor View Marina in Marsh Harbor.

Showers and thunderstorms were common this week.

Did a bit of snorkeling at Baker's Bay, where we saw more golf balls(!) than fish, and around Delia's Rock on the west side of Great Guana, where we found a few small coral heads and fish. Alas, continued large ocean swells kept us away from the barrier reef on the Atlantic side.

5-foot Barracuda

Yesterday we braved the chops and took the dinghy a couple of miles to a mooring at Mermaid Reef, just outside of Marsh Harbor. We found a small area of coral with plenty of fish, but considering that one website touted it as one of the top three snorkeling spots in the Abacos, we also found it disappointing. Granted, we didn't explore farther out because it was so choppy, so the reef may have been larger than we thought. We realized that we could have crossed the harbor, tied up the dinghy, crossed the street to the beach, and snorkeled from shore, but Wayne thought the reef was 1500 feet out, so maybe there was more to it.

The fun part, though, is that the fish there have been trained to know that snorkelers often bring food with them, so I felt a bit like the Pied Piper of Mermaid Reef, and that was BEFORE we shared the corn we brought with us. Wayne and I photographed each other feeding the fish and got our fingers nibbled on a bit, too. Sure hope fish don't carry rabies. I'll post more snorkeling photos later.

We anchored at Treasure Cay on Thursday and went in to shore to explore the beautiful beach and the upscale (for the Bahamas) resort there. They have a nice grocery shore, but I bought nothing. As we headed back to our dinghy, we saw Chatty Cat entering the marina, so we met them at the dock. We spent Thursday and Friday evenings having dinner with them (Cathy, Glen, Jan, and Mike) and playing games, then did the same on Saturday evening at Great Guana. They are headed home now, so we won't see them again until we get back to Punta Gorda.

Broadwater II crossed the gulf stream to Florida on Saturday, which concerned us because it didn't sound like the conditions would be favorable for them. They sent us emails that evening, and although they didn't have a particularly fun day, they made it safely across.

Upon docking Sunday in Marsh Harbor, we found that Chat-Eau and Toucana were there. We hadn't connected with them since shortly after reaching the Abacos, so were pleased to see them. The six of us went to Snappas to partake of their Cinco de Mayo party, but fled after a couple of margaritas, as the DJ made it impossible to converse. We ate at Curly Tails on the second level of the Conch Inn, where we enjoyed a lovely sunset and conversation with Nancy, Steve, Jack, and Carol.

Yesterday morning Nancy and I went for a walk. On the way back we stopped by George's stand where he makes THE BEST conch salad, freshly prepared while you wait. Wayne and I ate ours for lunch, then went snorkeling at Mermaid Reef. We were expecting Change and Ginny C, who were docked at Mangoes Marina next door when we got back. Friends of Nancy and Steve from Punta Gorda, Peter and Julie, flew in yesterday afternoon, and the ten of us went to dinner at Mangoes.

This morning we had breakfast at Mangoes with Ginny, Chris, Mary, and Rich. We had a great time with everyone this week. I told Wayne no more restaurants, though, until next Sunday or Monday when Betsy and Chuck arrive. Can't wait to see them!

Chat-Eau is headed back north, so we won't see them again until Punta Gorda. Safe travels, Nancy and Steve.

George prepares conch salad