Cat Island

We spent a very rolly couple of nights at Little San Salvador – renamed Half Moon Cay by Holland America Line and had a great time exploring by dinghy. 

 

          Holland America Line               Orange Creek Settlement Cat Island

We did not venture ashore at the cruise ship area even though some cruising friends said no one would mind.  Being tired of not getting a good nights sleep we decided to head over to Cat Island.

We have not been here in a few years and have never ventured all the way south & decided this would be a good time to do just that.  We dropped the hook off of Orange Creek and decided to go to town for lunch.  The anchorage is really beautiful & our guide book said there was a dinghy dock inside Orange Creek proper.  If you look at the photo above – you need to take your dink to the far right side to get around a sandbar and then go all the way past the left side to enter the creek.  It was well worth the trip!

The Orange Creek grocery is surprisingly well stocked.  Ms. Clair who runs the place was very helpful too.  When we mentioned that we were looking for a restaurant for lunch she informed us that the Orange Creek ones had closed but she got on the phone to see who was open.  It seems that “Da Hot Spot” was the only game in town but unfortunately it was 7+ miles away.  She knew we were on a boat  so she offered her son Darrington to drive us.  He was a wonderful man who lives in Apopka, FL but was back on island to help his mom with the maintenance on the Orange Creek Inn.  He drove us there and gave us a lot of information about the people of Cat Island and the southerners (up  south in Bahamas' Speak) too. He introduced us to Melany the proprietor of Da Hot Spot  & off he went.

Well, it seems that Monday is a quiet day on Cat Island & since Melany had Karaoke on Friday night & a birthday party on Saturday night & the liquor store was closed on Sunday all she had was 2 Kalik Gold's.  That is the stronger Kalik!  Out of conch, out of fish, out of chicken, out of peas & rice, out of Mac & Cheese out of plantain, so we had to suffer through cracked lobster & salad!  Delicious!  If you ever go to Arthur Town on Cat Island – go to Da Hot Spot!  Darrington told us that “Da Smoke Pot” is even better than De Hot Spot but we never got the chance…… next time!

     Church @ Orange Creek                  Orange Creek Settlement

There is a place called Shana’s cove just south of Orange Creek so we had to take a look to see if we can anchor there.  It has a couple of restaurants & resorts and enough water for us too…… next time!

                               Tallwoods & Shana’s Cove resorts

When you are cruising, weather is always a factor & there was a strong cold front coming so we needed to find protection.  Looking at the chart, Bennett's Harbour seemed reasonable.  Our chart book said that it was narrow with little swinging room and that was an understatement!  We awoke the next morning with the keel bumping off the sandy bottom!  We never got off the boat there even though just outside of the harbor was a beautiful sandy beach with a few resorts & stores…. next time!

Inside  Bennett’s Harbour  looking out            Hurricane boat @ Bennett’s Harbour

  15- 20 feet of water     15 – 20 feet of water & anchor chain both @ Orange Creek

We were going to head to New Bight but got sidetracked to Rokers.

  Church @ Arthur Town                            Another place to try!

                                            Da Hot Spot from the sea

Rob had wanted to walk to the ocean side & unfortunately my feet will still not cooperate so the next morning I took him to shore in the dink and returned to the boat while he went across the island.  He came back with great treasures including lots of floats that we will use as bar decorations should we ever become clods – Cruisers Living On Dirt – for those not familiar with the term. 

Large Lobsters on the beach                        Ocean side Cat Island

We had decided to head to Stevenson Cay but….. next time!  Instead we ended up at Fernandez Bay.  It is a lovely bay with a resort of the same name there.  Very pricey but the people & food were very good too!

                            Part of the resort at Fernandez Bay

We took the dink into the mangroves adjacent to the resort only to find they had “sign posts” to guide the guests!

      Mangrove signpost                                      Hampshire Rose @ Fernandez Bay

It started to rain & home we went.  Today – Monday 1/27 we are off to New Bight….. maybe!  Right now we are fishing.

Later – Holly & Rob

PS Now in New Bight, Cat Island – landed a mackerel, a small tuna, got 2 barracuda to the boat & released them & had 2 hit & take the lures!  Not a bad day!  Tonight is Happy Hour on Kalissa with Wind Rose, Option 3 & Aloha Friday!

Pete & Jane & Little San Salvador

What a great visit!  Rob & I had gone to the “dinghy dock” down by the airport.  It was the one I used last year when I flew to Florida.  What a difference a year makes!  There are now 3 boats 30-40 feet each & the concrete dock is in even worse shape.  Not sure even I would try to use it now.  Because of that we emailed Pete & Jane to take a taxi to Pascal’s 4-Points restaurant.  The day of their flight arrived & we were really excited about it because they are just too much fun.  About the time their flight should have been leaving Nassau our phone rang with a Bahamian number. (FYI folks, we have a Bahamian cell 242.458.9554 should anyone wish to call$$$)  It was Jane on the other end & their airplane was not a happy plane and they would be delayed.  They were due in at 4pm & that time came & went….. about ten after five we saw a flight land and thought …….hummmm…… a few minutes the phone rang again & they were on their way to Pascal’s! 

Now the weather that day was really not cooperating!  It was chilly (70), cloudy & rainy, not your typical Bahamian winter weather.  But that was OK because our friends had arrived!  We walked around the settlement the next day & showed them the Ocean Hole, Sammy’s introduced them to the Haitian lady who sells veggies and had an all around good time.  Next it was a lovely sail north to Governors Harbour!

                              Ocean Hole @ Rock Sound

We enjoyed it there for a few days & of course the psoriasis on the soles of my feet acted up so Pete & I stayed in town while Rob & Jane went to the Leon Levy Plant Preserve.

                     From the Leon Levy Plant preserve

Later that afternoon Pete & I were back on the boat & Rob & Jane called from Ronnie’s Hi – D- Way so we went to join them & had a wonderful treat of meeting Dr. Seabreeze! Now the good doctor is probably in his late 70’s now but is a very famous Bahamian musician as well as an all round nice man.  We had hoped to sail farther north to Hatchet Bay but the weather wasn’t good so back to Rock Sound to finish seeing what we hadn’t done before which meant a trip over to Nor’tSide to see Rose.  Our friends Phil & Irene joined us and along with a wonderful lunch a good time was had by all!  They are going to try for 2 weeks next year and we hope that happens!  then we could really show them some of the Bahamas!

It was sad to see them leave but there were to be cold fronts every 48 hours for several days & that can be boring as you usually get soaked either coming or going in the dink when the wind is up.  They left on a Wednesday and on Friday we decided to get underway to Little San Salvador.  

Now the cay is called Half Moon Cay and it has the “Authentic Bahamian Village” stop for Holland America & Carnival Cruise Lines.  They offer a lot for the passengers: horseback rides on the beach, sailing, swimming, snorkeling, kite surfing, diving and shore side attractions and that is only what we saw from the boat & dink!

 

We have cruising friends that have said they do not mind if you come ashore with the passengers but we just felt a bit odd about it.  The anchorage there was a bit rolly to say the least so next it is off to Cat Island – a place we have not been to in a number of years.