Today started out beautifully and stayed pretty good all day. We had a good day of sailing today with average waves. I had to pilot today for a while am trying to learn to navigate boat while in full sailing mode. Steve has to rest even in good days you get tired holding that wheel. We had a wonderful day sailing.

Pictures from the Devils Backbone and Harbor Island as well as the Spanish Wells.

Loving the water.

Going down the Devils Backbone

Spanish Wells

Spanish Wells

Harbor Island, Eleuthera

Pink sand beaches of Harbor Island, Eluethera

Pink Sand Beaches Harbor Island, Eleuthera

The Unhappy Devil’s Backbone

The Unhappy Devils Backbone

Today we prepare for a trip through the devils backbone and back to Spanish Wells and then on to Nassau on Tuesday morning. We got up as early as we could and headed out to the Backbone.. We spent the morning getting the boat ready for a bumpy ride just in case the Backbone is unhappy. today. We pulled up anchors and headed out to the Backbone with pretty sunny skies and beautiful blue waters. Once we got out to the Backbone we could see the swells. I will try to upload some pics. We grabbed our life jackets and I fastened myself to the life lines. Here we go just like a roller ride through the azure blue. Up and down sideways and surfing we finally made it to the end of the backbone and into calm water by Spanish Wells. WHEW! safe at last safe at last! Once we got anchored we fired up the grill and cooked steaks while Debbie whipped up some wonderful rice and coleslaw for our steaks. We had a wonderful meal and watched 3 episodes of Frasier and laughed so hard, and believe me we needed to laugh. Steve and I are really enjoying our travels and meeting all these wonderful people. Well goodnight everyone we are headed out to Nassau tomorrow.

Today is pancake day and we are going to church with our friends here. It was a wonderful service and their youth group is coming to TN later this year for a singing talent competition. They sound really good. After that the minister took us out to eat at a small family run restaurant and served us fish, conch, potato salad, cole slaw, tuna salad, macaroni and cheese, and coconut creme pie. The owner served us and his name was Percy. A very nice gentleman who really made us feel welcome. That was a great home cooked Sunday meal. Everyone was having such a good time lunch ran until 3PM. Then back to the boat and some rest before the evening service. I had some sinus issues so i stayed at the boat. Steve told me it was a great service and he really had a good time.

Going to go to the island to wash clothes and explore some more. Started to walk to laundromat and as we walked we came by a cart rental place and decided to rent a cart since we had 3 bags of laundry. I rode in the back seat with the laundry bag and steve had 2 up front. We arrived at the bright purple laundromat and i took the clothes in and started to load the big washer. They cost 2.25 but you are charged 9 dollars per load. It costs 2.25 for the dryers too and that is all they charge probably due to the fact it takes 6.75 to dry them(almost). I finally got through with the clothes, the owner was very nice and had been a world traveler. She was very educated and very nice. Steve did well waiting on the laundry and we finally were off again. with one wet back that didnt dry after three times in dryer and the rest, back to the dinghy, then wet took off on the cart and found the dirt roads(of course golf cart 4 wheeling).Down this dirt road we found the hidden houses of the rich. We went all the way to the end of it up and down hills and bouncing like a four wheeler to the edge of the island by the sea. That was a fun ride we found several different places to buy food and the dentist and another laundromat. After that we went to the boat. We got the clothes unloaded and took our friends David and Debbie back to shore to ride around the island on the golf cart. They were excited to get to see the town as “tourists” because they are usually working with the churches and dont get to see everything. We went back to the pink sand beach and i got a bottle of it to take home. We found a little straw purse stand a little back road and bought a straw purse and Debbie bought a hat and a necklace. We took them to the pizza place ordered a half veggie and half pepperoni and it was delicious. Junk food tastes so good when you cant have it all the time.

Steve and i went to explore the island and find out where everything is. I have his sinus infection i think I have been sniffling all day. We walked to find the laundry and then walked across the island up little  over to the pink sand beach. The sand is pink from ground up conch shells and is very soft to on my feet. I took off my sandals and dug my toes in the sand and walked up the beach. The waves were pulling up sand and slamming it back down on the beach with gentle force. The water here is beautiful and the skies are so blue. It is a little windy today. But there are a few people on the beach.  We climbed a hill and went back down some more little roads to the main road and saw a church with a bunch of people carrying out lunch trays so we went in. There was a young lady taking money at the front so we paid her and stood in line to be served a tray full of BBQ chicken and ribs potatoe salad cole slaw lobster or bean rice and macaroni and cheese. We went back to the pizza place bought a drink and sat outside and ate. It was such good food. I bought a small cup of mint chocolate chip ice cream (cant believe i found it here). We walked through town a little more and decided to call it a day.We had walked several miles and headed back to the dinghy at the little dock in the middle of the wall and we had to be there before the tide went down to make sure we could get the dinghy back out without it being grounded. We got in the dinghy and took off to the boat. We had pork chops and mac and cheese. Steve cooked since i didnt feel well. After that we fell asleep, oh we did watch Rocky. We found these DVDs mixed in with some of my old ones. Goodnight everyone. 🙂

Moved boat back to the cove after waiting out the storm. It was much calmer when we anchored back out by the city.

Ok had a wonderful meal last night of Conch Fritters and Conch Salad. We ate with David and Debbie at a little place by the water and watched a beautiful sunset. There several multi million dollar yachts here. This is a small island so I guess this is where some people come to get away from everything 🙂 Steve and I saw a few high end restaurants that cater to the rich and they have several resorts on the beach, the pink sand beach on the other side of the island. We are moving our boat again today so whew up with the anchors and across the baywhere the wind will be blowing much less. We will stay there and come back to bay close to town when the storm moves away. The other side of the bay is the place of three islands called the three sisters. Each island has a private resident on it. Behind those is the other side of Eleuthera ands Spanish Wells. So we have plenty of protection. Well we are anchored out and have found out that there are two lobsters living below us. And there are thousands of flies here! Yuk! So begins the massacre. Flies Beware! I sat on the stern and finished the para cord rope to pull up the swim platform with. After that we retired to bed to end another exciting day in the Bahamas!

Up and on our way to the dinghy wall to go tour the island. Steve and I took off to the Gap for some breakfast. They had Omelets and great French toast. We walked down the little streets and found a computer store / realty co. The owner was very nice and advised us we could bring our computer to his office and use his Internet anytime. He told us he had been to Tn and Lookout Mtn. The next small store we stopped at the owner said she also had been to lookout Mtn to seminars at Covenant College.  Everyone here seems to eWorld together. The grocery store was really nice an clean. Prices are higher but not too bad. We bought some stuff for Steve’s sinuses and walked back toward the quilt shop and the museum. Since we are leaving for Spanish Wells this afternoon we don’t have time to make an appt to see it.  We made it back to the boat and prepared for the ride to Harbor Island through the devil’s backbone. Our guide is very good and got us through it no problem. It was a beautiful day and a beautiful ride. I saw so much beautiful scenery and the water was gloriously beautiful. We came in to the harbor and anchored out and prepared to go in and eat. We will have to move to the other side of the bay tomorrow due to a front coming in. Then we will come back and anchor out here again to be close to the Mecca here! Lol

After that horrible day we got up after sleeping late and getting a little rest. Our friend Captain David and hIs wife also got up reviewed their damage to the boat and we sailed over to an island called Spanish Wells. We anchored in a protective cove and just sat back for a while and rested. Believe me after that ride you need days to recuperate. That evening we went over to the island to a little restaurant called The Generation Gap. You walk in and right away notice the hand painted fish on the walls the plastic chairs and tables and an old time cafe feel. The waitress was very nice as she took our orders. Cheeseburgers in paradise that is what we had. You have to eat a lot of fresh seafood out here and we miss the old burger every once in a while. The town is very neat and clean with trash barrels every 50 feet almost. It is a fishing village with (from what i hear) the best fisherman in the aCaribbean. It is really clean here. Headed back to the dinghy we have to climb a ladder off the water wall. The tide was down so we had to climb down into the dinghy which was almost on ground by now. We made it in safely with some fancy maneuvering and headed back out to the boats which were only about 100 feet away from the main street. The water goes up to a wall that you climb up and BOOM your on a main street. Gotta watch the traffic because it is all opposite of the US over here. But most of it is golf carts and small cars. Tomorrow Steve and I will tour the town while i friends visit with their other friends here on the island. After that we are going to go to Harbor Island by way of the Devils Backbone. It is a very dangerous passage due the coral heads and the waves shoving you into them.

CAPTAINS LOG: Having to use a Bahamian anchor procedure here where you put out two anchors parallel to each other to prevent swinging and safety in case one anchor slips.