Little Farmers Cay is located in the Central Exumas between Great Guana Cay (with the settlement of Black Point) and Cave Cay. 

Our first visit to Little Farmers was in May, 2013.  Our friends were staying in their sailboat at the Farmers Cay Yacht Club.  We were travelling south to George Town, on Great Exuma Island, and had stopped at Cave Cay.  We went by dinghy back north to Little Farmers to join them for lunch at the yacht club.  Farmers Cay Yacht Club is located at Lat / Lon: N 23° 57.860′ / W 076° 19.390′.  They monitor VHF channel 16.  You can reach them by phone at (242) 355-4017 or by email at yachtclub@atlantic.net.  Information on the internet says that they have 4 transient slips.  Below is a picture of their dock.

We met Mr. Roosevelt Nixon, the owner of the Little Farmer’s Yacht Club Restaurant and Bar.  Little Farmer’s Cay was settled by a woman named Chrissana, a freed slave from Great Exuma.  She moved to Farmers Cay with her two sons and a daughter, Michael Joseph Nixon and Adam and Eve Brown, who bought the island from the English Crown and willed it to their descendants as generation property.  Roosevelt said that he was one of the descendants.

The picture above was taken from the land side and doesn’t do this charming club justice.  On the water side, there is a picnic table on the sand with a tiki roof over it.  When you enter the club, you first go onto a covered porch.  At that same level, there is a lovely dining room which could seat around 40 people as well as a hand-carved wooden bar in the corner and a small area where a band could set up and play.  Up two steps was a game room with a pool table, some seating and another bar.  Behind this bar was the opening to the kitchen.   In the dining room, there was a picture of Roosevelt and his wife of more than 50 years, Shirley.  Roosevelt told us that his wife usually did the cooking, but she was on Eleuthera attending a funeral.  So for this weekend, he was the chief, cook, and bottle washer and he did a good job cooking lunch for the four of us.  After lunch, he closed up the club and loaded us into his pickup truck and took us on a tour of the island.  He took us by the school and clinic and told us about a resident wood carver (J. R. – Phone 355-4023). 

One of our stops was at the government dock where we talked to several fisherman and enjoyed watching children swimming in the shallows.  Since this picture was taken, they have made some improvements to this dock.

The original settlers on Little Farmers farmed and fished.  Michael married Susan from Cat Island while Adam wed Mary from Moss Town, Exuma.  Most of the current residents are descended from those hardy ancestors, Michael’s thirteen children and Adam’s five.  Other family names came into Little Farmers through Marriage:  Moxey, Smith, Ferguson, Maycock, Rolle, Deal, Ellis, Bain, and others, with many excellent captains and sailors among them.

The weather kept us at Cave longer than we had planned, so we decided to make another trip to Little Farmers several days later.  This time, we tied up at the government dock and walked over to Brenda’s Take Away and ordered some lunch.  She suggested we walk around while she cooked it.  We went into her store looking for bread, but there wasn’t any.  Next we saw Ali’s Tiki Bar, so we went in and got his last two cold Kaliks. 

 Then we walked up the hill, passed the Oasis Convenience Store.

Then, continued to the Ocean Cabin Bar and Restaurant. 

Here, we met Mr. Terry Bain.  He told us that he was a descendent of one of the original settlers, James Michael Nixon.  Just up the hill from the bar and restaurant was the oldest home on the island that had belonged to his grandparents. 

He told us that they were married over 70 years.  His grandfather died at age 99 and his grandmother passed away at age 102.  Terry sold us a Little Farmer’s Cay flag and gave us an information sheet about the island and the flag. 

Ocean Cabin is located at Lat / Lon: N 23° 57.550′ / W 076° 19.250′.  They monitor VHF channel 16.  You can reach Terry Bain by phone at (242-524-3744) or by email at inquiry@oceancbn.com.  They also have a website at www.oceancbn.com.  We didn’t get a chance to eat there, but we hear that they have very good food and we know that they have good drinks.

Terry Bain is also a contact person for information about the famous “5-Fs” which is an annual homecoming event for this tiny settlement in the Exumas, and a favorite for cruisers. The celebration includes Bahamian Class-C sloop races, great Bahamian food, and lots of games and activities for the whole family.

We did not go to the First Friday in February at Farmers Festival in 2013 on February 1, 2 and 3 because it was too windy for us to comfortably make the trip down from Compass Cay.  The annual Farmers Cay First Friday in February Festival was held on February 7th and 8^th in 2014.   On Saturday (2/8/14), we joined Barry, Janine and Natalie in the Sea Clef’s 32 foot Boston Whaler tender and headed south.   As we approached the area, we saw over 80 sailboat masts!   The picture below doesn’t even show half of them.

The accessibility of cialis uk this medicine made them easier as they do not have to buy costly blue pills no more.
As we got a little closer to the crowded area, a small boat approached us and yelled something we did not understand.  Very soon after that, another boat came our way (which turned out to be the committee boat) and they told us to get out of the race course!  There was no way for us to know that we were in the race course because there were no markers set out.  Apparently, after the boats make a turn, the committee boat hauls up the marker and then speeds ahead of all of the racers and drops it somewhere in front of them for the next turn.  As best I could count, it looked like there were ten small boats participating in the race.  Shortly after we arrived the race ended, but there was a final race scheduled for later in the day.  We beached the Whaler and walked up to the pavilion to buy tickets for lunch and drinks. 

Rick and I shared a lunch of BBQ Ribs.  They were so big, he said that he thought they must be brontosaurus ribs.  But they were delicious.  We saw lots of people that we have met since being in the Bahamas, both locals and cruisers/sailors.  There were also a number of the tour boat operator’s from George Town in attendance with boat loads of tourists and locals.  One of the captains, Bob, from Sugarland Adventures, told us that his brother was participating in the race.  We watched most of the last race while enjoying the water near the boat.  The racers seem to just weave through the anchored boats.  And, it is apparently OK for people in dinghy’s or other small boats to run along nearby.   Just before the end of the last race, we loaded back up in the Whaler and went out just a little way from the beach where they had just dropped the blue float in the water to indicate the finish line.  So we stayed there to see the end of the race.

As soon as the last race was over we went around the north end of the island to go to the government dock.  As we passed the Little Farmer’s Cay Yacht Club, you couldn’t help but notice that one of the two freighters that go back and forth between Nassau and George Town, “The Captain C” was tied up at their dock.  When we passed it again later, they were loading up 4 of the racing boats.  We did not realize that the participants came from that far away.

On our way back to Compass Cay, we stopped at Great Guana Cay just across the waterway from Little Farmers.  Barry said that he had been told that there was a cavern here with a lake in it.  It was late in the afternoon, so I told the others to go on the hike without me.  We watched the sunset just after they returned to the boat and all of us saw the green flash!

The 5 F’s was held on February 6-7, 2015 on Little Farmer’s Cay.  For some reason, I thought that we had gone on Sunday last year; so, because it was very windy on Friday and Saturday, we planned to go down on Sunday.  We went south from Compass on Sea Clef’s tender with Captain Barry at the helm.  This year our group included:  Barry and Allison (Sea Clef); Rich and Karen (New Horizon); Rick and Me (On The Hook) and Gail (ATA Marie).  Much to my chagrin, the festival had actually been on Friday and Saturday, so we had the beach all to ourselves when we arrived. 

There were a few people at Ty’s Sunset Bar and Grill (http://www.tyssunsetbarandgrill.com ) which is between the airstrip and the beach where the races take place.  They invited us to come in for eats and drinks. 

It was actually nice to be able to enjoy the peace and quiet. 

When we were there last year, there were hundreds of people on this beach and in the grill. 

After eating lunch, six of us walked across the island to the government dock while Barry took the boat around.  When we walked by Ocean Cabin, we noticed that they seem to be restoring the oldest house.  It was yellow now, where it used to be blue/green.  Barry had worn a t-shirt that he bought at Ocean Cabin on one of his previous visits.  It said: 

Ocean Cabin Restaurant & Bar
Our Hours

MOST DAYS ABOUT 9 OR 10
OCCASIONALLY AS EARLY AS 7 BUT SOME DAYS AS LATE AS 12 OR 1
WE CLOSE ABOUT 5 OR 6
OR MAYBE ABOUT 4 OR 5
SOME DAYS OR AFTERNOONS
WE AREN’T HERE AT ALL
AND LATELY WE’VE BEEN HERE ABOUT ALL THE TIME,
EXCEPT WHEN WE’RE
SOMEPLACE ELSE…….
BUT WE MIGHT BE HERE THEN, TOO

As we were leaving the dock, J.R. Rolle (pictured below), a relative of the Compass Cay Rolle’s who we had met at the restaurant, asked if we could give a lady a ride to Staniel Cay. 

She had missed her flight from Little Farmers.  We said yes, but we didn’t go far until we stopped to do some exploring.  Across from Little Farmers Cay, on the southern end of Great Guana Cay there is a trail that leads to a cavern which is partially filled with water.  Last year, Rick, Barry, Janine and Natalie hiked up to it while I stayed in the boat.  I had told Barry that if we had time this year, I would try to make the hike with them.  So, we anchored around oven rock, then walked north up the beach until we found a cairn marking the beginning of the trail.  It was not too long a trail, but had some rocky areas and just a little bit of up and down.  Once we got there, we went for a swim.  Barry and Rick had brought flashlights with them and would shine the light into the clear water so that we could avoid some of the stalagmites on the bottom as we made our way walking and swimming around from one entrance into the water to another where we exited.  The picture below is actually one that Janine took last year.  I forgot to take my camera with me this year.

The water was cool and there were some bats hanging around, but we all enjoyed our adventure.  On the way back, we made a quick stop at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club to drop off our “hitch hiker” returning to Compass Cay just as the sun was setting. 

To sum it up, we have been on Little Farmers Cay in 2013, 2014, and 2015.  There are nice places to stay, good places to eat, and very friendly people.

Wikipedia tells us,  “Andros Island is the largest of the 26 inhabited Bahamian Islands. Politically considered a single island, Andros, in total, has an area greater than all the other 700 Bahamian islands combined. The land area of Andros consists of hundreds of small islets and cays connected by mangrove estuaries and tidal swamp lands, together with three major islands: North Andros, Mangrove Cay, and South Andros. The three main islands are separated by “bights” or estuaries. It is 104 miles long by 40 miles wide, at the widest point.”

Wikipedia goes on to say,  “Andros is bordered on the east by the 6000 foot deep Tongue of the Ocean. The Andros Barrier Reef is the world’s sixth longest. It runs for 142 miles, averaging a distance of 1–2 miles from the Andros shore. The extensive flats of the Great Bahama Bank lie to the west, northwest and south of Andros. The island has the world’s largest collection of blue holes. Andros has a population of approximately 8000, almost all of whom are settled in a thin strip near the Queen Elizabeth Highway running along the island’s eastern coast. Andros is 30 miles west across the Tongue of the Ocean from Nassau on New Providence Island. Its northern tip lies 138 miles from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The township of Fresh Creek is home to the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC), operated by the United States Navy. The United Kingdom and United States conduct special operations training, and sonar and submarine research in the Tongue of the Ocean. The United States Coast Guard also runs rescue and drug interdiction operations from AUTEC. Andros is known in the Bahamas by two nicknames, “The Sleeping Giant” and “The Big Yard.” The largest employers on Andros Island are the Bahamian government and the AUTEC base at Fresh Creek.”

On March 10, 2012, we left Nassau and travelled to the Andros Lighthouse Club and Marina (Latitude: 24.72449 Longitude:-77.78546) in the town of Fresh Creek aka Andros Town. Rick has a relative that works at the AUTEC naval base which is in walking distance to this marina. We were forewarned that the current running in the Creek where the marina is located is often difficult to maneuver and that we should plan to get there at a “slack” tide.

As we were coming in to the marina we saw the Andros Island lighthouse on the shore. Andros Lighthouse was built in 1892 to mark the southern entrance to the Fresh Creek channel. In 1952, three old cannons were added in front of the Lighthouse and a tower built at the top. The cannons came from the “Cottsac” Schooner, which wrecked on Stanyard Rock in the 1800s.

On our second day here, we walked out of the resort/marina to the highway and north, across the one-lane metal bridge over Fresh Creek, to the Chickcharnies Hotel, Restaurant and Grocery Store. The walk over and back was just under 2 miles. We had lunch there and picked up some groceries.

Andros is said to be the home of chickcharnies. These birdlike creatures have piercing red eyes,  three fingers, three toes and a tail, which they use to hang from trees. Chickcharnies live in the forest and build nests by joining two pine trees together at the top. The tablecloths in the restaurant were made of Androsia Batik material and featured Chickcharnies.

The legend goes that when sightseeing on Andros, carry flowers or bright bits of cloth with you to charm these mischievous creatures. The Chickcharnie is said to be generally peaceful when left unmolested. Legend says if you see a Chickcharnie and show it respect, you’ll be blessed with good luck for the rest of your life. Be careful not to sneer at it, however, or your head will turn completely around! Billy Bowleg, the great Seminole medicine man is said to have been adopted and trained by the Chickcharnies. They took him at the age of 14 and kept him for five years. When he returned to his people his reputation as a healer spread throughout the Bahamas. There actually was a Chickcharnie, of sorts, on Andros. It was a 2-foot-tall owl called Tyto pollens, a remote cousin of the smaller Common Barn-owl (Tyto alba). Tyto pollens was a large, flightless owl known to have lived on Andros. It is believed that it was territorially aggressive and coexisted with humans. The ability of owls to swivel their heads, and a territorial aggression, may have been the basis for this particular legend.

Androsia has been coloring the Bahamas with unique hand waxed and hand dyed batik fabrics and batik garments that are inspired by the beauty of the Bahamian islands since 1973. The factory outlet is right across the road from the resort/marina. Each and every print, from “Schooling Groupers” to “Breadfruit”, is recognizably Bahamian. Androsia prints feature shells, birds, fish, and flowers found in the Bahamas, dyed in colours like guava pink, sea green, and aqua-tide. Since all Androsia fabrics are hand-waxed and hand-dyed, no two yards are exactly alike. After wax-printing the design, the 100% natural-fibre fabric is then hand dyed using some of the finest cold water reactive dyes. When the wax is removed using several baths of very hot water, the beautiful white design remains against the vivid background. The fabric is then dried on clothes lines in the sun. During the wax removal process on the fabric, minor shrinkage occurs, so that all finished garments and fabrics are pre-shrunk! Special Orders for either batik fabric, batik clothing, batik home goods, or batik accessories can be done with either existing designs (hundreds), your own designs, or a combination. That is how the hotel got its special tablecloths and curtains. I bought a few items at the factory outlet store. You can see the red and white top that I bought to wear to the Seabreeze High School class reunion that summer in the picture below.

If you would like to know more about Androsia products, please see their website at http://www.androsia.com.

On St. Patrick’s Day we set off, in a borrowed vehicle, to explore the north end of Andros driving from Andros Town to Morgan’s Bluff, with Rick’s relatives as our guides. Along the way, his aunt wanted to stop at the Mennonite Farm to buy some vegetables, but the stand was closed. (A Mennonite mission-run commercial farm was founded near Blanket Sound in 1983. The farm includes many services. They have an automobile shop, carpentry shop, a bee farm from which they harvest honey, fruit orchards, a greenhouse and many vegetable fields. Some of the vegetables grown are beans, corn, and cauliflower.) You will see some of the fields if you ever land at the San Andros Airport.

We drove about 50 miles, then parked the car and climbed up a limestone outcropping to arrive at the top of Morgan’s Bluff.

During the late 1600s and 1700s various pirates and buccaneers frequented Andros Island. In 1713, the Bahama Islands were declared a Pirate’s Republic. Morgan’s Bluff and Morgan’s Cave on North Andros are named after the famous privateer-pirate, Henry Morgan, for whom Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum is also named. It is said that the Andros settlement of Small Hope Bay was so named because Morgan claimed there would be “small hope” of anybody finding the treasure he had hidden there. We passed by Small Hope Bay on the way to Morgan’s Bluff. What a beautiful view. We stayed up there to watch a sailboat navigate into Morgan’s Bluff Harbour. We didn’t have time to go into Morgan’s Cave but hear that it is interesting.

Then we drove around to the area where the water boat used to dock. According to Wikipedia, rainwater collected in aquifers below the island’s surface and was shipped to Nassau daily by barge through the pumping station located in Morgan’s Bluff. Rick’s uncle told us that Nassau now has its own water source and daily water boats are no longer necessary.

Nicholls Town was our next stop at a place called the Coconut Farm. This was a nice place on the ocean that served food and drinks. I had a pina colada for my friend, Joy, and then another one for me! We also ordered some cracked conch (pieces of fried conch) and some conch fritters. We sat on the outside deck of the tiki hut. Everything was delicious.

From here we proceeded to Red Bays. Local handicrafts in the Black Seminole style—particularly wood carvings and woven baskets—are a cottage industry in the settlement of Red Bays. A sample of Red Bays baskets is in the Smithsonian Institution. The art of weaving baskets has been passed down through the generations among residents of this small settlement in northern Andros Island. The majority of folks in Red Bays are descendants of the Black Seminoles of Florida, who first landed in Andros Island in 1821 after escaping enslavement in the United States. Red Bays baskets are crafted from the top stems of palm thatch plants. The “top” is dried, stripped and then sewn into beautiful, sturdy baskets that have many uses. These uniquely styled baskets are crafted nowhere else in the Bahamas and are a part of the rich cultural legacy of the Black Seminoles of Red Bays. In the 1930s, a study indicated that the most common surname on Andros was Bowlegs (descendants of Billy Bowlegs). The study was published in 1945 providing evidence of a Black Seminole migration to the Bahamas from Florida, and of descendants to be found on Andros Island; most at Nicolls Town. We were told us that the residents often trade baskets for household items that they need.

We ended our day of exploring by having supper at Hank’s Place, just across the river from the marina. Below is a picture of a sign that caught our eye while we were enjoying our meal. You may have to click on the picture to enlarge it in order to read the sign. If you can’t make it out, then I guess you’ll just have to go to Hank’s to see it for yourself. We really enjoyed the food there and think that you will too.

In addition to eating at the Chickcharnie Hotel, Coconuts and Hank’s, we also ate several times at Katrina’s (a small café located at the intersection of the non-paved road on which Androsia and the marina are located and the Queen’s Highway) as well as a restaurant north of town called Taste and Sea (where you had to call in advance to give them your order.) The Andros Lighthouse Club and Marina also has a restaurant. We enjoyed the food everywhere we ate and especially recommend the cracked conch and lobster.

Tourism is Andros Island’s largest industry, and the largest private employer. The Bahamian tourism industry markets Andros as the least-explored island in the chain. Tourists are composed primarily of scuba divers, attracted to the barrier reef, Tongue of the Ocean, and the Blue Holes; bonefishing anglers, and those looking for relaxation at a destination that, while off the beaten path, has easy air connections. We flew out of Fresh Creek on Sun Air which no longer operates at that airport. But, Western Air is headquartered in Andros and Watermakers Air stops there almost daily between the Ft. Lauderdale Executive Airport and Staniel Cay.

Andros Island is surrounded by hundreds of square miles of fishable flats, home to permit, tarpon, and bonefish. Bonefish are considered among the world’s premiere game fish for anglers. It was the site of two of the first dive-dedicated resorts in the world, and the first in the Bahamas, both founded by Canadians: Small Hope Bay Lodge near Fresh Creek, was founded in 1960, and continues to operate as a dive resort under the ownership and management of the founder’s children. The second resort was Forfar’s at North Blanket Sound. After the founder’s death, the property was purchased by International Field Studies, Inc. (IFS) of Ohio in 1972 and renamed Forfar Field Station. It has been adapted for IFS programs, of weekly, monthly, and semester duration, in science, sailing, diving and culture which are attended mostly by American high school students.

Travel, diving and bonefishing websites warn visitors to Andros about the “doctor fly.” Some of their comments include:
• Andros doctor flies can be quite nasty, especially for anyone taking blood thinners so bug repellent is a good idea.
It also leads to cialis without prescription thought about this relationship issues like infidelity.
• A couple of things to note, they usually only will bite your legs, make sure you wear wading pants when you fish the flats. If you are fishing on a flats boat, wear thick WHITE or light colored socks to protect your feet (or use suntan lotion with SPF 50). They prefer dark colors and just because you are fishing off shore doesn’t mean they won’t find you. Wait until one flies down your snorkel…..All winter I wear shorts, all summer, I wear long pants during the day.
• The “doctor” flies are voracious, especially on calm days and there is nothing they like better than salt spray on bare skin. It is recommended to wear socks on the skiff, as they love to bite feet and ankles.
• When your pants are wet, and sticking to your calf, the doctors will still bite through. Wearing knee high socks will keep the flies from biting through. Avoid dark colors; they are especially attracted to black due to the heat it generates. They are much slower than the common house fly and easily killed. Hit them hard. Even wounded they’ll fly back and hit you again.
• There are humongous biting flies, similar to what we called “green heads” in Louisiana, and what the locals of Andros call “doctor flies.”
• The peak season for doctor flies is April through June with another hatch in the fall and they are pretty much non-existent in the winter months. Doctor flies generally attack from the waist down and on your hands and only in the daylight.

Wikipedia reports that Andros was the destination of many families who were squeezed out of the Belize logwood industry following the relocation of Mosquito Coast settlers to British Honduras in 1787. I found some research reported on the University of Florida website regarding the “yellow fly”. It said that the fly is known as a doctor fly in Belize. I can only guess that perhaps that is how this insect became known as the doctor fly on Andros.

Below is a picture and some of the information included at http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/livestock/yellow_fly.htm

“In Florida, the name yellow fly is commonly used to describe a group of about a dozen different yellow-bodied biting flies in the Tabanidae family … In Belize this species is known as the doctor fly.

The female yellow fly is one of the most serious biting fly pests wherever it occurs (males do not bite). It attacks man vigorously, and the bites are painful, often causing large and itchy swellings. Although it attacks throughout the day, it is most active during the late afternoon and on cloudy days. It is especially common near large bodies of water, but tends to remain in or near forests. It is one of the few tabanids that attacks indoors. All exposed parts of the victim’s body may be attacked, and since the flight is rather quiet, a person is not aware of the flies until the sharp pain of the bite is felt. Domestic animals, including dogs, are attacked readily.”

We did not do any diving or fishing while we were there, but we did enjoy our treks to the blue holes. Blue holes are fresh-water-filled cave systems, which attract divers from all over the world. All the main islands of the Bahamas have blue holes. According to Wikipedia, Andros has 178 on land with at least 50 in the sea. Blue holes can best be described as entrances to the intricate cave systems which run underneath the island and sea floor. Unless you are diving, you don’t even realize that there is a cave entrance somewhere in what appears to be a lake. We went to visit two blue holes on our first visit to Andros. One blue hole was called Rainbow. To get to the first one, we took a short hike (which seemed like a very long hike) from the Queen’s Highway. Thank goodness someone had tied strips of Androsia’s brightly colored fabric around a tree every so often to mark the trail. But, we all agreed that it was worth the hike once we got there.

We flew back to Florida for Easter, leaving the boat under the watchful eye of our relatives and new friends. While we were home, I found out that I had broken my foot in a fall on the boat as we were entering Nassau on March 1st. I was fitted for a “boot”. The doctor told me to wear it for six to eight weeks or until my foot quit hurting. He said, since we were living on a boat in the Bahamas, it was not necessary for me to come back to see him. So, we were unable to go swimming in the next blue hole we visited.

On Sunday, April 15, 2012, we headed south from Fresh Creek, seeing: Coakley Town, Bowen Sound, Man of War Sound, Cargill Creek and Behring Point. After going to the south coast (of the north part of the island), we turned around and went back north of Fresh Creek to another blue hole. This one is on government property and they have built a boardwalk into the hole from the road. I don’t know the name of it, but I found more pictures of it which had been posted on the Trip Advisor website. Those pictures included a park sign.

There is a covered pavilion at the site and steps built down to the water along with a nice grill. The edges of this hole are much higher than the other one we went to.

We continued on to other islands after this time in Andros, but returned again at the end of May, 2012, for another extended stay.

Andros is connected to Nassau by Sea-Link ferry, which runs to Morgan’s Bluff on the north end of the island and Fresh Creek in central Andros. There is no public transportation on Andros Island, but a private shuttle bus service on North Andros connects Nicholls Town with Behring Point. Taxi service is also available. One of our taxi drivers was the local minister. He took us by his church and opened it up so that we could see inside. He even offered to come pick us up and take us to the service on Sunday. We thought that was very nice of him, but declined his offer.

The ferry stop is right next to the marina. They normally run a couple times a week. The biggest exception is during the annual Crab Fest when they make multiple round trips daily for the weekend with the last one leaving Fresh Creek after 10:00 p.m. The day before the festival started, the fast ferry came in from Nassau completely loaded with food and other stuff for the festival. Rick says he was told to imagine Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Fantasy Fest in Key West and Gasparilla in Tampa all rolled into one to get an idea of what to expect! The first night included the “running of the crabs” and a Junkanoo parade.

Some of our new friends, Kellie & Steve – she’s the high school principal and he works at AUTEC – picked us up and we all went to the park to attend the opening ceremonies of the 15th Annual All Andros Crab Fest. There were opening remarks from a number of dignitaries including some from the new government minister in charge of all festivals in the Bahamas. There was a DJ playing before the opening ceremonies and at least a half-dozen bands were scheduled to play into the night and wee hours of the morning. There were a lot of vendors surrounding the park selling crafts, food and drink. Shortly after the opening ceremony, they announced the “crab run”. They released 40 dozen land crabs for people in the crowd to catch. The “MC” asked the natives to please let the visitors catch the crabs. You should have seen the pandemonium! Apparently, the accepted way of catching the crabs at the festival is to first put your foot on it to hold it still and then, carefully, pick it up from behind. These land crabs have one pincher larger than the other, although it is hard to tell in the picture.

In the opening remarks, we learned that Androsians, in particular, catch and eat these land crabs. But, we know that they catch and eat the crabs on other Bahamian islands as well – we saw them in Eleuthera. The season is from June through October. We were just about the leave when I saw a fellow walk by with feathered scepter in his hand. I asked if I could have a picture with him. He said yes and then told us not to leave because there would be a Junkanoo parade in just a few minutes that we should not miss.

A good time was had by all.

Thursday (BD2-0091) – Friday (BD2-0099)

01/01/2015– Happy New Year everyone!  Rick and Ken took Lisa down to Staniel Cay to buy some meat and buns for Tucker to grill.  He has been out of food for the past few days and many day visitors were disappointed.  While there, they made some very important purchases for us (bread and booze)!  We all made a quick trip to the Staniel Cay Yacht Club to pick up Tucker’s brother, Preston in the afternoon.  He has been off the island for about a year.  His doctors told him that he had a serious eye problem and had to stay out of the sun.  Thankfully, now, he has had surgery and recuperated enough to return to Compass Cay.  We ate our traditional New Year’s dinner early and then settled in to watch football games at 5:00 and 8:30.  FSU lost to Oregon, breaking its 29 game winning streak.  And, Ohio State upset Alabama, setting up a national championship game of Oregon vs Ohio State to be played on January 12^th.

01/02/2015– We decided to try to hike the North Cliff Walk trail today that ends at Rachel’s Bubble Bath.  When Rick told Jamal what we were doing, he said he didn’t want me walking back so call him on the radio and he would send someone to pick us up.  Thank you, Jamal!  Everyone who has been on this island for any length of time knows that the walk up to Rachel’s is a challenging one.  Rick and I tried it the first season that we were here, but there was one hill that he determined I just would not be able to climb up, so we turned around.  I guess he thought that if we went with Ken and Jackie there would be more hands to help me (one to push, one to pull, and one to catch me if I fell?).  I was very thankful to have the walking stick that Tokkie gave me our first season here and with all of the helping hands and the stick, I was able to complete the walk.

I would walk for 20 minutes and then sit for 5.  Jackie was on “rock sitting” duty.  I would tell Rick that I would need to sit down within the next few minutes and he would ask Jackie to start looking for a rock that I could sit on.

When we got to Rachel’s, we all got into the water for half an hour or so, before walking up the creek to the pavilion and calling Jamal to send someone to get us.  After we returned to the marina, we rewarded ourselves with a Tucker Burger and a beer!

01/03/2015– After spending some time on the dock, we came back to the boat at noon to watch the University of Florida Gators (Ken & Jackie’s favorite team), meeting for just the second time in history, the East Carolina Pirates in the ninth-annual Birmingham Bowl.  The gators won.  We helped our friends celebrate with lobster for dinner.

01/04/2015 – We took Ken and Jackie to Staniel Cay in Tucker’s boat and had a good breakfast at the yacht club before they got on the Watermaker Air Flight back to Florida.  Before leaving Compass Cay this time, they made a totem and hung it up next to the walkway that goes up the hill from the marina to the wash house.

When we returned to the boat, we took down all of the Christmas decorations and stored them away for next year.  In the afternoon, Rick took Tucker to Staniel Cay to catch the afternoon Watermaker Air Flight to Ft. Lauderdale so that he can go to the doctor in Florida this week.  After I vacuumed up all of the leftover pine needles in the boat, I took a nap!

01/05/2015 – I rested most of the day while Rick helped Mano install the last three electrical pedestals on dock A.  The electrician must do the rest.

01/06/2015 – Rick took some guests down to the airport in the morning.  We heard from Ken and Jackie.  They got home all right on Sunday and had lobster for dinner on Monday.

01/07/2015 – Jamal caught a ride back to Nassau with his brother, Trevor, on Zeus, this morning.  We left Loan in charge while we joined Tokkie and Gail and Mano going down to Staniel Cay to pick up supplies being offloaded from the Captain C freight boat onto the government dock.  Then we did some shopping at the blue store (as they were restocking their shelves); went to the Staniel Cay Yacht Club for lunch and then back to the Isles General Store where Tokkie bought a couple of small gas cans for his dinghy.  There were only six boats in the marina when we left and by evening there were twelve.

01/08/2015 – We heard from Bonnie and Marino.  They are coming back to Compass Cay next week.  Not sure how long they will stay this time, but, Bonnie said it was -15 degrees where they live in Canada, so I imagine that they will stay here as long as they can.  The wind has picked up here and it is a little cooler.  Today’s high is 72 F.

01/09/2015 – We took about 6 empty propane tanks to Staniel Cay where we left them on the government dock to be picked up by the freight boat.  Then Tokkie, Gail, Barry, Rick and I ate lunch at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club.  I took a nap in the afternoon while Tokkie and Rick went swimming with the sharks.

Saturday (BD2-0100) – Sunday (BD2-0108)

01/10/2015 – We said goodbye to Janine this morning.  She is flying to Ft. Lauderdale and from there to England for a visit with her Mum and Granddad.  He is in ill health.  She will be back next month when Ed and Karen return to Sea Clef. Of course, anytime someone from here is going to Staniel Cay, there are always a few extra people who “hitch a ride”.

When Barry dropped Janine off, he picked up Tucker and brought him home to Compass Cay.

01/11/2015 – Dave is back on “Living Large”.  We all enjoyed his “famous” waffles this morning.

In the afternoon, a number of us went with Barry down to the Staniel Cay Yacht Club for a couple of drinks and to pick up some groceries.  Then we had a pot luck supper on the dock with a concert provided by two of the men on the sailboat “In Concert”.  Unfortunately, we also had some rain.

01/12/2015 – Boats came and went.  It rained off and on.  We tried to watch the National Championship football game, but we both fell asleep before it was over.  Ohio State beat Oregon.  I feel certain that a lot of bets were lost!

01/13/2015 – I worked on my page about Great Harbor most of the day.  Around 5 pm, Rick said that Barry asked if we wanted to go to Staniel for a couple of drinks.  So, we loaded up with Barry and Allison, Sea Clef’s captain and stewardess, then picked up the Chris and Mary and their two guests, on Trilogy, and the eight of us made our way down to the Staniel Cay Yacht Club.  We had a couple of rounds of drinks before deciding that we should just order dinner there as well.  Again, a good time was had by all and we returned to Compass Cay about 9 pm.

01/14/15 – The fuel barge came in to the marina in the morning which meant that Barry had to take Sea Clef off of the dock for a time.  We talked with our son, JP, via SKYPE.  We had not talked since we left Florida, just after Christmas.  All is well at home.  Tucker went to Staniel Cay in the afternoon to pick up Bonnie and Marino.

01/15/15 – It is a pretty day with a light breeze.  Barry and Rick have offered to help Mano with some maintenance on the generators.  Several boats left this morning and I again have a clear view out of the south exit of the marina from the pilot house (which I call the office).   After Barry and Rick finished helping Mano, they got cleaned up and Allison, Barry, Rick and I went to Staniel Cay to pick up some things that had been delivered to the government dock this morning by the freight boat.  While there, we bought some groceries (never pass up an opportunity to do that) and had a light lunch with some drinks at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club.

01/16/15 – Rick and I walked over the ridge to the Crescent Beach house in the morning.  A contractor friend of Tucker’s had asked that we take some measurements on the front porch.  I think maybe he will design a railing for it and/or a handrail.

Windfinder.com indicates that the wind direction will change from the west in the morning to the north by this evening and will increase to 22 mph tonight and stay over 15 all day tomorrow.  I’m glad we went to Staniel Cay yesterday.  Along with the higher winds in the evening came the rain.

01/17/15 – Jamal came back to the Cay in the morning and then spent a good portion of the day working on the accounting necessary for the new seven and a-half percent VAT tax that was instituted by the Bahamian government on January 1.  We had some real excitement on the Cay today.  Some passengers for one of the yachts that is docked here were flown in via helicopter.  There is another yacht, Serqué that has been here many times before, as is here now, that has supplies flown in via a float plane.  In fact, the plane was here earlier this week.  They land in the water just outside the marina entrance and crew from the boat go out to meet the plane in their dinghy.  Tucker says that the only other helicopter that has landed on the Cay was a Coast Guard helicopter which came to help someone who had taken a bad fall.  Many of the people here in the marina walked over for a closer look.

01/18/15 – Gail’s daughter, Britany, arrived on the Cay this morning and Tokkie’s son, Aaron arrived in the afternoon with his friend, Julie.  Many of us enjoyed Dave’s waffles for brunch, and we had a pot luck supper to welcome Aaron and Julie and to wish Britany a happy birthday.

Monday (BD2-0109) – Tuesday (BD2-0117)

01/19/15 – Jamal left early this morning to travel, by boat, up to Nassau to pick up some supplies for the island, as the freight boat is not coming this week to Staniel Cay.  Tucker also went to Nassau, but he flew.  The helicopter returned to Compass Cay today to pick up the Silvana passengers that it brought on Saturday.  Both of them returned to the Cay in the evening.  Jamal said that his boat trip was fine from here to Highbourne Cay, but for the last 30 miles, from Highbourne to Nassau, the seas were very bad.  He brought his buddy, Charlie, back with him to do some tiling work for Tucker.  I had made lasagna for supper and we had a lot left over, so I was more than happy to reward Jamal and Charlie with a plate of food that evening.

01/20/15 – Today was a fairly quiet day.  I started taking an inventory of our food stuffs.  I try to do that once every month or two.  I have food stored in so many different places on the boat that I use a spreadsheet to help keep track of it and it usually takes me about three days to go through everything.  I thank my friend Joy, on Ocean Angel, every time I do it as she is the one who shared her spreadsheet with me to get me started.  We haven’t heard from them recently, but I imagine she and Steve are making their way up from Trinidad to “who knows where” this season.  They usually leave Palmetto in January, sail through May and, after putting the boat up “on hard”, they return to Florida for the hurricane and holiday season.

01/21/15 –  Serqué left the marina this morning, leaving “the faithful four” as the only residents for a couple of hours until a sailboat came in.  By “the faithful four”, I mean the four boats that will be here for about four months straight.  Of course, we are one of the four and our boat will be here for a lot longer than four months while we fly back and forth.  ATA Marie, with Tokkie and Gail, came here in December.  Tokkie’s children have all come to visit with their families since his arrival and one of Gail’s daughters is here now.  I believe the other one is scheduled to visit here as well.  Sea Clef also got here in December, while we were in Florida.  The owner’s, Ed and Karen, were here with family for the holidays then they flew home, but the boat and most of the crew will be here for several months.  Dave came in on Living Large in January.  He usually plans to stay for about 16 weeks.  So, I think that we four will all be here until sometime in April.  Then, we will say farewell and wait for them to come back next season.  Marino’s Mom had some kind of infection in her mouth that was making it hard for her to chew on anything, so Tucker took her with Bonnie and Marino to the clinic on Staniel Cay this morning.  Thanks to Bonnie for buying us a loaf a bread while they were there.  Jamal took Aaron and Julie out fishing today and Tokkie, Gail, Brittany, Barry and Allison left to go to Staniel Cay while we were talking with our son via SKYPE.  We got an e-mail from Rick’s mother and brother.  They tell us that they hope to go up to Knoxville to see our nephew (and Godson) Mat for his birthday on Sunday.  We are glad to hear that.  We got a request from Bob W. to take some measurements at the house which is under construction.  I think that they refer to it as the Honeymoon Cottage because it only has one bedroom.  It has been under construction since we first came here in 2012, and it looks like there is still a lot to be done.  Rick and I went up after lunch to take some pictures and the requested measurements.  This house is near Hester’s Ruins on the north end of Crescent Beach.

We joined the two couples on the sailboat for cocktails at sundown and spent a pleasant hour acquainting them about this area and learning from them some things about the Abacos, as they home-base their boat in Hopetown.

01/22/15 – It was a lovely day.  There were many day-visitor’s.  We went out on the dock for “sundowner’s” aka cocktails, but the mosquitoes got too bad and we retreated to the boat.

01/23/15 – We went to Rachel’s Bubble Bath to pick up Tokkie, Aaron, Julie, Britany and Allison, who had hiked up there.  After bringing them back to the marina, we returned in our dinghy and spent a couple of hours enjoying the water, sun and scenery.  When we returned to the marina, we shared a “Tucker Burger”.  Five of us went to the Staniel Cay Yacht Club in the evening for drinks and a light supper at the bar.  It was a beautiful ride back by the light of the quarter moon.

01/24/15 – Tokkie escorted his son, Aaron with his friend, Julie, to Staniel Cay to catch an early flight to Nassau where they will make connections to return to their home in California.  I knew that it was a windy day, even before I got out of bed.  If you have ever slept in a “V” berth (at the front of the boat) with a flag, aka burgee, flapping in the wind right above your head, you know that it makes a lot of racket.  So, I was not surprised when I checked www.windfinder.com this morning to find that the wind is predicted to blow over 15 mph for the next week or more.  Another sure way to know that windy weather is approaching, is the number of vessels in the marina.  When we left for Rachel’s yesterday morning, there were 4 boats at the docks; this morning there are 11 – and I expect there will be more before the end of the day.  That is a testament to the very good wind/weather protection provided by this marina at Compass Cay.

01/25/15 – Today is our nephew, who uses a combination of his first and middle name, Robmat‘s birthday.  We wish him well.  He is working two jobs now, at an art museum and a sporting goods store – two of his loves.  Dave made waffles under overcast skies.  In the early afternoon, 5 of us went to Staniel Cay.  We stopped at the yacht club for a drink and some appetizers then walked to the Pink Pearl store where we were graciously helped by Eleanor Roosevelt.  We bought a couple of chickens for tonight’s pot luck supper as well as a few groceries for ourselves.  They didn’t have much since the freight boat did not come this week.  Miss Eleanor said it was expected this coming Tuesday or Wednesday.  The weather gods smiled upon us in the evening.  We had a terrific pot luck supper under the stars with very little wind and no bugs.

01/26/15 – The morning was overcast and windy and cool enough for Rick to wear one of his long-sleeved denim shirts.  It rained a little bit in the afternoon and again during the night.

01/27/15 – The wind continued to blow out of the west. When I look out of the main entrance of the marina, to the west, I can see waves crashing on the Bahama bank.  There are 16 boats in the marina now and nearly half of them are sailboats.  That is very unusual.  But, at least today is bright and sunny.  Many are wearing long sleeves or light jackets with their shorts and flip-flops.

Wednesday (BD2-0118) – Saturday (BD2-0121)

01/28/15 – Despite the continued wind, several boats left the marina in the morning (mostly sailboats) but they were quickly replaced by both sail and power boats.  The wind moved a little bit to the north, making it a northwest wind.

01/29/15 – The wind changed direction and was now blowing out of the east making the Bahama Bank much calmer; so, more boats left today.  In the afternoon, Gail’s daughter, Brittany, flew back to Florida and will be making her way back to Alabama and the family farm on which she lives with her sister.

01/30/15 – We went with Barry to Staniel Cay to pick up his sister, Carrie and her husband, Jason.  Bonnie and Chiara, Marino’s mother, went along as well.  Barry dropped us off at the Isles General Store’s dock and then took the boat to the Staniel Cay Yacht Club (SCYC) to await his relatives.  We bought some groceries at each of the three stores on the island and then had breakfast at the SCYC before returning to Compass Cay.  The wind had dropped into the single digits today, but it was cloudy.  In fact, we got a few drops of rain on the ride back.  We were back down to the “faithful four” in the marina.

01/31/15 – Today is Jamal Rolle’s birthday.  His fiancé, Lisa, flew in this morning and will be staying for a week.  After her arrival, she decorated the boater’s grille for a pot luck supper tonight so we can all help them celebrate.  He does not care for seafood, even though he makes a living catching it and selling it to restaurants, so we had ribs, ham and pork chops.  But, Rick did grill some lobster bites which we served in a bun with some citrus mayo.  Lisa had brought a nice birthday cake and Gail had made his favorite pie.  There were 18 of us sharing his birthday with him.  He is much like his father, though, and would never tell us his real age.  I think it is safe to say that he is somewhere in his 30’s.  Many of us were very surprised to learn that we have not been spelling his name correctly.  On the birthday cake that Lisa brought, his name was Germal!  When we asked him about it, he said that most people think it is spelled Jamal and he just doesn’t tell them differently.  I got a good picture of Germal and Lisa just before the party started.

Since it is the end of the month, I will put my “boat log” below.  Please let me know what you think of it.

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