Gregory Town

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We left Spanish Wells in the morning; it was dead calm so we motored along the bank and thru Current Cut to Eleuthera. Current Cut is a very narrow, very shallow channel where the water flows like a river at about 5-6 knots. It was tricky to navigate, to avoid the coral heads and to avoid running aground. I had to stand at the bow and be on the lookout while we went thru this treacherous section of the trip. After getting thru the narrowest part, a section which is about100 feet wide or so, you have to do a 90 degree turn to starboard and prevent being carried away by the current. Luckily we have a very powerful motor on the boat and a very skilled captain behind the wheel. So we made it thru safely and were thankful to be on the western shore of Eleuthera. And once we passed thru Current Cut we could see the Glass Window in the distance, the narrowest part of Eleuthera where you can look thru and see the Atlantic Ocean on the other side. A hurricane in 1926 washed away the rocks connecting this section of the island and now there is only a bridge linking the two sides. And it is only a matter of time before Eleuthera is split into two separate islands at this spot- very fascinating.

So we pulled into Gregory Town in the afternoon, set the hook, and went ashore to explore this scenic town that is set on a hill in a small cove just south of the anchorage. We have visited this place a couple years ago when we went to the pineapple festival there, but that was only for one night and the town was full of hustle and bustle then. When we dinghied into town this time, all was quiet and peaceful. There is a historic church in the heart of the settlement overlooking the water and a lot of great shops and restaurants to visit in the surrounding area. We first stumbled into a surfer shop which is owned by Peter, an ex-pat hippie-surfer who has lived there for 18 years. We spent about an hour talking to Peter, mainly about spear fishing (he had some amazing pictures throughout his shop of huge grouper and lobster that he has speared in the reef- very impressive). And he showed us around town. We went into several shops which sell Bahamian art and crafts and finished up the day with a stop at Ida’s where we got some delicious, home-made fried chicken for dinner before heading back to the boat for the night.

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Photos

Gregory Town
This small settlement, set on a hill in this tiny bay.

Glass Window
Where Eleuthera will someday be divided into 2 seperate islands.

Historic Church
This historic church is in the heart of Gregory Town, right at water's edge.

Surf Shop
Where Jay and I talked to Peter, the ex-pat hippie-surfer.

Pineapple
Gregory Town is home of the pineaple festival. Pineapples were once a major crop for Eleuthera, used mainly for pineapple rum.