Life in the Slow Lane (The Pearl)

Mar. 26 - Man-O-War Cay

Man-O-War Mooring Field

I love the sea's sounds and the way it reflects the sky. The colors that shimmer across its surface are unbelievable. This, combined with the color of the water over white sand, surprises me every time." —John Dyer

We went back to the grocery store this morning and picked up a few more things and then wandered through what they call the marina district. It had a few nice gift shops and three or four upscale places to eat, but to us it didn't seem to offer much else...not a place we'd want to spend much time. So we finished our to do list by filling our water tanks at one of the marinas and we headed back to Man-O-War.

We had plenty of sunshine today but the wind has really picked up. We had a choppy ride across the Sea of Abaco, we picked up a mooring and spent the rest of the afternoon just hanging around the boat listening to the wind howl. We'll probably spend the next few days here waiting for the weather system to move through and then hopefully spend the first of the week snorkeling a little south of here. We will then start moving north, visiting places we missed on the way south.

Fresh vegetables and lamb for dinner

Our neighbors blowing their conchs at sunset

Mar. 25 – Marsh Harbour, Great Abaco Island

Marsh Harbour – Anchorage

“One learns first of all in beach living the art of shedding; how little one can get along with, not how much.” —Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Our plan today was to move to a marina in Marsh Harbour so we could provision, wash clothes, wash the boat and fill our water tanks, but the marinas were full. The wind has picked up and rain is predicted for the next few days, so I guess a lot of other people had the same idea. No one wants to give up a good day to take care of necessities. Since there was no room at the "Inn" we anchored in the harbor with another 50 boats.

The dinghy dock is pretty close to the two large grocery stores and laundromat, so our first run to town was to buy groceries and check out exactly where the laundromat was. Marsh Harbour is the third largest city in the Bahamas and Abaco's commercial hub. It definitely doesn't have the same cuteness and charm as the small settlements, but it does have everything a cruiser needs. Maxwell's is the nicest grocery store and we felt like we were back in the States. The prices were very comparable to those in Florida with meat prices cheaper than we pay at home.

We returned to the boat with fresh meat and vegetables...our first since leaving Marathon. We actually have been doing well on most items. We just ran out of a few things this week. Our next job was to wash clothes. Something else we haven't done in 3 1/2 weeks. We loaded the dinghy and then lugged everything about half a mile to the laundromat. While I did the laundry Stan went to the bank and ran a few other errands. He returned to the laundromat just as the skies opened up and it began to pour. The rain took care of job #3...washing the boat, but we were stuck at the laundromat as the streets began to flood.

About two hours later when the rain lightened up a little we wadded through puddles and made our way back to the dinghy dock. As we headed back to the boat it began to rain AGAIN. We took care of two normally routine jobs today, jobs that we take for granted when we're home, but getting them done here took most of our day. Most days the cruising life is fun, but it's not always glamorous.

The street in front of the laundromat when the rain started

The street after a little rain

Mar. 24 – Man-O-War Cay

Man-O-War Harbor Mooring Field

“We know only too well that what we are doing is nothing more than a drop in the ocean. But if the drop were not there, the ocean would be missing something.” —Mother Teresa

We finally pulled out of Hope Town Harbor this morning. We had rain during the night, but this morning was sunny with light winds, a great day to be on the Sea of Abaco. It was nice to have the rain during the night, it gave The Pearl a much needed bath…we’ve been collecting a lot of salt the past few weeks. Our destination today was Man-O-War Cay, just five miles north of Elbow Cay.

Man-O-War Cay, more than any other island in the Abacos, has retained the strongest ties with boat building, boat transportation and boat maintenance. It’s the boat building capital of the region. The Albury family, which founded this cay, once built remarkably large sailing schooners here. They still built hand crafted boats on the island and run the Albury’s Ferry Service, which provides service from Marsh Harbour, Hope Town, Man-O-War, and Great Guana Cay.

This island is only about 2 miles long and at the "Narrows" it isn’t much wider than 20 yards. There are no cars on the island and the best way to get around is either by walking, golf cart or bicycles. As with neighboring cays, Man-O-War was settled by Loyalists and a trip to this cay is like stepping back in time. The pastel colored homes and white picket fences make visitors feel like they are visiting a New England fishing village.

The island is quiet and has beautiful beaches, which we spent time exploring this afternoon. But the main reason I wanted to come to Man-O-War was to visit the Albury's Sail Shop. It’s a family-owned business that has been operating for three generations on MOW. They make all kinds of totes, bags and other accessories from bright sturdy canvas fabric, the kind that was traditionally used for sails. All the items are made on site by the ladies of Man-O-War and can only be purchased here...no online sales, no catalogs.

Albury Sail Shop

You can get things in all sizes and colors

This display shows some of the sizes they carry. I bought a sling bag like the one on the right, but mine is made out of Androsia Fabric (canvas).

This is my bag. All the bags are a little expensive, but you can only get them here. This sling bag was $70. the bags on the table above run from $40-$110 depending on size.

Annie, using the same sew machine her grandmother and mother used to sew sails and then bags for the Sail Shop

The "Narrows" - the Sea of Abaco on one side and the Atlantic on the other. What a great view that house has...they get a clear view of the sunrise and sunset.