Great Abaco

Enjoy! That’s certainly the word Bahamians say most often. Imagine the water in a swimming pool. The same color, but not just 40 feet by 25: here, the turquoise stretches for miles and miles. You’re leaving one island paradise for another, right in front of your bows. That’s sailing in the Abaco Islands, an archipelago in the northeast of the Bahamas.
The Bahamas is an island nation that lies to the east and south-east of Florida, a good distance north of Cuba. By air, the main point of access is Nassau, the capital, but also Miami. On the water, the area to be discovered is immense: 100,000 square miles (260,000 km²), equivalent to the surface area of Colorado or Oregon. The Bahamas are more sea than land and the country has been independent since 1973. Only twenty or so islands are inhabited year-round. To the south is a succession of islets of sand and coral, with no possibility of revictualing. To the west, the Bimini Islands are the closest to the US coast (just 40 nautical miles). In the middle, Nassau is naturally the main island. Many charter companies are based here, as the Exumas archipelago is nearby (see our cruising article in Special Edition #23). To the east, the island of Great Abaco is protected by a long chain of elongated, flat islands - it’s here, at Marsh Harbour, close to the airport, that numerous facilities have been built for boaters. Most charter companies are based here, including Sunsail, with whom we booked a 454 (Leopard 45). The marina, the restaurant and the whole environment are brand new. The base I knew back in 2011 no longer exists, thanks to Dorian, a category 5 hurricane that hit the archipelago on September 1, 2019. With winds of up to 183 mph (295 km/h) - and even gusts estimated at over 215 mph (350 km/h) - a powerful storm surge, raging seas and unprecedented rainfall, Dorian wreaked havoc that permanently disfigured and scarred the paradise that was Great Abaco. In just a few years, the archipelago has managed to heal most of its wounds, much to the delight of locals and visitors alike.
On the pontoons, Paul and I were greeted by Travis, the base manager, before being joined by Laura and Andy just before sunset.

Day 1 - Man-o-War Cay

The day began with us buying supplies at the local Maxwell’s Supermarket, with the aid of a cab. A little later, following our briefing, we found ourselves in a quandary: there are as many islands to discover to the north as there are to the south... And the wind wasn’t going to help with suggesting a course, as the sea was oily calm. In short, there was no risk of getting a rope burn from the sheets today! Nevertheless, we set course for Man-O-War Cay, to the north-east. After an hour under motor, we entered a narrow channel that widens out into two anchorage areas, both of which are equipped with numerous mooring balls that can be occupied for 30 dollars. In the event of a wind shift, beware of veering, as the boats are moored very close together. There’s a ...