With the weather forecast predicting winds of about 30 knots with gusts a bit higher, we decided it was a good idea to get into a bit more protected waters. As we got up, the wind was extremely low, but we decided to move along slowly because the direction of the wind was right and we then started drifting at about 2 to 3 knots towards the point of Eleuthera. After a few hours we were at the point of starting the engine and start motor-sailing, when the expected wind started picking up and pretty soon we had 15- 18 knot winds with gusts to about 25 knots. This at least made us move a bit and we had a great sail up to Rock Sound.
At the southern point of Eleuthera, Disney is building a huge dock and what seems to be a marina and a very large development. A little way further lies a piece of island that was bought by Princess Cruise Lines. Pretty soon I think all the best spots in the Bahamas will be owned by large corporations and it will destroy the island vibe as well as the local businesses. We passed the Princess Cruise liner where it was anchored in front of the part of the island that was bought by them. From the boat we could see all sorts of development, similar to what was done on Little San Salvadore and lots of guests playing on the water and bathing in the sun.
After a few hours of good sailing and great winds we arrived at the first anchorage in Rock Sound just after dark. It was a decent night without any surge, which was pleasant after having some surge every day at Little San Salvadore.
The next morning we moved the boat further north into the bay and found shelter behind some Casuarina trees. Despite fairly high winds we had a very nice stay in very calm waters. It didn’t feel as though the winds could be so high and yet the boat was hardly moving at all.
When the wind died down a bit after two days, we went ashore and explored the town. Although it was very quiet and very few people around, we found a very interesting corner where an artist spent quite a lot of time beautifying the ruins around his little gallery – absolutely delightful.
We carried on walking until we reached the Atlantic ocean which had a nice beach and a few resorts along the shore. The road across is almost a straight line and paved all the way.
On our way back we saw a gentleman sitting outside his house and he had a huge mango tree. We asked if he sold mangoes, but he said that we could take as many as we liked. We stuffed our backpack and also ate one or two on the way back – nothing beats freshly picked, ripe mangoes without any pesticides on them. The following day we found a Tamarind tree by the Ocean Hole and took some nice fat juicy ones which are delicious to snack on or use in different dishes, especially curry dishes.
Back at the bay we took a dinghy ride towards the caves, rode over some blue holes but didn’t really notice a difference even in water color. We also didn’t feel like snorkeling around it because the visibility in the water wasn’t great which means you won’t see much of what goes on around you.
The following day our aim was to go to the Ocean Hole which is a large inland salt water lake. It is referred to as a bottomless blue hole, has a rich Eco-system, and is home to lots of tropical fish waiting to show off how well they can jump for bits of bread. Known to be connected to the Atlantic Ocean, this body of water rises and recedes with the oceanic tides. It is also lovely to swim in it and cool off from the scorching early summer heat.
About one mile to the north of the center of the town, is a great grocery store called “Market Place” with a wide variety on produce and groceries at “normal” Bahamian prices. You can get pretty much everything you need from this store, but like the rest of the Bahamas, it is about two to three times the prices you would pay in Florida – some items even a bit more. Almost adjacent to the grocery store is a huge liquor store where you can shop to your heart’s content. Again, don’t expect USA prices on anything you buy – we found few good quality wines anywhere in the Bahamas and even the lesser quality wines compares price wise to reasonably good wines in the USA, so the bottom line is bring enough wine:-)
