Nippers on Great Guana Cay to Man of War Cay
Trip Start
Jul 21, 2001
1
43
45
Trip End
Apr 22, 2002
Man of War Cay,
Bahamas
Tuesday, January 29, 2002
We could have easily spent a week at Treasure Cay resort but we knew that we'd be returning when our company came so we headed off to Bakers Bay, on Great Guana Cay. Bakers Bay was dredged out by Treasure Cay Limited in 1989-1990 and the land developed for use by cruise ships. In 1993, the experiment was declared a failure due to the constant uncertainties of the ships being able to make it through the Whale and Loggerhead channel. When weather didn't permit entry, the ships had to be diverted to the city of Nassau. People who had paid a hefty sum of money to be transported to a wilderness area were very disappointed. When the company dissolved, they merely walked away from all their buildings leaving everything to the jungle to reclaim. Abandoned, it has a ghost town quality about it.
Wood and tile walkways lead from a huge dock to lovely and well made buildings scattered around the island: a beautiful amphitheater of rough-hewn logs, several tiki bars surrounded by fragrant red flowers, dining rooms, cafeterias and stages, basketball courts and playgrounds all left for the jungle to reclaim. Behind one building, I came across the remains of jet skis, all in a line, stripped of their motors but waiting silently for people who would never again enjoy a ride on them.
January 27
We decided to go with Martin and Pauline from FOREVER YOUNG to snorkel the reef off the north west end of the Cay. It was a good distance off , so we both took our dinghies for safety reasons. Protecting the Abacos is the world's third largest barrier reef. We dove some of it at Moraine near the northern end and now wanted to see what this middle area was like. Wonderful!
This was only Margaret's second time snorkeling and she was a bit hesitant to swim too close to the reef and soon went back to the dinghy. Martin had brought his pole spear so the three of us continued to look for lobster. Shortly afterwards, I saw that Margaret had returned to the water on her own and, with her courage up, we swam over the reef area instead of just at the wall.
With the swells from the ocean you have to be very careful swimming over the top of a reef as four feet can easily become one foot in the trough of a wave. The area was teaming with fish of all sizes and colours and we would have stayed longer but as we crossed over the top to the ocean side we ran into a school of six barracuda just hanging in the water watching us. GOODBYE!!! As we headed back to the dinghy one barracuda about five feet long followed us. We made sure not to look at him directly so we would not appear threatening in any way but he watched us until we were back in the dinghy and then slowly slipped away back to the reef wall.
Martin and Pauline didn't have any luck lobster hunting but we had a great day. No matter how careful you are, you always take in some salt water and it is good to bring fresh water or soda with you to drink at the end of a dive. You'll note our wet suits. The water was a warm 72F (23C) but time passes so quickly when you're fascinated with the reef and the fish that a half hour to an hour seems like five to ten minutes and suddenly you are quite chilled.
January 28
A beautiful sunny day saw our three boats heading southeast along Great Guana Cay which is one of the longest in the Abaco group. It has perfect sand beaches that stretch for miles on both the Atlantic and the Sea of Abaco side. We anchored off the little village at Settlement Harbour. The settlement is one of the smallest in the central part of the Abacos - the latest survey listed only 95 residents - but this is the home of Nippers Beach Bar and Grill. The opening of Nippers a few years ago has brought large numbers of cruisers, tourists and area residents to the cay. It is located a short walk from the settlement high on a dune overlooking the beach and the ocean reef.
We landed with our dive gear and were pleasantly surprised to be met at the dock by a golf cart from Nippers. The ladies took our gear and had a pleasant little ride as we men walked through the quiet village. What a contrast when we reached Nippers. This was Sunday and the weekly pig roast would be held that afternoon and the crowd was starting early. Everyone enjoyed sunbathing on the beautiful beach, snorkeling the reef just offshore and Margaret and Judy enjoyed a long leisurely walk along the dunes.
After a wonderful relaxing afternoon, we hoisted anchor and sailed to Man of War Cay a short 7 miles away. This Cay has two of the best harbours in the Abacos, safe in any weather. We entered the southern anchorage and found it filled with moorings with almost all being taken. Finally NICOU and MYSTIC LOON found a mooring we could share but FOREVER YOUNG (42 feet long and 21 feet wide) had to anchor outside the harbour. We ended a perfect day with supper for everyone aboard Mystic Loon.
January 29
We dinghied over to the village of Man of War in the northern anchorage. This is a deeply religious community and at one time quite puritanical. It is one of the few white communities in the Abacos. Until recently a black person working in the community had to leave at the end of the work day. The sale of liquor is forbidden on the island and visitors are advised to wear more modest clothing than on other islands.
I found the people to be very friendly and they went out of their way to respond to questions. One of the more unusual stores on the island is Alburys Sail Shop. All of the brightly coloured canvas garments and accessories are made from 8-ounce cotton duck which once served as sailcloth for the community's boats. A note states that when synthetic sails came into vogue, four generations of Albury women put the sail cloth and their talents to work to produce these unique products.
The wonderful weather continued and in the afternoon we enjoyed a perfect lazy sail to Marsh Harbour.
