Leaving Rock Point we were headed 25 Nautical Miles north to Governors Harbor. The weather was a little windier than forecasted but the cruise was fine. Upon arrival at Governors Harbor all the iffy reviews we read came true. After trying to set the anchor twice, we decided to abort and move to our plan B.
Unfortunately, it was not that easy, upon retrieving the anchor it discovered it was hooked on a rope/cable. Thank goodness for the clear water, we could see how the rope was caught and twisted the boat to shake the rope off the anchor. Major crisis averted! After moving a mile to a better anchorage and setting the anchor, we quickly decided the wind and rolling seas were not was not as predicted. Rechecking the weather and still rocking and rolling, we pulled the anchor and started to move to plan C.
Segment Stats
We headed for Hatchet Bay Pond which was 18 Nautical Miles (2 hours 21 minutes) away but was a safe, protected harbor in any wind. It was a bright, sunny day with high winds and an upset sea state. Wind from the west with 4-5 foot waves broadside made for an uncomfortable cruise. In the end, we got a good anchor set, a protected harbor and a visit to Hatchet Bay which was not on our list of places to stop.
Boaters Heaven Bar
Boaters Heaven owner Emmette is a gracious host who entertained the cruisers with music including his own songs about Eleuthera. Quite a few rounds of “No island will keep you smiling like Eleuthera” was sung! The lyrics were great and Emmette enjoyed sharing his talents with the cruisers. We grabbed dinner from the connecting variety store and we agreed it was the best fish sandwich we have had.
Emmette’s Farm
While chatting with Emmette in between his songs, he told us about farming on the island. While we were intrigued and asked questions, he offered to take interested cruisers to tour his farm. The next morning, along with the crew from Who Dat (Scott and Amy) we meet Emmette to tour his farm. After turning down a tree lined, dirt road, he stopped the car. Umm? He then pushed some brush away and lead us through a narrow path that opened up to a huge farm area. We were quite amazed with his farm, every bit of produce was randomly planted and doing well.
Hatchet Bay Caves
A bit out of Tracy’s comfort zone but what an amazing experience to explore the caves on Hatchet Bay. It is DARK and we probably could have used better flashlights. Sneakers would have been a better choice over sandals for the uneven, shaky, wet rocks that we needed to walk on. The cave about a mile long of twisting passages and is full of stalactites, stalagmites and columns. It is an active system and growth continues. There is a thin twine rope across the bottom to help guide you back out.
Second Best
We met Jerry, Linda and Marley in Cape May, NJ and have been meeting up from time to time along the way. They are preparing to head back to the East Coast and home to Ohio. We made it a point to get one last dinner together. We never imagined the extent of the social part of the cruising lifestyle. Second Best has certainly been great boat buddies and friends.
