Torries

january/february 2017

UNDERWAY

28

cruisingworld.com

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Extending Epoxy’s

Working Time

I

’d heard a lot of things

about Andros, the

Bahamas’ largest island, that

had caused me to steer clear

of it. I pictured a sort of Wild

West with drug dealers flying

in and out in small planes,

drunks flying out of saloon

doors, and pickpockets

lurking around every corner.

Even worse, the Morgan’s

Bluff anchorage was supposed

to have poor holding and

full exposure to the north,

while the inner harbor was

noted to be too crowded for

cruising boats. On top of that,

the buoys leading into the

anchorage had been blown

away by a hurricane.

Thus I was a bit apprehen-

sive when, on a recent cruise

on my friends’ sailboat, we had

to seek refuge in Andros due

to building southeast winds

that would prevent us from

making Nassau in daylight.

Luckily, the missing buoys

were not a problem, as the

Garmin gave accurate data

for entering the anchorage.

The anchor held on our sec-

ond attempt, and we breathed

a sigh of relief. The wind being

from the southeast, the pro-

tection was perfect.

According to ActiveCaptain,

one could go ashore by dinghy

and clear in at the restaurant

located in the inner harbor.

Things must have changed,

however, because we were told

that all newly arrived visitors

had to bring their boat into the

inner harbor. It turned out to

be a fine little haven. We rafted

up to a buddy boat that was

rafted to a local fishing vessel.

The dockmaster was pleasant

to work with, and the fee was

only $5.70 per night per boat.

There was even a beautiful

sandy beach a few feet away.

But what about the law-

lessness? The only thing

resembling the Wild West were

the slightly inebriated dom-

ino players in the port’s only

saloon. They communicated by

yelling as they slammed down

the tiles with such vehemence

that it was impossible to carry

on a conversation within a

20-foot radius. Outside of that,

it was tranquil as could be.

You need a vehicle to see

WHY NOT TRY

ANDROS?

The inner harbor at Morgan’s Bluff, on the northeast corner

of Andros, Bahamas, is small but well protected.

AMY FLANNERY

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