Passage to Hopetown

Tonight we are anchored off Egg Island in northern Eleuthera.

After we left Green Turtle Cay a few days ago, we went to Marsh Harbor and then to Hopetown. Both places were badly damaged by Hurricane Dorian.

While Marsh Harbor resembled a ghost town after a nuclear bomb explosion, Hopetown had more promising signs of rebuilding and regrowth. Still, it will be a long while before the Abacos will be back to its pre-hurricane state. That isn't to say they don't welcome visitors and cruisers. In fact, they need them more now than ever!

In Hopetown, we walked around town, got a takeout pizza (a real treat!), played on the beach and hung out with boat friends.

When we got up two days ago in Hopetown, we decided that if we didn't leave that day, we would likely be stuck for another week before a good weather window presented itself.

So with a heavy heart, we bid farewell to our boat friends and sailed down to Lynard Cay to stage for our crossing over to Eleuthera early the next morning.

It's always hard to say goodbye to friends. Saying goodbye to cruising friends is harder for some reason. That special time you spent together was short and sweet, and you both know it was one of those precious gifts where chance and luck brought you together in the first place.

Yesterday we left at first light and sailed and motored all the way to Egg Island in Northern Eleuthera, where we are anchored now.

The passage took just over 10 hours and it was a brilliant day on the water. We went from seeing 0.5 feet on our depth sounder to having it max out at 999 feet. In the charts, the depths we sailed through were marked as 7000 feet! Imagine that!

Just as the sun set last night, we came into the sheltered bay to set our anchor and the wind began to pick up. It has continued to blow steadily all of last night and today.

The boat has been rocking so badly we have to hold on to something to just walk around down below. If this was the beginning of our cruising journey, we'd all be vying for the sink or toilet to be sick in. Oh, we have come far!

Since it was too choppy to get off via dinghy today, we had another onboard boat day.

Days like today feel like a nautical version of hygge, feeling safe, warm and cozy when it is dark and stormy outside. We wore comfy clothes, drank hot drinks, baked fresh bread, played board games and read books. Just missing the wood burning fire!

This evening I was reminded again how valuable it is to do 'nothing' all day. No outside distraction and no hope of going off the boat, so we all hunker down and play.

We have had plenty of these boat days lately since these wind storms seem to happen every few days. We have become accustomed to these 'do nothing' days and although sometimes we go a bit stir crazy (especially after three days or so), generally it has been a fabulous experience.

We have never played so many board games as a family than in the last few months onboard.

We all read a lot more and we discuss things a lot more.

Over time, I have learned to trust the boat so much. Every moan and creak doesn't freak me out anymore like it did in the beginning. She is solid, heavy and well-built to withstand heavy winds and seas. A sturdy gal indeed.

Tomorrow the winds are still strong but not gale force.

We have decided to treat ourselves and go to a marina in Spanish Wells about 8 miles away to simply use their showers and washing machines.

It's not cheap but at this rate, we would pay big bucks to feel clean and salt-free, even if it only lasts a couple of hours.

Besides the odd bucket rinse and solar bag shower on deck, we haven't had a 'real' shower in 25 days.... But who's counting?

I desperately want to wash our sheets and towels and every item of salty clothing as well. In a washing machine. Not in our salad spinner contraption.

So I hope the next time I update will be after we clean ourselves up and have what I anticipate will be The Best Shower of This Decade ever.

Passage planning to Eleuthera.

Sunrise just as we weigh anchor. It doesn´t get better than this.

Watching the SpaceX launch of the test launch and abort system while we were 
underway on the tablet. Tai is ALL about rockets and space at the moment.

Mangled mangroves as we enter Hope Town.

The swings survived!

The Goodness Tour strikes again... This mural was stunning and captured 
the essence of Hopetown completely.

Awesome surf at Hopetown beach.

Boat kids playing on the damaged playground at Hopetown School.

Yup, that's a boat washed up on land.

Solar panels were installed on the cemetery grounds to provide some 
basic power for rebuilding in Hopetown.

Apparently a little lizard lives in the mini house... 
He hasn't been seen since the hurricane though.

Aila and Marleigh getting started on their sand village.

Sunset at anchor at northern Eleuthera! We made it just in time for more gale winds! 

Playing Power Grid today, 3.5 hours of intense bidding, buying and powering cities. 
This was after an intense game of Catan this morning! 
Don't know how the little pieces didn't roll off the table more than they did! 

Rainbow sky spotted today after a brief shower.