Morning broke in vivid color over our anchorage in off of Tilloo Cay. There was an early low tide so we had to delay our departure until 10:00 to ride a rising tide around Tavern Cay and up to Tahiti Beach. Our path north took us by nice structures. Google Maps was no help in identifying the blue roofed building as resort or personal. Either way, it looked new and well-built. Our Explorer Chart aptly called the next structure "turret." We eased our way through some skinny water and traveled along the easter shore of Lubbers Quarters before turning east just past Baker's Rock at the southern end of Elbow Cay. The view of Tahiti Beach was post-card perfect as we pulled in close to drop our anchor.
Knowing we were on a rising tide, we got the dinghy down quickly so that we could explore the beach before high tide covered it up. The water was swimming pool clear where we hopped out. Barry set our anchor and we walked around the beach, marveling first at all of the palm trees. As we walked out along Tilloo Cut we passed through an interesting maze of tree trunks. The multiple curves and long-reaching horizontal branches were like nothing I've ever seen. By the time we reached the end of the beach, it had been turned into a mere sandbar. And speaking of bars, this "food barge" was towed to the beach and set up shop. This took us by surprise and suddenly changed the whole feel of this quiet beach. It was approaching noon and the boats started coming in.
We walked back to the dinghy and saw a few sea creatures along the way. The sea urchin and starfish were both high and dry on the beach. In some areas the sand had a pink tint. Through the clear water, not so much. Back in the dinghy we made a quick trip over to Lubbbers Quarters for lunch at Cracker P's. There were several boats already lined up, but we found a good spot in the middle by the ladder.
Their dock was lined with interesting signs and the always-popular directional tower. We took a table on the deck and enjoyed the scenery and watching the families around us. There were two spirited games of Connect Four going down on the table in front of us.
While waiting for lunch, we talked about the main difference (for us) between the Exumas and the Abacos. In the Exumas, it seemed like we were hopping from sandbar to sandbar continually finding beautiful beaches that surpassed previous great finds. Here in the Abacos it seems if we're just bar hopping. Most of the stops along the way are identified with a bar/restaurant. We've now hit both Pete's Pub and Cracker P's. There are several more "must visit spots" on the checklist before we reach our northernmost point. I definitely don't mind searching for the perfect rum-based drink, but I do miss the quiet crescent beaches where we walked for miles without seeing another person. When we returned to Tahiti Beach, the high tide had claimed almost the entire beach, but the boats and people were still gathered around the food barge. It made me think of how it looked just a few hours earlier. The sky had become cloudy, but I sat up my chair on Fiberglass Beach for a little reading and a little nap or two.
We plan to hit the beach early tomorrow morning to enjoy the sandbar at low tide then get in a bit more exploring before the predicted arrival of storms tomorrow afternoon. Truth is Crossroads needs a good wash and we could use a good down day.
Knowing we were on a rising tide, we got the dinghy down quickly so that we could explore the beach before high tide covered it up. The water was swimming pool clear where we hopped out. Barry set our anchor and we walked around the beach, marveling first at all of the palm trees. As we walked out along Tilloo Cut we passed through an interesting maze of tree trunks. The multiple curves and long-reaching horizontal branches were like nothing I've ever seen. By the time we reached the end of the beach, it had been turned into a mere sandbar. And speaking of bars, this "food barge" was towed to the beach and set up shop. This took us by surprise and suddenly changed the whole feel of this quiet beach. It was approaching noon and the boats started coming in.
We walked back to the dinghy and saw a few sea creatures along the way. The sea urchin and starfish were both high and dry on the beach. In some areas the sand had a pink tint. Through the clear water, not so much. Back in the dinghy we made a quick trip over to Lubbbers Quarters for lunch at Cracker P's. There were several boats already lined up, but we found a good spot in the middle by the ladder.
Their dock was lined with interesting signs and the always-popular directional tower. We took a table on the deck and enjoyed the scenery and watching the families around us. There were two spirited games of Connect Four going down on the table in front of us.
While waiting for lunch, we talked about the main difference (for us) between the Exumas and the Abacos. In the Exumas, it seemed like we were hopping from sandbar to sandbar continually finding beautiful beaches that surpassed previous great finds. Here in the Abacos it seems if we're just bar hopping. Most of the stops along the way are identified with a bar/restaurant. We've now hit both Pete's Pub and Cracker P's. There are several more "must visit spots" on the checklist before we reach our northernmost point. I definitely don't mind searching for the perfect rum-based drink, but I do miss the quiet crescent beaches where we walked for miles without seeing another person. When we returned to Tahiti Beach, the high tide had claimed almost the entire beach, but the boats and people were still gathered around the food barge. It made me think of how it looked just a few hours earlier. The sky had become cloudy, but I sat up my chair on Fiberglass Beach for a little reading and a little nap or two.
We plan to hit the beach early tomorrow morning to enjoy the sandbar at low tide then get in a bit more exploring before the predicted arrival of storms tomorrow afternoon. Truth is Crossroads needs a good wash and we could use a good down day.
No comments:
Post a Comment