Abacos to Beaufort, NC

We only stayed briefly in Spanish Wells, Eleuthra as we wanted to make sure we got to the Abacos ahead of time for Hutch and Morgan's visit. A passage that can be challenging, it was easy and enjoyable for us, and especially nice to be able to do it so quickly in Ballyhoo.

We hadn't been to the Abacos since Dorian and knew everything might look different. It was amazing how much has been rebuilt, from marinas and homes to roads and restaurants. Really the only signs left of the hurricane were a few absent businesses and homes/roofs still awaiting repair. In addition, there was significant erosion of the dunes on parts of the beach on Elbow Cay. We were reminded that the Abacos provide conveniences that the Exumas do not, making them a perfect stop on our way back north.

We had a great time with Hutch and Morgan, who had never been there before. What seems to be more and more typical each year now, the winds never take much of a break, so we were somewhat limited as to how much we could explore in a week. We managed, though, to get just enough calm weather to fish one day (unsuccessfully) and to snorkel at the Fowl Cays National Park. And, of course, Hope Town is a destination in itself. The week flew by and, once it was over, we were ready to start our trek home.

Hoping we could take advantage of the Gulf Stream, we staged at Grand Cay in the very northern Abacos with plans to run all the way to Charleston. The seas were not as our weather models predicted and, after about 8 hours, we knew we didn't want to bear the discomfort through the night. We made a sharp turn into Ft. Pierce, FL and regrouped.

We pushed hard, mostly offshore, to Charleston, where we had a nice visit with Dave's brother, Dan and his wife, Linda. After a short day in the ICW we went back offshore from Georgetown, SC to Beaufort, NC. We were able to get from the Bahamas to Beaufort in just 1 week with no overnights!

After spending 8 years living in NC, late April and early May is the best time of year here. We've been right at the Town Docks for a few days, enjoying the charm of the Beaufort waterfront. Tomorrow we head up the ICW, hoping to get to Norfolk, VA on Sunday.Read more