Not a Good Day!
Marsh Harbour is not very scenic. Once again our expectations were too high. Other cruisers told us we would most certainly enjoy Marsh Harbour. They enthusiastically raved about a grocery store called Maxwell’s. It’s true. Maxwell’s is a large format grocery store similar to the stores to which Americans are accustomed. But, Maxwell’s, with their large selection and reasonable prices, is about the only gem in Marsh Harbour. This is really a shame since the horseshoe shaped harbor in the hub of the Abaco region is really picturesque. As we were sailing into the harbor looking at the banks lined with swaying palm trees and boats anchored throughout, we thought, wow! But alas, wow wasn’t to be once we stepped ashore.
Nice Houses Line the Shore
When The Gulls Don’t Fly – It’s Gonna Be Windy
We ducked into Marsh Harbour because we had some serious nasty weather heading our way. Remember a little while ago when I mentioned how we have been enjoying the wonderful weather? When will I learn to stop jinxing us with comments such as these? We’re talking the kind of stuff you just don’t want to test. We sought the safety of a good harbor and marina. We can’t imagine riding out the storm in the open water as it was plenty rough in the protected harbor. We had some excitement as the boat behind us sank in the slip. Amazingly, a crew of men worked through the night and we able to salvage the boat.
We planned to stay for at least a couple of weeks but after stepping ashore we quickly changed our minds. Although we are located close to the town, getting about town is tricky as there are very few sidewalks. Wheeling our pull cart back to Cream Puff from Maxwell’s proved to be somewhat of a daredevil stunt dodging traffic where the sidewalk was not passable. The Bahamian drivers do not give pedestrians much space on the narrow roads.
Rickety Sidewalk
When there are sidewalks, they are pretty rough
Dream Yacht Charter Office and Bocce Ball Field
What Stop Sign?
Besides doing some grocery shopping, we thought we would catch up on laundry and take in some of the area restaurants and attractions. The Marina where we stayed doesn’t have a laundry facility. They do offer a laundry service but it is a little pricey for our means. We found the town coin laundry. Some of the machines worked. Let’s just leave it at that. We made a deal with a neighboring marina to use their laundry facility. Rather than spend time ashore, we managed to get caught up on some general maintenance items aboard Cream Puff while the weather passed.
Conch Inn and Marina
Marsh Harbour offers boat parts, ATMs, hardware stores and grocery stores. It also has an airport making it a good place to take on crew, family or visitors. It is also a hub for the Moorings and Sunsail charter yachts. These are yacht charter companies for vacationers wanting to rent a boat for a week. One of the first destinations for American men is the gift shop called Monkey’s Uncle. Why? This is where they can buy Cuban cigars.
Monkey’s Uncle
Snappa’s Bar – so so food
Wally’s Restaurant – Awesome Food!
Marsh Harbour is also the ferry hub. The ferry routes connect to all the surrounding islands in the Abaco region of the Bahamas. The ferry service shuttles everything from tourist to restaurant supplies and groceries to businesses in the outer islands.
Island Ferry
