We had hoped to leave Andros on May 14 to take advantage of southerly winds for a sail east to Eleuthera, but numerous squalls kept us in place. We set sail under clear skies on Thursday, May 15 with prevailing easterly winds for what turned out to be a surprisingly pleasant thirty hour upwind sail across the northern tip of the Tongue of the Ocean, past Nassau, to the western tip of Eleuthera. Winds were mild to moderate and on our nose the entire time.
On Autopilot
Sailing upwind would normally mean tedious hand steering, but this time was different, thanks to our newly commissioned autopilot. This is the first time we’ve ever had a functional autopilot on one of our boats, and wow did it make a difference!
With the boat steering itself, we could keep an attentive but leisurely watch without being stuck at the helm. It’s like having a third crew member on board–crew who doesn’t get tired, eats no food, and doesn’t complain.
“I am very happy and a little annoyed to say that the autopilot steers better than I do.”
– Joe
Arriving at Eleuthera
After sailing all night and into the morning, we arrived back onto the Great Bahama Bank from the Northeast Providence Channel. Depths dropped quickly from nearly 2000 feet to less than thirty. Waters transitioned from deep indigo to a soft Caribbean blue.
Eleuthera has a long and rich history. The name comes from a Greek word meaning “free.” The first European settlers were a group of Puritans who called themselves the Eleutheran Adventurers. They were expelled from Bermuda for refusing to swear loyalty to the Crown. They hoped to form a free, self-governing society on their new island, but few survived the harsh conditions.
Eleuthera is a narrow island forming an arc more than a hundred miles long with small settlements scattered along the way.
Current Settlement
Our first stop was Current Settlement, a small, peaceful village at the end of the road on the northwest side of the island. A few upscale homes and a pristine beach bordered our gorgeous anchorage.
We took a Sunday morning stroll through the town, listening to the congregation singing hymns in a little church as we walked by. It felt like perfect, peaceful island life.
Governors Harbor
An overnight sail took us across the Bight of Eleuthera to Governors Harbor, the first capital of The Bahamas. It’s a picturesque anchorage with beautiful old homes on a hill rising away from the harbor.
Streets in town are lined with brightly flowering bougainvillea, oleander, and royal poinciana.
An unexpected treat was a walk through the trails of the Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve just outside of town. This is a large and beautifully maintained park on a hill. Trails cut through a variety of habitats, with signs explaining the features of each.
Rock Sound
A day sail took us twenty miles south to Rock Sound, near the southern tip of Eleuthera. This is a perfect anchorage—large, with good holding, easy dinghy access to town, and protection from every wind angle. Cruisers get excited about these things! There is room for a hundred boats here, but there were only three other boats when we arrived.
Rock Sound is smaller and quieter than Governors Harbor, but somehow has the best grocery store we’ve found yet on an out island in the Bahamas. Another thing that cruisers get excited about!
Moving On
We spent a week on Eleuthera, and would happily have spent a whole season. Although cruisers are admonished not to keep a rigid schedule, sometimes nature imposes its own schedule. June 1 marks the beginning of hurricane season. There’s little risk of an early hurricane in the Bahamas, but our plan remains to get the boat out of the path of hurricanes. Our chosen destination is Panama, south of the hurricane zone. We have a thousand miles to go to get there. Tropical waves, low pressure systems originating in Africa, start migrating westward across the Atlantic this time of year. Some of them develop into tropical cyclones in the Caribbean. Even without forming into a hurricane, a tropical wave can make for a few days of wet, miserable sailing on our way to Panama.
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