After spending 3 nights at Manjack/Nunkack Cay and after being away from “civilization” for a bit, we were excited to head to Green Turtle Cay. This island is only 3 miles long but divided into 2 halves with the White Sound to the North and the Black Sound to the South. The White Sound is known for its beaches and resort/marinas while The Black Sound is home to the town of New Plymouth. This town was settled in 1783 by British Loyalists from the US during the Revolutionary War. It currently has about 500 residents with a few restaurants, 2 grocery stores, and can only be reached by boat or a ferry to Great Abaco Island. Everyone on Green Turtle Cay was very friendly welcoming which added to our overall experience.
We first went to Donny’s Boat Rentals / Marina in the Black Sound and to the Historic town of New Plymouth. Donny’s Marina is a go-to for cruisers on a budget as it offers moorings and a minimal and pay-for-service dockage which meant that even though we were at a marina (bathrooms and 20 amps are simi-included with all other amenities extra). All of this meant that, even though we were at a marina, we weren’t running our air conditioner due to the lack of and expensive electricity available. As always, we loved exploring the town, visiting the local restaurants, and hanging out with some fellow cruisers.
We also had the pleasure of doing some emergency boat work as soon as we docked at Donny’s. As Justin turned off the engine the throttle lever came off in his hand. The screw holding the lever had snapped in half. We tried a few local stores for a replacement but we had to make due with one that was just a bit too long. It should hold up until we get back to the states for a proper repair.
We took advantage of a day with literally no wind to take the dinghy to the neighboring No Name Cay to see the swimming pigs and have a cocktail at Big O’s Bar & Restaurant. The pigs were very friendly and would come right up to you for a pet but maybe they were just looking for snacks. We were glad that we just visited in the dinghy and didn’t make this a stop in the big boat since the dock was only set up for small boats and the anchorage was exposed to wind and waves from pretty much every direction.
Since we had just spent almost a week without AC and were looking to plug in and live in luxury for a moment. So, we headed to the White Sound of Green Turtle Cay to the Bluff House Beach Resort / Marina. Here we were able to do some deep cleaning of the boat, and ourselves with showers and laundry. We also were able to go to the famed Green Turtle Club’s Dollar Bar and stroll along the Coco Bay known for its Sea Turtles and Stingrays.
While we were enjoying our time at Green Turtle Cay, we needed the wind and waves to align for us to continue around Whale Cay and into the southern Abacos. Skål!