Wednesday, April 1, 2009
April Fools’ Day or not—it was a perfect day for sailing along the shallow banks south of Eleuthera. This was not one of those ocean passages, so all we had to do was find a good breezy day and check the charts to be sure we knew where we were going. Governors Harbour was our next stop from Rock Sound. You can understand why we were looking forward to visiting Governors Harbour after you read this quote from our favorite cruising guide: “As the first capital of the Bahamas, Governor’s Harbour ran the country for a time. It presents an appealing picture of colonial houses and businesses colorfully placed on the steep hill around the harbour’s gentle arc. Beautiful homes with bougainvillea cascading over garden walls enhance an architecturally charming community. The antique remains of buildings on Cupid’s Cay [the south end of the settlement] testify to a long history of settlement in the region, particularly as the original headquarters of 17th century Eleutheran Adventurers who came seeking freedom in 1649. A walkabout in town is so pleasing to the eye that you’ll hardly notice that you’ve climbed a 142-foot hill. Because of its charm and its many facilities, it makes a worthwhile cruising stop.” (Explorer Chartbook of Far Bahamas by Monty and Sara Lewis)
Please notice that not all sailing days involve crashing waves and reefing down sails to maintain control of the boat. Oh no—some sailing days are very peaceful and calm. As you can see, the autopilot is steering and John is reading. This was a 4 ½ hour sail to Governors Harbour and every minute of it was this relaxing! We think that this is the kind of sailing that most people think about when they say, “Man, I wish I were out there sailing with you guys!” Yep! A perfect kind of sail! Wish you all could have joined us!
April Fools’ Day or not—it was a perfect day for sailing along the shallow banks south of Eleuthera. This was not one of those ocean passages, so all we had to do was find a good breezy day and check the charts to be sure we knew where we were going. Governors Harbour was our next stop from Rock Sound. You can understand why we were looking forward to visiting Governors Harbour after you read this quote from our favorite cruising guide: “As the first capital of the Bahamas, Governor’s Harbour ran the country for a time. It presents an appealing picture of colonial houses and businesses colorfully placed on the steep hill around the harbour’s gentle arc. Beautiful homes with bougainvillea cascading over garden walls enhance an architecturally charming community. The antique remains of buildings on Cupid’s Cay [the south end of the settlement] testify to a long history of settlement in the region, particularly as the original headquarters of 17th century Eleutheran Adventurers who came seeking freedom in 1649. A walkabout in town is so pleasing to the eye that you’ll hardly notice that you’ve climbed a 142-foot hill. Because of its charm and its many facilities, it makes a worthwhile cruising stop.” (Explorer Chartbook of Far Bahamas by Monty and Sara Lewis)
Please notice that not all sailing days involve crashing waves and reefing down sails to maintain control of the boat. Oh no—some sailing days are very peaceful and calm. As you can see, the autopilot is steering and John is reading. This was a 4 ½ hour sail to Governors Harbour and every minute of it was this relaxing! We think that this is the kind of sailing that most people think about when they say, “Man, I wish I were out there sailing with you guys!” Yep! A perfect kind of sail! Wish you all could have joined us!
This is our first view of the settlement at Governors Harbour through the lifelines of our boat.
Then as we searched for an anchor spot, we spied a boat that looked very familiar to us—a 40 foot wooden (solid teak) ketch with beautiful bright work. It just had to be Carl and Reva’s boat Three Belles from Beaufort, NC! Sure enough! We hailed them on the VHF after we got anchored and they dinghied over to visit! How great is that? Here is a picture of Carl and Reva in our cockpit.
These last shots are of Governors Harbour. Charming, isn’t it?
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