A short stay on Long Island

After a brief stop back in Georgetown to visit with friends and grab a few supplies, we had a fantastic sail to Long Island! "Light west wind" turned into a perfectly steady 10 knots of breeze that pushed us right to Thompson Bay on Long Island. And that was a perfect spot for us to endure a few days of strong northerlies!

Once the wind chilled out a bit we headed ashore for a date night at Tiny's Hurricane Hole. This place was HOPPING with cruisers and ex-pat residents on a Sunday night, and I can see why! Great views, a clean, tidy bar, fun beach seats and games, and fantastic food. I would absolutely visit here again. And try Tiny's Tonic--it's a nice departure from the typical rum punch offering.

The next day the whole crew headed into Salt Pond with a list of "must-do" sites. We managed to secure a car from Seaside Car Rental (after exploring the cave right next to it!) and set off to explore the southern reaches. It was a full day! Max's Conch Shack, Clarence Town, Hamilton's Cave, the pristine Gordon's Beach, Dean's Blue Hole, the old Spanish church, and perhaps our favorite stop, the Shrimp Hole! So much natural beauty and kind, welcoming locals. By the end of the day, we were chilled, damp, and smiling!

Cave near Salt Pond

Max’s Conch Bar

Hamilton’s Cave

Gordon’s Beach

Dean’s Blue Hole—we ended up collecting plastic.

The Shrimp Hole (behind the old Spanish church)

The following day we headed north after checking out the very well-stocked and reasonably-priced Seafarer Marine Store--good to know that's there if we need something. We went all the way to the northern tip of the island to see the Columbus Monument. That trek took us down the nicest, graded gravel road I've ever been on! The path to the monument is being redone with new concrete steps and ipe wood railings. The views were stunning as we tried to imagine the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria approaching in October of 1492. Next stop was the ruins of the Adderley Plantation. The road to get here was not nearly as nice! There are many ruins along with tree identification signs throughout the grounds--it was nice. From there we headed toward Stella Maris thinking we could grab some lunch and explore. Well...the paved roads near the resort are horrible and the food at the Moonshine Beach Bar seemed pretty basic and overpriced so we made the decision to wait on lunch. Instead we visited Erna's Natural Pool and the Stella Maris Cave (or bar?)--both were interesting stops, but we were hungry! 

Columbus Monument

Adderley’s Plantation

Stella Maris—Erna’s Natural Pool and the cave/bar

We decided to head back to Salt Pond and the Sou'side Bar and Grill for a late lunch and libations. With a review of the weather, it might be time to head north to Cat Island or Eleuthera. We need to be at an immigration office the first week of March, so we have to plan around that and the weather. After a stop at the fantastic Hillside Market for provisions, we returned the car and are prepping to depart in the morning.  

Long Island has everything you need without big crowds. Definitely a nice place to stop.