Spanish Wells and Beyond
In our previous trips to the Bahamas we bypassed Spanish Wells. The approach is very shallow, the entrance requires a great deal of attention and anchorages are minimal. This year we decided to brave all this and visit this very unique Bahamian community.
The last several miles into Spanish Wells is over a bottom that is mostly 7′ deep at best. We transited this area with no significant heartburn and visually made our way into the harbor. As we turned to starboard, towards the main docks and moorings, we were met head on by the high speed ferry leaving for Nassau. There was no extra room for us so we stopped and backed up until the ferry could turn out into the channel entrance. We love excitement!
A mooring had been reserved earlier but we really had no clue exactly where or what it looked like. We passed the entire downtown area and there on our starboard side were about half a dozen moorings. After choosing one, we maneuvered through very shallow water, dragging the rudder through the mud at one point, until we finally picked up the pennant. An hour later the mooring owner came by and declared I had to move. That mooring was unsafe. Glad he came by but it was a minor hassle to move and the other mooring was deeper. We joined our friends on Diana for dinner at the Anchor Diner that night.
The next morning was wonderfully calm but the adage, “red skies in morning, sailors take warning” came to mind. Weather was once again on its way. We would soon be sequestered to the boat due to heavy rain and high winds.
When we were finally able to go ashore we explored this very unique island. Spanish Wells is very developed as far as most land has been built on. There is very little large development, just homes, some new but mostly older.
Most are kept up nicely and are very attractive. Bougainvillea, gardenia, and “indoor” house plants like schefflera and sansevieria grow everywhere.
Commercial development is somewhat limited and is far removed from the waterfront making access by cruisers a little difficult.
We enjoyed our stay but as the weather cleared it was time to move on.
Our day crossing over to Abaco was okay but not great. Large swells moved westward against our beam as we moved north. The roll was very uncomfortable especially as some waves were much larger than the anticipated 3′ to 5′. Eventually we entered the inlet near Little Harbour and ventured to our anchorage in the lee of Lynyard Cay.
The next morning we moved down to Little Harbour and anchored outside of the small and crowded harbor. A quick dinghy ride took us to the beach in front of Pete’s Pub. Pete’s is a legendary watering hole with great food and atmosphere.
We roamed the area along the northern shore. The views were magnificent.

We wandered back to Pete’s for lunch. I had a trigger fish sandwich which was outstanding. Mary had grouper that was also very good.
The bay near Little Harbour is very large and shallow. As we headed back to our boat we could see that the tides had retreated and the flats were exposed. We love exploring so off we went to check out the small estuary and the adjoining flats. The estuaries are nurseries for many of the reef fish and as we entered we saw snappers and Nassau grouper. We beached the dink and started off to explore the flats. Goliath raced around and even went into the water! Sand flats are great places to find sand dollars and this area doesn’t get much traffic. We found 38 sand dollars and gave up looking since we couldn’t hold anymore. It was a wonderful afternoon and the high point of our brief stay in the Abacos.
Snake Cay has another estuary system that we wanted to explore, so we motored up the Sea of Abaco and anchored in the small bay. The wind was picking up and another major storm system was moving in. We were unable to move around the breakwater and enter the stream system. The wind driven waves were just too much for our small dinghy. Reluctantly we moved on the next day for Marsh Harbour to ride out the next storm.
This cruising season has been characterized by many unrealized adventures. Storms have been the norm and we have spent more time hiding out than enjoying the what the Bahamas have to offer. We were and still are very disappointed in this years season. As soon as possible we left Marsh Harbour and made tracks to return to the United States.
Posted in 2012, Trip Log having no comments »















































































