Green Turtle Cay, Bahamas

If you've cruised the way this guide is laid out, you've already visited the artistic, private community of Little Harbour; enjoyed picturesque Hope Town and probably photographed the lighthouse a time or two; and made a necessary stop or two at the commercial hub in Marsh Harbour. You may have visited the industrious, marine service oriented Man-O-War and the lonesome but beautiful Great Guana Cay. Hopefully, you have experienced the marked contrast between the very resort oriented Treasure Cay versus the often over looked community of Cherokee. If your schedule permitted, you probably enjoyed at least some of delightful gunkholes, which we've described. With all this behind you, one might wonder is it worth bothering to get northwest of Whale Cay? Well, you won't wonder long, because Green Turtle Cay is sure to be a high spot of your Abaco cruise.

If you've come down the other way, as I generally have, you'll have passed one uninhabited island after the other. In this case, there will be no question, you will be delighted to find a settlement where you can plug into shore power, buy some spark plugs, get an ice cream cone or a gourmet dinner. Here you will even find Abaco Yacht Services with a travel lift to haul your boat if necessary amid a relatively undisturbed island environment.

Either way you cruise the Abacos, Green Turtle Cay should be on your do not miss list. If you're on the south side of Whale Cay, and weather locks you out, well, you'll just have to come back again! I do not make this recommendation lightly and I do not believe it reflects prejudice on my part. I have attempted to re-evaluate this assessment every year for my own purposes long before I undertook the task of revising this cruising guide. Objectively, this island has two perfectly adequate hurricane holes. Neither of them is overcrowded, contrast that to Man-O-War or Hope Town! The island has three gourmet restaurants (New Plymouth Inn, Bluff House, and Green Turtle Cay) equally as good as The Abaco Inn or Club Soleil on Elbow Cay. They compare favorably with Wally's at Marsh Harbour. This concentration of cuisine is not at the expense of native restaurants such as The Roosters Rest (my personal favorite after years of cruising these islands) or Laura's Kitchen, since Green Turtle Cay has an ample supply of these. The Gully Roosters who claim to be the number one band in the nation and play at the Rooster's Rest every Friday and Saturday night, offer the best night life in Abaco. The lounge in the basement of the Great Abaco Beach Hotel offers a very close second. Man-O-War offers no night life at all!

This medley of all the "right stuff" is found in a setting reminiscent of colonial New England, still relatively untouched by tourism, yet blessed with just a reasonable amount of modern conveniences. If I haven't enticed you to visit this island by now I never will!

Approaches

The guide has already described the approaches from the south and SE. As you approach on the 319°T course, there are two shoals to be avoided. You will encounter the first when the radio mast on the hill bears 030°T. The currently recommended course of 319°T moves our recommended course westward approximately 0.2 NM from our previous edition. This will keep you approximately .15 NM west of the 6 feet MLW line. If you have a rising tide, or good light, you can cut this shoal a little closer, but what's the point? You can come off the 319°T course when the radio mast bears 045°T, then head 360°T. This course north will keep you clear of the second shoal by 0.1 NM, which now extends approximately 0.1 NM off Settlement Point.

The westernmost and highest hill on the southern part of Green Turtle Cay, just east of New Plymouth, is 60 feet It has the telephone building atop it, accompanied by the forward scatter system antenna, which was at one time the island's only link to the outside world. This radio mast on the hill is useful not only for the bearings which I just presented, but for many others as well. Other prominent hills useful for taking bearings are shown with elevations on our chart. Now let me take you on a guided tour of my favorite island of the entire Bahama chain!

New Plymouth, Green Turtle Cay

New Plymouth is the main settlement of Green Turtle, one of the largest and most prosperous of Abaco towns. It occupies the whole of Settlement Point, stretching down to the shore on three sides and up the prominent hill on the other. The population is about 40 percent black. Population centers north and northwest of Green Turtle Cay are almost entirely black, in contrast to those cays to the south which are more predominantly white. Everyone gets along fine. Most of the white people live in the west and north parts of town, black people in the east and south parts.

New Plymouth, like Hope Town, looks as though it had been transported from New England 200 years ago. The homes are too close together and the roofs have a steep pitch so the snow will blow off rather than pile up and cave the roof in. The streets are too narrow, but there are flowers everywhere and the houses are always clean and brightly painted. This all adds up to a very picturesque setting, so bring plenty of film. Vehicular traffic is pretty much evenly divided between golf carts and small trucks, you'll see a few cars and rarely a full sized pickup truck. New Plymouth has a population of about 400, but it was once the second largest city in the Bahamas.

New Plymouth, like most of Abaco was settled during the American Revolution by Loyalists who fled to remain under the crown. It was a boat building center in early days, and people also harvested sponges. The population was at its height during the latter part of the 19th century, when there was a prosperous pineapple industry. This collapsed in the late 1900's because of foreign competition. Many of the people moved to Key West at that time where they were employed in sponging, then a big industry there.

One of the emigrants, William Curry, became one of Florida's first millionaires. If you are fortunate enough to include Key West on your cruise, as we did, you'll see some of the same architecture still standing. Supposedly, some of the people from Abaco actually disassembled their homes and shipped them to Key West. Notice particularly the intricately carved latticework, which was the signature of the builder. You'll begin to notice the similarities with the homes in Key West.

A hurricane wiped out many of the buildings on Green Turtle Cay in 1932, and they have never been rebuilt. Today the economy is largely dependent on fishing, crawfish, tourism, and increasingly, marine services. Frequent ferry service links Green Turtle Cay with the Treasure Cay Airport, about 2 miles away on Great Abaco. The ferry monitors VHF channel 16.

There are two popular bars east and south of the main part of town. You'll pass right by the Sea Garden Club on the road to town from Black Sound. The Sea Garden Club has a pool table and is a popular night spot. Burt, the proprietor is a conch fisherman by day and usually has some cleaned and frozen which he can sell you. Miss Emily's Blue Bee Bar is next door and was once a hangout for local guides and cruising sailors. It was closed for several years after Miss Emily's health began to fail. Her children now open the bar sporadically,. If you get a chance to visit this island favorite, do so. You may even want to leave your business card or tee-shirt on the wall or ceiling. A few enthusiastic cruisers (probably after a few of Miss Emily's famous Goombay Smashes) have left bras and panties.

Miss Emily won't reveal the complete recipe for her potent Goombay Smash, but some of the principal ingredients include dark rum, coconut rum, apricot brandy, and pineapple juice. In the "old days" she would mix it up right in front of you, but in those days the concoction wasn't so famous and no one was taking note! A few years later, she got a little sneaky, mixing the ingredients in gallon milk jugs before hours. Even then a bright observer could have ascertained the "secret" ingredients by simply noting the cases of fruit juice stacked along the wall. Even then I wasn't taking notes, but if my memory serves me well, I'd bet on orange juice first and grapefruit second. Try this experiment:

1 shot dark rum		1 shot dark rum
1 shot light rum		1 shot light rum
1 shot apricot brandy	OR	1 shot apricot brandy
1 shot pineapple juice		1 shot pineapple juice
1 shot orange juice		1 shot grapefruit juice

served over a stingy amount of ice. If it seems a little too stout at first try adding a half shot each of the appropriate juices. This sort of "research" could keep you busy for a few days while you're waiting to go around Whale Cay. Goombay originally was an African word meaning music, but today it means a copy of Miss Emily's original rum drink and you will find it copied all over the islands.

The post office and library are east of the Commissioner's residence on Parliament Street (the main street). His office is between his house and the post office-library. Green Turtle Cay is a Port of Entry. Outside the post office-library, there is also a public telephone which can be used after the telephone office closes. I have found this particular phone out of order frequently. There is a clinic with a resident nurse, the doctor comes over from Treasure Cay on Tuesdays.

There are shops where you can buy curios, souvenirs, spark plugs and groceries. At Robert's Hardware we even found replacement hinges for our Igloo ice chest. I was impressed, because in the United States, parts such as these are very difficult to obtain--it seems that people just don't fix such items. They discard them and buy a new one. There are three well stocked grocery stores. Sid's and Lowe's are on Parliament Street (the main thoroughfare). Curry's General store (mostly a grocery store) sits on the shore of Settlement Creek. Although you will find a good selection of canned foods, frozen meats, and fresh fruits and vegetables; expect to pay about twice as much as you do in the United States.

Barclay's Bank has a branch in Green Turtle Cay which is open from 1000 to 1300 on Thursdays. If you run short on cash, and everyone wants cash, Barclay's will give you a cash advance against your VISA or Mastercard. Abaco Seafoods, Ltd. is further south on Parliament street. This is a wholesale crawfish packing and processing plant, where they freeze the crawfish and pack them in 10 pound boxes for export. I have on occasion found them willing to sell a few tails to retail customers.

There are two very nice liquor stores in New Plymouth. Curry's is on the southeast shore of Settlement Creek and has their own dinghy dock. Plymouth Rock Liquor and Cafe occupies the building previous operated as Plymouth Rock Restaurant next door to Barclay's Bank. The prices are comparable, but may vary significantly from item to item, so it may be prudent to shop both places. In addition to a good selection of liquor, Plymouth Rock Liquor and Cafe also offers a nice selection of real Cuban cigars. Liquor prices are quite reasonable compared to the States, but beer and wine are expensive.

For its size, New Plymouth is "blessed" with an abundance of very good restaurants. If you are looking for "fine dining", the New Plymouth Inn is the best Abaco has to offer, but don't get me wrong, the competition is tough! Your other choices are: The Abaco Inn, Elbow Cay; Club Solei, Hope Town; The Bluff House, White Sound, Green Turtle Cay; The Green Turtle Club, White Sound, Green Turtle Cay; Wally's, Marsh Harbour; and Mangoe's, Marsh Harbour. All of these restaurants offer continental and American cuisine intermixed with some local fare. If you have the time and the budget, try them all; but for now we're in Green Turtle Cay and clearly New Plymouth Inn is in this league, they just don't advertise very much and are easily overlooked. As I said, they're at the top of my list. If you don't have time to cruise Abaco, try a three day holiday at the New Plymouth Inn in Green Turtle Cay, rent a Boston Whaler, visit the nearby cays like No Name, Pelican, and Manjack. You'll be addicted and will plan more time next time.

If you're more inclined toward traditional Bahamian cuisine, you have several excellent choices. My personal favorite for years has been The Rooster's Rest, up on the hill by the school. Their cracked conch is consistently the best I've had anywhere in the Bahamas. They also do chicken, lobster, and grouper very well! On Friday and Saturday nights, The Gully Roosters, a popular local band plays and everyone gets up to dance, which is a little easier now that they have air conditioned their building. Clara, one of their best and most experienced cooks, now does a barbecue in her yard on Saturday afternoons. Look out if this continues to be popular, Green Turtle may have a new barbecue restaurant, and the Rooster's Rest could loose a good cook. In the interim, if you're here on Saturday afternoon, try the barbecue, just south of The Wrecking Tree on Bay Street.

A little more sedate, Laura's Kitchen has been serving excellent food for several years now. They started as a small take out cafe and now have sit-down dining complete with air conditioning.

Mike's bar has good local food, at reasonable prices. I've enjoyed the Seaview Restaurant many times, but they were closed the last time I went there, it looked like they weren't planning to reopen any time soon. For years, the Plymouth Rock Restaurant had the best breakfast anywhere in Florida or the Bahamas! When they decided to start selling liquor they tried to get out of cooking. I can't blame them for that! However the last time I was there I noticed that they had posted their menu again. I can't wait until the next time I'm in the mood for breakfast out, just to see if they are as good as they once were. In the interim, I will, on past experience, recommend them for the best breakfast in Abaco!

There is a new cafe which deserves special mention, called the Wrecking Tree (365-4263), located on Bay Street across the corner from the Sea Garden Club. This cafe offers local fare and has a few outdoor tables. The food is good and their hours are longer than the competition. They serve a very good breakfast, and, if you're looking for a late night snack, this is your only choice. They also sell ice cream!

If you follow Bay street southeast from the Wrecking Tree, you will encounter the 60 feet hill, used earlier for taking bearings. Atop this hill stands the lighted radio mast and the telephone building, which closes at 1900. As you climb this hill, note the "Hill Steps" which were carved by hand by skilled masons many years ago.

There is an "all age" school behind the telephone building at the top of the hill. The original building here was built after the 1932 hurricane (they weren't naming them then).

Entering or leaving New Plymouth, you will recognize the Government Dock in Settlement Creek by the two prominent canons which flank the heavy concrete dock. These canons were salvaged from the wreck of the U.S. Navy gunboat "San Jacinto," which ran onto a reef at night January 1, 1865 while pursuing a blockade runner. In those days, wrecking was still big business in these island and the wreck was supposedly totally stripped by 1895. However, there is some indication that during The Great Depression of the 1930's some locals resorted to wrecking and went back to the "San Jacinto" to salvage some of the less valuable brass which had be left untouched the first time around. Hundreds of cannon balls were also salvaged, and some are still around New Plymouth. Most of them were dumped into the harbor after someone was blown to smithereens while trying to salvage the powder. The wreck is still partially visible on the reef near Green Turtle Cay and offers an interesting dive site.

A sign over the government dock reads "Welcome" as you enter from Settlement Creek and pleads, "Remember These Shores," as you leave the settlement. You certainly are welcome here and undoubtedly will remember your visit here!

Black Sound, Green Turtle Cay

A reef extends west off Black Sound Point for about 350 yards. A white sign promoting The Other Shore Club is set on this reef, but not at the end of it! Don't go anywhere near that sign! It sits on a rock which may be covered at high tide and there is a lot of rocky shoal between that sign and the entrance channel for Black Sound. Don't stray from the channel, even in a dinghy, unless you know exactly what you're doing.

Make an easterly approach to the channel which in 1992 was marked with three red balls and three green balls. These are generally marked with red on the right arriving. On occasion, I have seen random red or green markers replaced with an odd marker such as white. In this case, you can usually figure out where the channel is if you know that there should be three markers on each side and that the channel has a little curve to it with the concave side of the curve to starboard arriving. The channel is quite narrow, but carries 5 feet MLW as long as you stay right in the channel. Once you pass the last channel marker, continue to carve the same imaginary curve to starboard until your bow is headed straight down the center of Black Sound. Don't head straight for Abaco Yacht Services or for The Other Shore Club. Once you're abeam these facilities, you'll have deep water on both sides to turn port or starboard.

The Other Shore Club, 365-4195 is the marina on the west shore of Black Sound near the entrance, about 0.25 NM past the channel markers. They no longer operate a restaurant, but it is a "full service marina" in every other way. They have boat slips with 30 amp and 50 amp electrical service, fresh water, diesel and gasoline. Moorings, ice and shore side showers are also available. They have 6 feet MLW inside the main dock and more on the outside. Marina hours are 0730 to 1200 and 1300 to 1630 Monday through Friday. On Saturdays, they are open 0730-1200, but if you need fuel and can't wait for regular hours they will usually open up for you. They monitor VHF channel 16. The water is of high quality but costs 25¢ per gallon. They also rent cottages and have a salt water pool which can be very refreshing on a hot summer day.

If you are staying at their dock or on one of their moorings, you can walk across their property to a road which leads into town. It's only a quarter-mile and is pretty well lit. They also have a place to accept your garbage, if you're staying at their marina. Trash disposal has become a problem through out the islands, so you are asked not to utilize this facility, unless you are staying at their marina.

Walter Roberts also has a few moorings for rent a little further down the sound. If you rent one of his moorings, you can use his dock for your dink and again access the road into town. Nearby, Robert's Marine 365-4249 is a dealer for Boston Whalers and Johnson outboards and stocks large marine batteries.

Abaco Yacht Services 365-4033 is Green Turtle Cay's newest marina and is across from The Other Shore Club. They offer most marine repair services including a 50 ton travel-lift. The level of service they offer rivals that of Man-O-War Cay. They always have a lot of boats in dry dock. If you want long term storage, this is your place! For my taste it's a little too far from town, the walk is possible, but long and dark; forcing you to dink into town every time. They have washers and dryers, but they are real expensive to use (remember water cost 25¢/gal.). They are also the local dealer for Yamaha outboards.

Almost no one anchors in Black Sound. The bottom is grassy and therefore not real good holding ground, moorings are readily available, for about $6/ night.

Further down in Black Sound, you will find Donnie's Boat Rental 365-4119, Sea Star Cottages 365-4178 and the Linton Beach Cottages 365-4003. Donnie Sawyer rents small outboards for day trips. The Sea Star Cottages occupy 19 acres between Black Sound and Gillam Bay Beach, offering one of the most beautiful views on the island. Linton Beach cottages occupy another pretty setting north of the two creeks.

If you're on a mooring in the southern part of Black Sound, you may find that the easiest way to get to town is to walk along the road for the quarter mile or so into town. You will have to climb that 60 feet hill shown on our sketch chart. From the top of that hill, you'll be able to look down Bay Street for a panoramic view of New Plymouth, so bring your camera!

White Sound, Green Turtle Cay

The configuration of this lovely anchorage almost matches that of Black Sound, except that it is oriented north-northwest. After that, similarities end and the two halves of the island seem as different as day and night. There is no native settlement on this end of the island. White Sound is home to two resorts, which seem to attract the larger yachts and many European visitors. There are also a number of very nice vacation homes on this end of the island.

The entrance to White Sound is less than 0.5 NM northwest of the entrance to Black Sound. It has recently been dredged to 6 feet MLW and is marked by a new series of markers. Even the old, familiar, slatted pyramid has been replaced by a white Green Turtle Club sign on a white post. This first marker has a white light, the six remaining spiles are marked by red reflectors, some of which have red lights. I am told that the planned depth after dredging was to have been 7 feet MLW, but having thrown a lot of lead, I believe that there are sufficient "humps" remaining to still call the controlling depth 6 feet MLW. My guess is that the Green Turtle Club has spent so much money dredging this channel, that they will see to it that the few remaining high spots are removed. Planned depths may be achieved by the time you read this. One word of caution is in order, the dredged channel is very narrow! The 6 to 7 feet depths are very close to the red stakes! If you have a keel boat, you need to almost put your rub rail on those stakes! The deep part of the channel is about 30 feet wide, which doesn't leave much room for two beamy boats if they both have deep keels. Nevertheless, this is such an improvement over the old channel that it's hard to fret. A second word of caution is also in order, after the third red stake, and just as the channel turns north there is a red mooring ball which could be interpreted as a channel marker. It is NOT! Don't go anywhere near it, you'll be well out of the channel and in 3 feet MLW!

About halfway up the channel on the west shore is Dolphin Marine. Please observe the no wake zone past his dock. Once you pass the last marker going in don't be too quick to turn off your course, there is a shallow spot just west of the deep water which is unmarked and occasionally catches people off guard. Once you pass the last red marker head for the prominent house and dock on the north shore just west of the Green Turtle Club. Once you're abeam of the Bluff House dock, you'll have 10-15 feet MLW all around you, with good holding ground everywhere.

Now that you're in, you'll want to stay for a while, I'm sure. If you're like some I know, you may never be ready to leave. If you need repairs on your outboard, Dolphin Marine has a good supply of spare parts for Evinrude engines and has an excellent reputation. Their prices aren't all that bad if you need a new outboard.

There are two beautifully situated, delightful resorts in White Sound. The Bluff House, 365-4247, has recently been totally renovated. Sitting on the west shore, atop the summit of 83-foot Big Bluff, the highest point on Green Turtle Cay it has one of the most dramatic views in the Abacos. Their freshwater pool and patio sit right on the edge of this sheer cliff, overlooking the Sea of Abaco. It's worth the walk up the hill and the price of a drink, just to enjoy this panoramic view. Bring your camera. Their house specialty is the Tranquil Turtle which contains: orange juice, pineapple juice, grenadine, banana rum, coconut rum, gin, scotch, vodka, 151 proof rum, dark rum, and light rum. If the view doesn't get you tranquil, the drink will!

They have several private cottages, scattered around the hillside, most of which are air conditioned. It is a long walk into town, so visitors wishing to visit New Plymouth need to rent one of the small Boston Whalers which are available from Dames Rentals, 365-4247. The resort is run by Martin Havil, previously of the Green Turtle Club. They are near the top of my list for fine dining in the Abacos. They like to have your dinner reservations in by 1700, but will sometimes work you in late if they can. They have one seating for dinner, and you are likely to be seated at a large table with strangers. Actually, it's kind of nice because no one is really a stranger in Abaco, and it is a nice way to meet people. On our last trip there we were seated with a nice couple from Wales and another couple from Orlando.

They have just installed new fueling facilities both on the White Sound side and the Abaco Sea side where they have 6 feet MLW at both docks. Their marina has slips available, complete with 30/50 amp electricity, water and ice. They monitor VHF channel 16.

The Green Turtle Club, 365-4271, is a little more lively, attracting more of the "yachting" crowd. The Green Turtle Club was one of the original sponsors of Regatta Time in Abaco, which is now an independent volunteer organization. The marina seems to be the favorite of the large "crewed yachts" and the "glitzy" sports fishermen. The clubhouse bar seems to be the gathering place for skippers and their crew who frequently leave club burgees on the wall or ceiling. Some sign dollar bills and leave them. The club seems to be particularly proud of the one left by former president Jimmy Carter. The club frequently has live music, but you'll have to check with them on a daily basis. They monitor VHF channel 16.

They offer a fine restaurant, and small boats are available for rent. Brendal's Dive Shop (359-6226) is on the premises, and offers a wide range of dive services including reef trips and air fills.

Beaches

Green Turtle Cay has some of the best beaches anywhere in Abaco. My old favorite is on the eastern shore, just east of Abaco Yacht Services. You can walk or bike there by following the road around the south end of Black Sound or, easier yet, just land your dink by the wrecked work boat south of Abaco Yacht Services and follow the path outside their fence to the road. Turn north on the main road for just a short ways and take the first right which will take you all the way to the beach. This beach is over a mile long, and is very beautiful. Photographers-- bring your camera(s). An enlargement of one of my photos of this beach hung in my office for many years, and is displayed proudly on the front cover of this book. The snorkeling is particularly good along the north end of this beach, at Long Bay Cay, where the beach meets the reef.

If you're staying in White Sound, follow the road which cuts through the Green Turtle Club property either north to Coco Bay, a protected beach or eastward to the ocean beach, both are lovely.

Rapidly becoming my favorite beach on the island is the new sandy peninsula south of Gilliam Bay. This was once a submerged sand bar, but is dry now and makes and excellent beach. Again, bring your camera on this one. The shot you'll get of the house on Pelican Cay is beautiful.