Ruins Cove

         We’ve been in Ruins Cove for almost a week now, long enough for me to contemplate the visible ruins of a cement plant that was briefly operational and a marina that never was built.   The Bahamian cays are littered with many projects that were begun and then abandoned.  It seemed to me that naming this cove after them was unusual.  Similarly, the sunken sailboat marked by a buoy that we’ve explored several times is also too new and not that unusual to earn this area a name. 

The wreck is covered with growth and has been stripped of nearly everything usable - including the teak handrails that Dan and Joe salvaged the last time we were here.  What remains is a winch that stubbornly won’t be budged, an anchor so wrapped in its own chain that it not liftable without a crane, and what appears to be either a large canvas bag or covering bunched up in one of the cockpit holes.  Fish have made this boat their haven.  When you swim around it, you can see them hovering over the galley stove and moving from one compartment to another.  There are three very large Atlantic Spade fish that live underneath as well.  

I did some sleuthing about Ruins Cove on the internet today and found another blog with pictures of the actual ruins up in the dense woodsy hills.  Back in the late 1700s a loyalist named Sir William Walker built a small plantation here on Crab Cay, trying to capitalize on the thriving cotton trade.  The remains of several stone walls, pillars, and at least one fireplace stands as testament to one man’s conception of living in paradise.  Centuries later there was an aborted attempt by Sedona Resorts to build a resort marina and gated community, accessible via a private stone bridge from the main island; the bridge still stands and pilings and cement building blocks decorate the waterfront, but the homes and marina were never built.  It appears the cement plant was built to help build this resort.  When the project was abandoned in 2009, the cement plant was no longer needed.  

We did not even think to go ashore to look for really old ruins.  It’s on our list for the next time we are here.  Tomorrow (Sat Feb 25) we have our weather window for heading down to the Ragged Islands.  

part of the Walker plantation - photo from Russ & Lori of s/v Ortolan

Two weeks with Joe and Jo

       We are currently in Ruin Cove, between Crab and Little Crab Cays, one of the many anchorages in George Town Harbour.  There are only six boats here.  It’s the perfect spot to decompress for a few days after several weeks of guests.  Not that we don’t love having guests!  We very much enjoyed our time with cousins Veronica and Maddie and we had a wonderful two weeks with our son Joe and daughter-in-law Joanna. They arrived the day we said goodbye to Veronica and Maddie.

We spent a couple days in the George Town area and then took advantage of a short weather window to cruise over to Long Island where we spent a week exploring the reefs and wrecks of Thompson Bay off the town of Salt Pond, in the middle of Long Island.  Seven years ago we found lobsters under nearly every rock, but this year they seem to have moved on.  We walked the beaches on the ocean side, joined fellow cruisers for a very lively Happy Hour hosted at a local liquor store, and enjoyed a night out at the Sou’Side Bar and Grill.  The wind kept up a steady 20 knots from the east or north east the entire week.  We did managed to cruise up to Calabash Bay in the north end of the island for a change of scenery.  Joe and Jo found a trove of starfish at low tide at the beach there while Dan and I explored a man-made rectangular cove.  Joe tried his hand at fishing both on the way to Long Island and the way back to George Town Harbour, but even with multiple rods out, he didn’t get a bite.  

Our days fell into a routine - we’d have a leisurely breakfast, work on crossword puzzles, work in a snorkel or at least a swim either before or after lunch, discuss supper plans, and do more crosswords or play some other game in the evenings.  One evening Joe and Jo made supper for us: tacos with homemade tortillas!  

Joe at the stove making tacos.

Jo making tortillas.

Our time together was low key and comfortable as we played, swam, cooked, or just hung out reading.  

NY Times crossword puzzle app.

        Dan made two conch horns for sunset taps, and Joanna, a French horn player, even managed to get more than one note out of one of them.  Each conch has a different base tone, and when blown at the same time, they harmonize!  I was the only one untalented at conch blowing, not having learned to play a brass instrument like the others.  Joe and Dan both played trumpet.  

Sunset ritual

We took Joe and Jo to all the good snorkeling places:  the blue hole near Chat n Chill, where we saw the same great big barracuda that was guarding the place when Veronica and Maddie were there, and I saw a shark quickly leave its resting place under a nearby dock and glide into the hole and out of sight.  We went to the reef off Fowl Cay where Joe spotted all sorts of fish we’d missed on our last excursion there.  And on their last day with us, we went to the reef in the middle of the harbour where we all saw many different kinds of fish as well as turtle.  Joe and Joanna declared it was the best last day of their vacation.  

We crossed the harbour back over to Kidd’s Cove in front of George Town and had lunch at the Island Boy Cafe while we waited for their departure taxi with our new favorite driver Vencil.  Two weeks went by really fast!  

Saying goodbye - Joe, Jo, and Vencil

Blog by Maddie Baricevic: A week aboard the Wille Dawes | Exuma, Bahamas

Willie Dawes

10 things I’ve learned during the week

1. You can live without refrigeration, you just have to be creative. 

2. A slower pace of life should be practiced and appreciated more.

3. Get in the water any and every chance you get.

4. An afternoon drink with ice is a must. 

5. The sun is harsher and hotter than you think (yes, even in January). Reapply sunscreen often or wear a sun shirt.

6. What may look like a coral head or reed, could actually be grass. 

7. Snorkeling feels like you are a character in the movie ‘Finding Nemo’.

8. Spit in your snorkeling goggles to avoid them from getting foggy.  

9. Always have a free hand to grab onto the boat.

10. Spending time with family you don’t see often is one of the greatest feelings and I am forever grateful for this week. 

Once we landed in Georgetown, we had a welcoming ride from Vencil and a fast water taxi ride from Elvis to arrive at the boat that was anchored at Sand Dollar beach. Since we arrived a couple hours before sunset, we had time to test out snorkeling gear to figure out which goggles and flippers would fit best. One of the most helpful tips Kathy shared was focusing on breathing through your mouth and using your flippers more than your arms to swim.

We quickly fell into the routine of having breakfast and then spending the morning paddleboarding, then spent the afternoons snorkeling and swimming around the boat. Another part of our morning routine was listening to the net while we ate breakfast. The net started at 8 a.m. and was on a designated radio station where all boats in the harbor could listen and share anything and everything. From the weather report for the day, asking for assistance with boat issues, trading or giving away boat items to sharing new arrivals. It was always cool to hear where people came from and listen to all the interesting boat names! The first full day was pretty windy so we decided to walk to the ocean side on the island and go for a beach walk in the morning. We did a lot of catching up and looking for seashells. In the afternoon, we snorkeled over to a small coral head that was pretty close to the boat. This was my first one I’ve ever seen so I was blown away with how close up we could get. It was amazing! On the boat they had a book and different one pagers of the fish and coral life we would be seeing while snorkeling. By the end of the week I could tell you what fish I saw without referring to the one pager. It was a pretty cool feeling being able to recognize the fish while I was still under water! The next day was just as windy so we decided to dinghy over to the monument island and hike to the top to take in all the views. We started on what we thought was a marked path for visitors, however we quickly learned that path was not. We continued up the very, very steep path and made it to the top, the journey was well worth it. The views were beyond beautiful and of course pictures never do it justice!

Maddie & Veronica on the climbing up Monument Hill and at the top.

Another afternoon adventure was visiting a blue hole. A blue hole is a passageway to the ocean side of the island. Once we got there the blue hole was a lot larger than I thought with a lot of fish swimming out of it and around it. It was cool to feel the water temperature change once you got closer to the blue hole, it was colder than the water in the harbor. While we were snorkeling we saw a great barracuda fish! It was the biggest fish I saw all week and it was also the scariest. It is not a pretty looking fish to begin with and while it was swimming around us it would open its mouth and show its many and scary teeth. I cannot believe we got so close to a barracuda!

We cruised over to Red Shanks for two nights where the water was a lot calmer. We didn’t find many coral heads but we did snorkel around the rocks and see coral forests! Kathy picked up a sand dollar that made it safely back to NC. While paddleboarding, my mom and I saw starfish and since the water was pretty shallow near the rocks, we saw them pretty clearly with the help of the looky bucket.

Maddie & Veronica paddleboarding

Maddie & Dan scope out Red Shanks

We also got to spend a morning in Georgetown to go grocery shopping and stop at the Post Office. My mom and I walked up and down the main strip of the island, we walked past a school, a hotel and stopped in a few shops. Top 2 Bottom was a funky store we walked in, it had everything from “top to bottom” that people would need - boat parts, toilet seats, kitchen pans to a birthday tiara. The grocery store was busy since a shipment had just come in. This also meant ice cream for lunch! After shopping and walking around Georgetown, we hung out in the dinghy and shared 2 pints of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. Most afternoons, right before sunset we spent time chatting and sitting in the sun on top of the boat. This is where we also had an afternoon snack and a drink with ice. Once the sunset, dinner was being prepared and so did the conch shells sounding off, thanking the sun for another beautiful day. After dinner most nights we played a game, Phase 10 or Cribbage. On our last night, Dan showed us how to make Turk’s Head bracelets. It is made out of boat string and once completed looks like a triple braided bracelet. It was easy to catch onto however the hardest part was getting over your thumb and knuckles since you were creating the braids around your fingers. Being able to share this experience with Captain Dan, Kathy and my mom was one I will never forget and continue to talk about every chance I get. It was truly a trip that was good for the soul - filled with family time, sharing stories, good laughs and daily adventures. What more could you ask for?

Turks Head bracelets.

Hanging Around George Town

      Dan and I spent a week in George Town, re-familiarizing ourselves with the area.  Not much has changed in seven years.  We snorkeled all the surrounding reefs, hiked over Stocking Island to walk the ocean side beach, had dinner at Chat ’n Chill, and attended Beach Church.  Dan sat down with his sewing machine and made an awning for the foredeck to keep the fo'c'sl cool and to allow the hatch to stay open during light rains.  And every morning we listened to the daily broadcast on VHF channel 68.  

Dan's awning.

The cruisers’ net is still at 8 am every morning, run pretty much by the same people, and there is still a lively swap of goods and services going on. One boat will put out the call for help with their refrigerator, at least two people will come over to troubleshoot, and someone from another vessel will just happen to have the exact part they need.  Dan put the word out that he was looking to borrow a particular size hole saw and the people on the boat a few hundred yards away told him to come on over.  Someone needed a new outboard, and low and behold someone else was looking to get rid of one.  It’s a great network of people working together and helping each other.  

Someone's inflatable Hobie Cat! 

One evening we had dinner with our friends Tim and Tawnia, aboard their trawler Knot Quitters.  We brought food, they provided food, and we set up for a lovely meal on their back deck around sunset.  I take responsibility for the cloud of mosquitoes and midges that immediately descended upon us, driving us inside where we still spent the next fifteen minutes swatting the unwanted guests.  I am a bug magnet.  They love me.  If any mosquitoes or other biting insects are within range of me, they will come and find me.  The meal and the camaraderie were excellent, but the bugs made the evening unforgettable.  

Our first guests - cousins Veronica and Maddie - are coming in Saturday (Jan 28) and we slowly found new places for all the things we stored in the forward cabin, planned out some meals, and thought about activities.  We went through all our snorkel gear and partially inflated our stand-up paddle boards.  We’re ready and waiting to share our boat and the Bahamas!  

Squid hanging out with us.

I know this blog is several weeks overdue.  Maddie is going to write about their week with us.  Our son Joe and his wife Joanna are with us now and I will write about their visit later.  ~Kathy