Messages from Mayaguana

Long passage setup (on a calm day)

Calm seas and great wind direction made our sail to Mayaguana from South Acklins, approximately 75 miles, a pleasant crossing.  We left the anchorage at noon and arrived the next morning at 6am into Abraham’s harbor at the south side of Mayaguana. 

Mike testing the new spinnaker pole on our way to Mayaguana

Mayaguana dinghy dock

Abraham's harbor, Mayaguana

Dinghy stranded at low tide at Abraham Bay, Mayaguana

Low tide in Mayaguana

Some local fisherman greeted us, when we arrived on land later that afternoon.  We saw their catch of the day, which included the largest lobster that I have ever seen and about 400 conch.  It was quite the catch for a days work.  We were told that the lobster would be sold in Nassau for around $100! 

Town of Mayaguana 

Dalton with his lobster catch

Power lines in Mayaguana knocked down from Hurricane Irene

We left Mayaguana 2 days later with two messages to send to the Dominican Republic.  The first was from our new acquaintance, Scully.  Originally Mike invited him to join us on our sail to the Dominican Republic, not thinking that he’d be interested, but immediately Scully said he would love to have sailed over with us except that he just got a job yesterday to watch J.R.’s boat in the harbor. 

Town of Luperon

Land sighted

Instead, he told us to tell J.R. in Luperon that he was watching the ‘other’ J.R.’s boat in Mayaguana.  He assured us that J.R. would know who J.R. was.  I guess, living in the island world you can refer to people on a first name basis and find them from island to island.  We accepted unsure of our success in passing on the message, but he was pleased and did not seem to doubt our ability to find J.R. in Luperon. 

Entering Luperon harbor

Luperon, Dominican Republic harbor

Entering Luperon

Our next message was from the restaurant and bar owner Reggie.  Who, coincidentally, was the cousin of Willie, the restaurant owner on Crooked Island.  He wanted us to pass on the message to Steve to call him.  We said we’d try our best to find Steve and pass on the message.  He told us he owned a restaurant in Luperon.  Little did we know, at the time, that Luperon would be so easy to navigate and find both J.R. and Steve to pass on the messages.

Outside of Steve's restaurant in Luperon

Captain Steve's restaurant 

The Faces of Crooked

After one weeks time, you really get to know the community in a place with a population of 350 people.  Plus we had already spent a week at Landrail Point a few weeks prior and had gotten acquainted with several locals.

Our first day in town on the return trip we went for a jog and ran into our friends Nappy and Trevor, who offered us an island tour and lunch across the island.  We gladly accepted and in return took them for a sunset sail out to the lighthouse and back.  Nappy even offered to pick up Cindy & Matt when they arrive to Crooked.

Trevor and Nappy aboard Tanqueray

That evening we ran into a couple and their two children who were vacationing at Landrail Point, Jackie and Brian.  They invited us on a snorkeling excursion for two days out, requiring a change of plans, no longer were we leaving the next day!

Day two, we met our neighbors in the anchorage, Don & Janice, on Plane to Sea, a Lancer 10.5 (34.5 foot sailing vessel).  They were a bundle of energy on their way down to the Dominican Republic.  Over a couple of pina coladas, they renewed our desire to make it to the DR and again we had a change in plans. 

Jackie and Brian at Landrail Point after the diving expedition

Brian, Jeffrey and Kim cleaning fish 

Cooler full of grouper and hogfish

Day three, we head out on our spearfishing expedition with Brian and his local friends, Jeffrey, Kim and Elliot.  We come back with a cooler packed of fish, specifically grouper and hogfish, the largest I’ve seen on this trip!  We were in the water for 4 straight hours, needless to say, Mike and I were exhausted.  So, for dinner, we stopped at Gibson’s Restaurant #2 (Willie’s).  We enjoyed a delicious meal of fried chicken on special request, since we’d been eating so much fish and now had a freezer stocked with even more fish.

Willie

Day four, we had brunch at Willie’s (a treat from her for all the fish we had brought over last time).  Getting ready to leave town again, we bumped into Nappy and he told us to jump in his car.  He gave us another island tour, this time stopping at some of the homes he built and introducing us to the owners. 

Dr. Bruce's house

View from Dr. Bruce's house

Here we met Dr. Bruce Ball.  What an outgoing and amiable character.  Even before introductions, he announced, “You must be in need of water, laundry, hot shower and a place to sleep!”   We were thrilled and said of course!  If things couldn’t get any wilder, he mentioned that he was from Yakima!  (Note: that’s were I grew up and my mom is a nurse and he recognized her name). 

Mike and Bruce outside of his house

Bruce came by the dock to pick us up later that afternoon and we enjoyed cocktails at his beautiful, hand built home overlooking the ocean, while doing the laundry.  Later that evening we were invited to his neighbors, Maury and Fritz’s house, for an ex-pat dinner party.  What a fun night, everyone was so friendly and all from the Northwest.  Fritz also has a book out “Ten Years Behind the Mast” which he wrote after traveling around the world on his sailboat.

Day five, we enjoy a coffee and crepe breakfast with Bruce and then head back to the boat.  Today we are heading out of town, for real this time!  We have exactly a month until Cindy & Matt’s arrival to Crooked Island and have places to get to that require some serious travel time and weather windows.

Sandbar at Fish Cay

That afternoon, we sail south and stop at Fish Cay, just south of Long Cay off Crooked Island.  It’s an interesting anchorage, located in a cut between two sandbars. 

Tanqueray anchored at southend of Acklins Island

At low tide the next morning, you can actually see the sandbars.  We enjoy the beach, which turns out to be an amazing spot for collecting BIG shells, much to Mike’s apprehension.  He seems to worry about how many shells I like to pack aboard the boat, fearing I may sink the vessel.   I relieve his stress by saying I’ll only take the top 5 back to the boat.  That afternoon, we continue south, stopping at the south tip of Acklins Island and reuniting with our friends on Plane to Sea. 

Beach at Castle Island

Lighthouse at Castle Island

Relaxing on land

Day six, our friends on Plane to Sea head out for Great Inagua, while we spend another day just 5-miles south at Castle Island.  The beach here ranks in the top 5 and is one of the widest we’ve seen in the Bahamas.  With a beautiful lighthouse protruding from the shrubbery, the rest of the island is deserted.  The anchorage is not desirable on the edge of the ocean with little protection.  We have a night of little sleep, the roll being ever present and punishing.  The next day after untangling the anchor chain, we move to the anchorage just 5-miles north.  We spend the day and evening lounging on land, solid land feels wonderful; it’s difficult to go back to the boat!

Our cove that we spent the day at on South Acklins

Sara and Tanqueray

Day seven, time to get moving, looks like the weather is better for a crossing, we decide to head to Mayaguana instead of Great Inagua.  After re-evaluating the charts, it looks like a better direction with the wind and mileage to head from there to Turks and Caicos and then continue on to the Dominican Republic if weather and time permits.

Mayaguana

A Fishing Tale – The Skunk is off the Lures!!

By, Michael Daubenberger

Mike with his Grouper and Hogfish

Our tale continues where the last one left off.  Yes, spearfishing in Crooked Island.  The plan was to leave Landrail Point, our anchorage, on Monday.  An invitation later and we were sticking around until Tuesday to go spear fishing with our friend Brian.  The cast included Brian, three local guys Jeffery, Kim, and Elliott, and of course, ourselves.  Tuesday arrived and we headed down south to the reefs off French Wells.  We started diving on the relatively shallow reefs 10 to 15 feet and worked our way out.  It was soon clear that Jeffery and Brian were putting on a spearfishing clinic.  They would work the fish in pairs, and as far as I could tell never missed a target.  The boat filled fast with Nassau Grouper. 

Table full of fish

Kim with a Hogfish

Later in the day we were working the reefs in 35 to 40 feet of water, which is about my limit.  From the surface I spotted a Hog Snapper and pointed it out to Sara.  From above it looked small but definitely large enough to shoot at so I drifted down.  As I got closer the fish got bigger, it was a monster 15 pounds at least.  I cocked the spear back and took my shot, a hit.  He started to swim off and I grabbed the spear and headed up.  The only problem was, I wasn’t going up.  At least not fast.  The fish was fighting and so was I.  The surface, 35 feet away in this tug of war.  Progress was made one foot at a time and I was ready for some air.  I slid my hand down to the end of the spear and made my push to the surface.  Just as I was getting ready to give in, I broke the surface.  Again spear fishing success.   

Sara with one of the Lobster

At the next reef Sara made her first kill of the day.  A lion fish.  She dove down aimed that spear and whacked him square in the guts.  I headed down after to check out a grouper.  Too small.  I headed up.  Sara was at the surface waiting for the boat to retrieve her catch when the fish wiggled free and started half drifting, half swimming to the bottom.  We were on a collision course.  Sara was on the surface watching, no way to warn me, no time to swim down.  15 feet from the surface I look up and see a lion fish 10 feet above my head drifting down.  I take evasive action and we pass each other in transit.  I’m not sure what it would feel like to have a lion fish stick into your head but I’m sure its not good.

Brian, Kim, and Jeffery at work cleaning

Skinning a grouper for boil fish

Our catch for the day 14 Nassau Grouper, 2 Hogfish, 1 Tiger Grouper, and 3 Lobster.  The Tiger Grouper was a mistake, my mistake.  Tiger Grouper are a fish that commonly carries ciguatera fish poisoning.  A poisoning that attacks the nervous system.  It is not fatal but also not fun like getting stung by a lionfish.  Just different symptoms that last longer.  The Tiger Grouper became shark bait.  Bait that almost took me in with a shark attached.  My take included 1 Hogfish, 1 Nassau Grouper, 1 Tiger Grouper, and 1 Lobster. 

Mike feeding the sharks

Shark

Shark

Shark

We headed south to the bottom of Acklins Island under a stiff breeze and heavily reefed sail.  Both lures out, orange and green.  It had been so long since we caught a real fish that when it hit we were paralyzed.  Sara was at the helm, I grabbed the pole.  It was a big fish and it was taking all of our line.  We came back to our senses, I tightened the drag and Sara eased the boat into the wind to slow her down from 7 knots to a more manageable 2.5 knots.  The fight was on.  

Nelly checking out the Mahi

Sara took the pole as I took in the jib, cleaned the cockpit, and collected utensils.  Gaffe, Check, Fillet Knife, Check, Lines clear of the cockpit, check, Camara, Check.  We were ready.  The fish was a leaping big bull Mahi.  It showed no signs of tiring.  Sara did.  It looked as though she might take up barefoot waterskiing at any moment.  She didn’t, but she did hand me the pole.  I was fighting, fighting hard in my speedo I might add.  Not a comfortable outfit for reeling big fish in.  30 minutes later we had the fish at the side of the boat and I had the gaffe in his mouth.  He was a monster, 52 inches and he filled the freezer.  Sorry ice, your gonna have to move.  Warm cocktails tonight.

Sara with the Mahi

Mike wrestling the Mahi

At Castle Island we decided to take a dip, no spears, the freezer was full.  How quickly your mind can be changed.  I spot a good sized lionfish.  We can’t leave him around, destroying the reef system.  Sara climbs out, grabs the spear and goes after him.  A shot to the head ands its all over.  We toss him in the dinghy, dinner has been decided. 

Our trip to Mayaguana was a long one, 75 miles.  The fridge was pretty full but we figured we should try to diversify with a tuna, or a wahoo.  30 minutes into the trip we have our first hit, a 40 + inch Mahi.   I battle as Sara steers.  He leaps and leaps and finally breaks free.  The fridge is full, the battle was fun, its all good.  Another thirty minutes and another hit.  This time a 32 inch Mahi.  Sara battles him on the old pole.  The pole is tired and the reel pops free.  The mount has finally given up.  I put on the gloves and go to work hand-lining him in.  We get him up to the boat and I pull to take him aboard.  No gaffe, he’s a little guy.  No luck either, he gets loose as I pull and swims away. 

School of Tuna

Next up, the schools of blackfin tuna marked by dive bombing birds (aka tuna birds).  We troll through the first school.  The fish are jumping, but not onto our lure.  We make a second pass and a third.  No luck.  Over the course of the day we see four schools but catch 0 fish.  Night had set and we had forgot to pull in the line and were reminded when we heard it rush out.  Sara commands that I take the pull and I begin the fight.  It feels like a tuna, a small one.   Ten seconds later he’s off and the line is reeled in.  A great day of fighting, but no success getting the fish in the fridge.  Not a common problem on the Tanqueray. 

Dalton's Lobster 

Dalton's catch

We arrive at the dock with at the same time as a local fishing boat.  A Boston Whaler dinghy, about 16 feet.  We check out their catch and Dalton hoists up a monster lobster that had been piled on about 400 conch.  In Nassau the lobster will go for $100, the pile of conch $400.  We are told it will take 2 hours to clean the conch.  For us, it would take 200.  While in town the locals do some fishing as well.  After our greetings, the conversations would often turn to a questioning of Sara.  Do you have any sisters?  Do they look like you?  When are they coming?  I was flattered.

Sara and her sister's