Fishers Bay,
Great Guana Cay
Bahamas
26.40.182N
77.07.293W

9.1NM
5.6 Avg
6.5 Max
1.37 Hrs.

Current Odom: 7932.7 NM

What is that big star shining so brightly? Could it be the sun? We haven’t seen it in so long, we may be mistaken. Whatever it was, it did stay out the rest of the day.

As you may know, the Bahamas had been our annual vacation spot for several years leading up to our sabbatical. However, as a vacation spot, we had no need to search out the necessities of cruising, ie. Grocery stores, Laundromats, hardware, etc. So Bob & Karen on Annabelle II volunteered to show us around the cruising side of Marsh Harbor.

Dale was in search of a 2 cup coffee pot and I needed to stock up on a few fresh vegetables. We searched the various stores on our way to the supermarket but when we found a coffee pot that might have fit the bill, it cost more than twice the amount we thought it should, so we kept walking. The supermarket we found was well stocked and I was able to find everything I needed and a few things that I didn’t need but got anyway. Bob and I split the fare of a cab to take the bags of groceries back to the dinghy dock while Dale checked out one more store for a coffee pot and Karen went to another grocery store for the few items left on her list. Then it was back to our respective boats to quickly put away the groceries before lifting our anchors and making our way over to Fisher’s Bay on Great Guana Cay.

In years past, we have taken a mooring inside Orchid Bay on Great Guana but this year, we were surprised to see that they have added a new dock where the deeper moorings once sat. This new dock is for the very, very large power boats. Even though we have been relegated to the anchorage to the north of Orchid Bay, Bob assured us that the people-watching is just as amusing at Nippers when you dinghy in. So we made plans to meet at the dock closer to the dinner hour to get good seats for the free entertainment and weren’t disappointed when we climbed the hill to the colorful establishment at the top.

The view overlooking the beach and outlying reef is still just as breathtaking as it ever was and there were a good number of people enjoying the snorkeling and sunbathing that they offered. The two pools were packed with vacationers and the bar stereo was blaring Jimmy Buffet songs for the whole island to hear. We took a table on one of the upper decks with a roof and ordered some conch fingers and French fries to help in moderating the effects of the Nipper Trippers that found their way to our table. One thing about anchoring around the corner from here is that we had to leave before the “party” really took off, so that we could make our way back to our boats with plenty of light. Not a problem really as no one in our group is into the “mosh pit” type of gatherings.

We made our way back to the Palace in time to watch the sunset and Dale blew his conch horn to mark the time. Tomorrow we might actually get to go snorkeling.


Photos: Bob & Karen from Annabelle II
Dale & his conch horn