Still on Island Time – Cruising in the Abacos, Bahamas

Only recently returned from five days of turquoise waters, warm temperatures, mild winds, and astoundingly pleasant company on the deck of a 38 foot catamaran, named “Island Time,” I’m still in the recovery stage. I’m slowly getting accustomed to life on land again. Like most sailors coming into port, I still feel like I’m on the water and I don’t think this is because of the rum enjoyed on board.

The adventure was hard to beat. It certainly will take a stellar, serendipitous tropical spot that would serve as an comparable to the recent experience. If and when, I find that place, I will let you know. However in the meantime, I wanted to run through the highlights of cruising the Abacos to whet your palate and wet your fins.

1) Turquoise waters

In typical Ms Traveling Pants style, I wanted to show you as I saw it. Pictured in this post are my flippers on Fowl Cay’s beach looking at our catamaran. No place was any less worthy of reflections. If fact, many of our crew asked ourselves if there were a place that we would rather be. The waters with their brilliant blues and greens of various hues were no less than captivating and hypnotic.

2) Private islands for snorkeling, shelling, and chillaxing

Every day from anchorage or harbor, we explored with GPS, charts, and line of sight navigation to find the best place for snorkeling and lunch. With a motley crew of SCUBA divers, shell aficionados, and just plan explorers, it was a wonderful way to escape or better said “to jump ship” and see starfish, fan coral, barracudas, conchs, sea cucumbers, and many others that we could not identify. Our time for witnessing beautiful maritime life was not only while snorkeling, but also on deck.  All days we saw either sea turtles, flying fish, or other. In fact, one morning we awoke to a pod of dolphins fishing around our anchorage.

3) Sunsets

As each day of exploration was complete with a safe anchorage or mooring in harbor, we would relax around the aft deck table or trampolines on the bow to witness some of the most breathtaking sunsets. While dinner cooked in the galley, the crew threw on light jackets to see the sun and moon change the guard to watch over the Abacos. The colors were nothing less than a buffet of oranges, reds, ambers, and yellows with the colors amplified by the reflections off of the crystal waters, rocky shoreline, and the other sailboats. For those that would watch right at the horizon as the sun disappeared, could witness the Green Flash.

As this is meant to serve as an appetizer for a more detailed post of the must visit sights, restaurants, and experiences, I’ll be serving up the main dish later this week. Until then….

Here’s to more good times and good stories.

***If you have been to the Abacos or have sailed in another similar location, I would love to get your feedback and comments. Connect with me at Facebook and Twitter.