Float plan:
1.) Survive windy, choppy conditions
2.) Pete's Pub
3.) Snorkel
4.) Fish
5.) Cracker P's
Nicholas and I were in the bow seats. We had such a great time pondering things, jabbering back and forth, and laughing as we anticipated the thud at the trough of the wave... As I alluded to earlier, Plug is a MASTERFUL captain! I'm searching my mind to really describe his greatness and it is beyond the words currently in my head. One of many perfect examples was when Nicholas and I braced ourselves for the bashing, crashing, and spine compression that always accompanies the thrill of riding over the crest of a wave. But, with Plug, there wasn't one. Seriously! The laws of physics do not apply to Plug. The "what goes up must come down theory"... not something Plug has to reckon with. He somehow either is capable of lulling the waves into submitting to his desires and/or knows how to position his boat and trim it so that the ride is less bumpy than a typical golf cart outing on the paved roads of these islands!
First stop: Tilloo Pond to check for turtles. The wind was out of the south and since these islands are just tiny slivers running mostly north and south, even the protected waters of this little cove were too choppy to really get any good turtle sightings. (To illustrate the the power of the southerly winds, as you can see from the aerial photo below, this pond should normally be dead flat. But, even the land couldn't stop the wind from whipping up this little lagoon.)
We did, however, spy this handsome stingray cruising the sand bank nearby.
To get a better bearing:
We started our voyage coming from Elbow Cay and passed between Lubbers Quarters and Tilloo Cay. Again, since the wind was from the south and the Abaco islands run mainly north and south, there wasn't land mass to break up the winds. So, we were in for a bumpy ride to get to Pete's Pub (at the "4 o'clock position" below the website info on this map).
Plug, again, ever the MASTER of all things even mildly scary, was an expert helmsman, navigating the epically dangerous waters. Steve Dodge's book, Cruising Guide to Abaco, THEE bible for cruisers in Abaco, says, "...the area known as Pelican Harbour, which usually has a surge and is not recommended..." And, this is where we chose to fish. Plug circled Channel Cay (mindful of the treacherous rocky bits hiding under the chop) while Shawn and Nicholas trawled for fish. After about 45 minutes of fishing and (unnecessary) white knuckling, we landed three yellowtails and then reeled in the lines for the remainder of the trip south to Pete's Pub.
Needless to say, we arrived at Pete's quite safely and headed down the road to the bar. Shawn and Summer, blazing the trail...
My folks, bringing up the rear...
First stop at Pete's was to see if Cindy's shirt was still there. Supposedly the rule is that they never take shirts down. The only way a shirt comes down is if the staples rust and the shirt actually falls off. But, I knew that the place where we hung Cindy's shirt (last year) was in a high traffic area and I knew that there was the possibility of some staff member or patron getting frustrated and yanking the thing down. To our great joy, the hem of the shirt was tied in a knot and was wholly intact! I untied the knot and stood back to watch my folks gently pat my sister's essence as they walked under it.
A little less heavy on the heart was the shirt Emma and Zach put up (also last year). Found in its exact same location.
While we waited for the food to arrive, I took myself to the beach on the Atlantic side of Little Harbour. There is literally nothing between this beach and the continent of Africa. So, lots of unique things can be found among the rocks, sand swales, and wrack line. (Sadly, there's TONS of plastic.) I was on the hunt for sea glass and anything else unique. I'd say this giant rusty spiky thing qualifies as unique and worthy of a photo.
As does this conch that has become fused into the coquina and yet perfectly smoothed over by the pebbles and wave action of years? decades? centuries? millennia?
The rocky tip of this section of the island.
Grandpa and Grandma with one of the many bronze sculptures adorning this wonderful place.
From Pete's Pub & Gallery's website:
Pete's has newly installed air conditioning! An old sail captures the wind off the Atlantic and funnels it down to the picnic tables below. It's amazing how well this works! Of course, it is also a windy day. So, the AC is cranking!
Another unique find on the beach, gigantic lures! I wish that I had my hand or something in this picture to show the perspective. These teasers were about 18 inches long! I gifted my treasures to Captain Plug and he seemed happy to have them to add to his fishing gear.
After our lunch of slow roasted wild boar, we enjoyed Little Harbour's protected waters. New this year, there were large floats, super slippery and super fun for kids of all ages!
Once we had our fill of playing, it was time to head back north. Captain Plug, ever the adventurer, headed us straight towards a scary looking thing protruding from the water. Hoping he saw what we saw, we trusted him to not crash us into the terrifying shoally waters with breaking surf and this iron looking bar.
And, we got a little closer... This was the remains of a shipwreck along the Pelican Cays. Last year, the barge was almost fully resting on the rocks, above the waterline. This year, not so much.
Thanks to Plug, we survived. And, again, he had us riding the crest of each wave, many of which were on our beam...he's like King Neptune. He skillfully maneuvers his boat so that the rage felt like a light chop. Neither Summer nor my mom had white knuckles and that is saying A LOT!!!
We reached Tilloo Bank and snorkeled on the southwestern edge. Nicholas and I were braving the sun and the bow riding experience.
My mom, helping to keep Plug on course. (Ha! He's got these waters etched into his soul.)
Summer, the first in!
Our yellowtails, now Plug's dinner:
Shawn and my dad. Note the squall building. We never felt a single drop! Plug timed it just right and/or the storm knew to give him a wide berth.
After hugs and well wishes, we reluctantly disembarked and headed back home.
What a day!
Bonus: Nicholas clobbered Grandpa at checkers.
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