Bahamas - Great Inagua, Touring the Island

Karen made an arrangement with Henry to take us on a Tour of the Island, and so early Monday morning, with little wind we hoisted our StaSail, for which at long last the Roller Furler and Foils had been repaired, and then we used the StaSail to sail the few miles south to Matthew Town. We anchored just out of the Harbor.

We picked Duane and Karen up in the Dinghy and went ashore at the Harbor to meet Henry in his Bahamas National Trust vehicle, for whom he oversees the National Park daily.

Inside the SUV we were 3 up front and back

Once outside the town it was a well graded road that we traveled on to the Morton Salt Works

Henry explained the Salt process to us. Apparently next to each Salt Pan, and alongside the road, trenches are dug. These are then filled with Salt water, graded 3 - somehow the remove some of the water and concentrate the salt water

When deemed right, the sluice gates are opened and generators pump the water from the troughs into the Salt Pans

The Pan is left for 3 to 6 months, and they monitor the depth with strategically placed sticks with measurements marked on them. Some Pans and they get lower exhibit a pinkish color.

This Pan is almost ready for excavation

We stopped to watch the Salt gathering process. A Grader drives scraping up side mounds of Salt, like they do with snow

Then a machine drives over the mounds and sucks up the Salt simultaneously pouring it into dump trucks 

    

Karen picked up some Salt and you can see how coarse it is

Unfortunately the Morton Salt Works no longer allow tours inside the facility, so we drove around their fence peering in

This is fresh sea water and the clarity is amazing. Mangroves growing all around

 

The water flows into the Morton Plant and is used for the Salt Pans, and they make a very concentrated Salt water solution from this fresh water which is used to ‘wash’ the salt from the Pans prior to loading on the ships

Conveyor belt

Big ship, which loads via the conveyor belt in about 24 hours and then ships to the USA for final processing and packaging

Nicholas, Duane and Karen inspecting the water as it flows under the road into Mortons facility

Next on our Tour is to see the Flamingo birds, which is in the Inagua National Park. Here is Henry our Tour Guide

The roads in the National Park are far narrower than around the Salt Pans and we had trees slapping on and into the windows

Some of the scenery was Outlandish

And then we saw the Flamingoes

And more further along

And more again with the Salt works in the background

Unfortunately we came across a dead Flamingo in the road

We had to stop to gather some of the amazing colored feathers

After we left the Park we were amazed to see wild Cotton Plants on the side of the road. WOW

Driving through Matthew Town, this is the Police Station

The old Salt Warehouse

Immigration and Customs

Our next stop was at a small grocery store so that Jenny could buy cigarettes as she had 1 pack left….I bought bananas, and Karen a few fresh produce too

Our next stop is at the Great Inagua Lighthouse. Here Henry left us, this is him driving out

The Lighthouse was stunning 

And we had to climb to the top

Looking out of a picturesque window

The old Kerosene equipment which used to power the Light

The view from the top balcony walk around 

The top Lighthouse dome, Nicholas with the new electric Light

We’re all exhausted and we walked the 100m to the Lighthouse Restuarant for Rum Punches, Kalik, and Curried chicken with sides for lunch

Back aboard our boats, the anchorage at Matthew Town is horrible so we upped anchor and sailed north about 10 miles to the Man O War Bay

Another view of the loading of the Ship at Morton Salt Works

Bahamas - Great Inagua, Matthew Town, Waiting out a Big Blow

We are tucked up in Matthew Town Bay, just south of Devils Point for the blow today and tomorrow.

Strong winds but flat waters with just a slight sway with the swell.

We’ve had 3 dolphins playing and diving and fishing around Meshugga for about 3 hours. They are always just too far away for a good photo, and when the do come close, ie right up to the back steps, we don’t have a camera ready.

This beautiful 3 masted schooner came sailing gracefully past us

Karen took this amazing looking photo of Meshugga, with the skies threateningly purple, and the turquoise Bahamas water. Stunning!

With horrible weather, we invited Duane and Karen to come to Meshugga for an afternoon of Games, we played Mexican Trains…

And dinner of Pizza. I made vegetarian for Jenny and Karen, and Duane, Nicholas and I had meaty ham and toppings 

Always fun to have Karen and Duane for company

 

Bahamas - Great Inagua, Diving for Lobster

A look at the weather, and we saw that we had a weather window of 1-2 days to head the the south section of Great Inagua to do some Lobster diving. Thereafter we have a big blow coming through and we need to be safely anchored on the western shore in the bays.

We waited for the DockMaster George to arrive for work at 8am, and paid him the mooring fee of $10 per boat per night, and George helped us cast off

 

As we left, looking back at Sojourn at her dock

Meshugga leaving the Harbor, (thank Karen for this photo)

Looking back at the entrance to the Harbor (photos for our future reference)

The Mailboat dock on the RHS were we have to tie up

Along the way Nicholas prepping lures for fishing

Arriving at our anchorage for the day/night at Conch Shell Bay we had to cross a bar. Sojourn was safely in and when we went in, it was 2 hours before low - we touched hard numerous times and had to power through. Hope the skegs are not too damaged!

Inside the cut, a beautiful white beach and very protected waters

We went for a dive, and it was a wonderful dive for seeing fish, but no Lobster for anyone

(thanks Karen for the photo)

Sunset.

We had Karen and Duane aboard for a Chicken and Turkey Wings BBQ with sides and Fresh Fruit Salad and Ice Cream for Dessert

Karen’s suggestion was that, tomorrow, we go diving at a further reef in the morning using our big dinghy, but then we would miss the tide to get out of the anchorage. Sojourn only draws 4 foot, we are 5.5 foot, so a dive and a later departure was not good for Meshugga. We also did not want to get trapped in the anchorage as when the wind rises, the swell breaks in the cut and would make a departure dangerous for Meshugga.

So, on the high tide at 8.30 am we left, thankfully with no grounding. Sojourn came too.

We had decided to head more east to another anchorage, but the swell was terrible and we were heading straight into the wind. We persevered for 15 minutes only making 1 mile under motor, and as it was 10 miles to the next anchorage both Sojourn and us, gave up and called it a day, turning around.

These two photos of Meshugga show the swell and the pitch movement even on our boat

(Thanks Karen for these photos)

Sojourn headed back to Matthew Town. We decided to stop at a reef and try our hand at diving again.

Jenny helping Nicholas by applying Vaseline to his top lip to help his mask seal with his short beard

Diving, the clarity of the water was amazing. Pole Spear for spearing Lobster

I think these are File Fish

Lots of beautiful Fan Corals

?? I’ll have to look this one up

This one too

Nicholas diving in every hole to find those elusive Lobsters

After an hour I’m back aboard the dinghy and Jenny is still suntanning

Keeping watch on Nicholas

 

Heading back to Meshugga

Nicholas’s amazing haul. 8 Lobsters, 3 Huge and 5 Big and 1 Coral Trout.

The Coral Trout, dressed, filleted was 2kg.

We went out again after this photo was taken and Nicholas dived out the 8th Lobster (not shown)

I was most happy that I had spotted 1 Lobster and called Nicholas to come shoot it.

The cigarette box in the photo is so you can see how large these Lobsters are

Two of the biggest, they weighed 5 pounds and 5.5 pounds

Having cleaned, vacuumed sealed and frozen the Tails, we steamed the heads. We discarded the head and had a feast of Legs and Antennas prior to dinner

Definitely the best haul of Lobster in the Bahamas ever!!!!

Bahamas - Long Island, Calabash Bay to Great Inagua, Matthew Town

We have a weather window, that allows us to head south to Great Inagua some 200 miles South-East of us. The normal wind is East to South East, and so we needed a window with a northerly wind to sail to Great Inagua, and to help flatten the seas

We left at 7am on Tuesday 1 March, with a beautiful double ended rainbow over the yachts at anchor

Sailing north we bypassed the Columbus Monument

We then headed to the east of Long Island and then south, ie: in the Atlantic Ocean, with no protection from all the Bahamian barrier islands. 

Nicholas on duty

Light winds, we hoisted the Genneker

I always do the Graveyard shift so I was early to bed, to be on watch 1am to sunrise

Nicholas took this stunning photo of sunrise, as he takes over from me, whilst I go down for another couple of hours sleep

Arriving at Matthew Town harbor at 3pm (Karen, thanks for these photos)

Tying up at the dock, we had to go onto the ‘wall’ where the Mailboat ties up

Thanks to George the DockMaster and Duane for taking my lines

Sunset at the dock

The DockMaster, George’s office. Ablutions on the RHS

Heading over to Sojourn for dinner

The docks where all the other yachts are tied up

Duane caught this monster of a Mahi-Mahi, and they (Karen and Duane) invited us to dinner on Sojourn for BBQ’ed Mahi-Mahi and sides. The Best fish we have eaten in ages. Thank you!