We spent a day at Spanish Cay doing laundry and taking a walk around. I was introduced to Bahamian beer pricing in the store: $5 a bottle in singles for the local Kalik, more for imports. We left on Wednesday, intending to go to Green Turtle Cay and had a rollicking good sail of it overhauling a couple of other sailboats. However our 6.5' draft was too deep to go into either White or Black sound, and the roadstead anchorage in front of the Government Dock was getting pretty choppy as the wind clocked into the southeast. The guide books have this also as having a reputation for dubious holding, combining that with what promised to be a wet dinghy ride into town we went across the Sea of Abaco to the "mainland" side and anchored in a small bight just northwest of the ferry dock. We were happy with that decision as the wind continued to clock into the southwest and strengthened to about 20, with a bit of rain and lightning for interest.

On Thursday with light wind we went through the Whale Cay channels and around to Marsh Harbor. We started intending to motor only through the cuts and then sail, but back in the Sea of Abaco the wind lightened further, so we motored with 3 knots true on the stern carefully into the rather shallow harbor, finding the deep spot shown on the charts (11 feet) and dropped anchor among the crowd already there, among them Gorgeous Girl of Belfast, Maine with Chris and Sally Gordon aboard. We spent a short while plying them with questions, trying to soak up their experience with the islands.

Today we braved the frequent rain showers and explored the town: an odd mixture of 3rd world and modern facilities. Excellent cinnamon buns at the Island Bakery, anti-itch remedies for Ann who had been attacked on Spanish Cay by vicious and unrelenting no see ums, a few grocery items, and then what appears to be the only coffee shop in town, "Java", which also seems to have the fastest internet connection. We are thinking of going around the corner and south tomorrow to stage for the sail to Eleuthera. We will have to get to the fuel dock here near high tide and still get over the shallow at Lubber's bank at half tide or more. We are discovering the disadvantages of 6.5' draft in the Bahamas!(nl)