Season 2:Bahamas Eleuthera
After a boisterous sail across Northwest Providence channel, we arrived in Meeks Island where we anchored for the evening. The next morning we made our way toward Hatchet Bay in Eleuthera. Our first challenge was to get our timing perfect through the infamous current cut which can get up to 10 knots of current and become impassable or even dangerous. We pass through without issue during slack tide and are treated to a beautiful —- nautical mile sail toward the anchorage. The conditions were perfect for an impromptu race with out buddy boat, a 42 j boat. He left us in his wake, but it was still fun nonetheless.
Around 6 p.m. we arrived to the entrance of Hatchet Bay which is notoriously narrow. Navigating through this cut is hair raising as it looks like you can reach out and touch the cliff faces on either side! Although this is an optical illusion as its known to be at least 80 feet wide and a ferry boat much wider than us passes through here multiple times per week. Once through the cut, you are anchored in what is known as the most protected bay in the Bahamas. We would definitely agree to that statement as we had some of the calmest nights at anchor we’ve ever experienced here.
We decided to stay in Hatchet Bay for at least a week. With the anchorage so calm, it was a perfect spot to leave to boat and explore the island by car. Our first stop was the glass window bridge, which is a popular tourist stop of a bridge that divides the unruly ocean form a tranquil bay. It was fascinating to see for a few minutes, but really its just a bridge. The spot we really loved was the queens baths, an absolutely incredible spot and a must see if you are in Eleuthera. The hike to get there was a little rough with jagged rock, especially since I was still dealing with an injured foot when I did not land my jump off the boat in Bimini. But, once you make your way to the tide pools, its worth it! Being able to wade in these clear protected tide pools while being showered by ocean swell that is explosively crashing on the cliff face is truly something special.
We spent the rest of the time taking the car exploring the small neighboring towns of Governer’s Harbour, Gregory town, and Alice town. We ate lots of good food, met some amazing locals, and soaked in the culture of this unique island. It was a perfect spot to explore by vehicle, which turned out to be an adventure by itself. All of the controls were written in Japanese and Jerrod had to pop the hood every time to get it to start, but we made do! Overall, we enjoyed this side of Eleuthera. On addition to the amazing natural beauty, the small town feel and friendly locals made you feel so welcome.
After about 10 days in Hatchet Bay, it was time to continue on. We made our way way back through the narrow cut and set our course south toward Rock sound. a small town on the other end of the island. The anchorage here was gorgeous and moderately protected. We were needing to restock provisions by now, and this spot was perfect for that. It might be the first grocery store in the Bahamas we’ve visited that I would consider well stocked. We took a hike to the cathedral caves, which were remarkable. Its a short hike on a well defined trail just off of queens highway. Once making your way down the ladder and inside the caves, the view is breathtaking. The sunlight pierces large holes above and lights up the whole cave, where you can see dramatic tree roots running from ceiling to floor, beautiful rock formations, and colonies of bats. This spot is also known as spider cave because supposedly it hosts tons of webs and spiders. Although, we didn’t notice that to be true, thankfully!
After a few days in Rock sound, it was time to say farewell to Eleuthera, and make or way toward Highborne Cay, Exumas. We immensely enjoyed our time here and would definitely stop again.
