Lynn and I have spent much of our time in Hope Town since arriving back to the Abacos. Staying in one place instead of cruising around the islands is quite different and creates a tranquil, laid back feeling. Although finding nice anchorages can be wonderful, you are also concerned with anchoring, moving the boat about, weather influences and so on. When on a mooring you can just kick back, chill and relax (my sister refers to this activity as “chillaxing”.) 
Chillaxing for us means some lazy mornings on the boat, walking the beautiful Hope Town beaches, swimming, yoga on the beach (me that is…can you picture Lynn doing yoga?!), hanging out with friends, and watching movies in the evening.
One day we did a sewing project for Harold, a local Hope Town friend who owns Cat’s Paw Boat Rentals, to mend the Bimini top of his run-about boat that had torn on the corners. It was actual
ly a lot of fun…Lynn, Chuck and I worked on the project outside under a shady tree. When finished a few hours later I felt gratified to have finally paid forward the favor done for us by George when he fixed our freezer and main sail. But, later Harold gave us one of his rental boats for the day in return for our help, so now I am back to looking for opportunities to assist…but, I guess that is exactly how the pay-it-forward concept is supposed to work.
One day we did a sewing project for Harold, a local Hope Town friend who owns Cat’s Paw Boat Rentals, to mend the Bimini top of his run-about boat that had torn on the corners. It was actual
ly a lot of fun…Lynn, Chuck and I worked on the project outside under a shady tree. When finished a few hours later I felt gratified to have finally paid forward the favor done for us by George when he fixed our freezer and main sail. But, later Harold gave us one of his rental boats for the day in return for our help, so now I am back to looking for opportunities to assist…but, I guess that is exactly how the pay-it-forward concept is supposed to work.
We also had some time to hang out with Chuck and Dale. They were house sitting for several weeks so had access to a golf 
cart for buzzing around the island.
We went to On Da Beach for lunch one afternoon. This is my new official favorite spot to eat on Elbow Cay because of the spectacular view and their delicious grilled chicken kabobs. They have only open-air seating which is fine on nice days, but unfortunately, the day we went was threatening rain. We sat down anyway and watched the clouds approach, reassuring each other that it would either pass us by or would be over quickly. We were WRONG! As soon as our meals arrived, the deluge started. We tried to seek shelter under the eaves but eventually our food was getting soaked. I finally asked if we could hide out inside their bar/food prep area, the only place with a roof. They said no problem, so we ended up eating our lunch alongside the cook and bartender.
cart for buzzing around the island. We went to On Da Beach for lunch one afternoon. This is my new official favorite spot to eat on Elbow Cay because of the spectacular view and their delicious grilled chicken kabobs. They have only open-air seating which is fine on nice days, but unfortunately, the day we went was threatening rain. We sat down anyway and watched the clouds approach, reassuring each other that it would either pass us by or would be over quickly. We were WRONG! As soon as our meals arrived, the deluge started. We tried to seek shelter under the eaves but eventually our food was getting soaked. I finally asked if we could hide out inside their bar/food prep area, the only place with a roof. They said no problem, so we ended up eating our lunch alongside the cook and bartender.
Another afternoon Dale and I decided we needed our hair dyed. So we enlisted Lynn’s help who was happy to act as our hairdresser for the day. We went to the backyard of the house they were watching, donned garbage bags and let Lynn do his work. After waiting the prescribed 10 minutes, Lynn washed us off with the garden hose! We were both actually quite pleased with the results. Maybe Lynn should think about a new career in the beauty industry!
We were excited to finally dive a few times and have a chance to try out our new gear. After arriving back from my first dive off Sandy Cay I discovered that I had lost my brand new dive knife. The holster was still on my leg, but the knife was long gone. About a week after my sad loss, Makani were passing by the spot where we had been diving and decided to go on a search and rescue mission…and they found it! I probably wouldn’t have bothered to look, but it was just the kind of challenge they like.
Our favorite dive was at Lynyard just outside the cut where there were tall coral heads from the bottom, about 30 feet down, all the way to the surface. Lynn said he felt like we were meandering through a big coral garden.
After a few gorgeous days at Lynyard we made our way back to Marsh Harbour where we re-provisioned the boat while awaiting the much anticipated arrival of my sister and her husband.
Since returning from the Exumas we have decided that, while the Exumas are incredibly beautiful, we really are more Abacos people. We love the combination of onshore activities, like touring Hope Town and other areas, and quiet anchorages, like Lynyard and Armstrong Cay, where the beaches are very often clothing optional.
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