TO THE BERRY ISLANDS

March 17, 2012  Dateline: Great Harbour Cay, Berry Island Bahamas

After Rich said goodbye to Wayne and Francine’s youngest son, he and his family were on their way back to Canada after a week in Atlantis, I got on my way to Great Harbour Cay Marina in Great Harbour Cay.  The trip was about 73 miles and the seas were nearly cooperative.   The wind was pushing the waves against my starboard bow.  Periodically, I would break a wave and the sea would fly up into the open panels my bridge.  By the time I got to Great Harbor I was covered with salt inside and out.  While the waves were breaking on my bow, I was still able to travel at nearly 20 miles per hour so the trip was short, time wise.

As I neared the northern most point of the Berry Islands, I passed Stirrup Cay and Little Stirrup Cay.  Both of these islands are leased by cruise lines.  The cruise ships anchor off the island and ferry the passengers ashore to experience “the real Bahamas”.  There are also water sports, such as parasailing, offered at the islands.  There were two cruise ships anchored off the island, the Majesty of the Sea and the Norwegian Sky.  They were both anchored near my route; I came close to them but far enough away to meet the legal requirements.

Great Harbor Cay Marina is an interesting out of the way place.  This marina was once a much visited place, but those times have passed it by.  The island had a Jack Nicholson Golf Course, condos and club houses.  Some of the condos were burned when the market sank.  This action was taken to avoid the homeless from moving into them.  The marina and its bar have been allowed to decline as maintenance money became scarcer and scarcer.  The entrance to the marina is unique.  It is a channel that has been blasted out of rock so that there is access from the sea to the marina.  The rock walls are 10-12 feet high vertical from sea level.  Having said all of that Rich and Carol agreed that they would like to stay here an additional day, however travel must take place when the travel window permits.  The window is open for tomorrow to go the 62 miles to Port Lucaya and it closes on Monday for several days as the wind continues to increase.  That means we leave in the morning for Port Lucaya and await the arrival of my sister Sandra and Patrick on Friday.