As Far NORTH As We’re Gonna Go

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         If the Captain has his way, the latitude of 24°37.05’ N is as far north as Exit Strategy is ever going to go.  On a chart of the Bahamaian Islands, HALF MOON BAY, LITTLE SAN SALVADOR and ARTHURS TOWN, CAT ISLAND roughly lie at this latitude.
      
         We had read that Little San Salvador– just five miles long and surrounded by a maze of coral heads and reefs- was owned by Holland America and served as a cruise ship stop.  But we hadn’t seen a single ship since arriving in the Bahamas so we expected there’d be a lull in visitors at this small island.  We were very WRONG.  On our first day in Half Moon Bay, we were the only vessel in sight, but early the next day, and the next day, and… then Dan googled the cruise ship schedule.  Ships would be in the bay six out of seven days a week!  Again, we don’t begrudge anyone of the way they make their living, so we watched the bay bubble with activity between 9 am - 4:30 pm and were happy to be left alone each night.  One day we dinghied around the northwestern point of the island and enjoyed an untouched, long stretch of beach.   

Rake 'N Scrape music is quite lively and played using
 saws, drums, and a concertina accordian.

         Nevertheless, the next morning the winds were in our favor and we headed toward the northern part of Cat Island to Arthurs Town.  There we found ourselves alone in the bay day and night.  When we walked ashore the locals knew we were the people from “de boat” and were friendly and helpful.  Arthurs Town is a welcoming place where the people not only recommend a good place (in this case, the only place) to eat dinner, but also call someone to take you there at no charge.  We had a delicious mahi mahi dinner at De Smoke Pot Restaurant and when the owner learned that we had never heard Bahamian RAKE ‘N SCRAPE music, he rallied a few men to perform for us after dinner. 
          Cat Island, the birthplace of the actor Sidney Poitier, is about sixty miles long and not more that a mile wide at most points. So a few days later we moved southward along the coast to NEW BIGHT.  Once more, we stood out as “de people from de boat” for a couple of days until a few motor yachts stopped there to wait for better weather.  There were more businesses around New Bight, such as a place to get propane refills, fuel, and groceries, although we still had to let the ladies at the Blue Bird Restaurant know we were coming to make sure they’d have food.
          A main attraction at New Bight is Fr. Jerome’s Hermitage that he built on the highest peak of the entire Bahamas at 206 feet above sea level.  Fr. Jerome studied architecture before becoming a Jesuit priest and was sent to the Bahamas from England in 1908 to save souls and build churches that could better withstand hurricanes.  His churches, built for all denominations, have held up well and still grace many of the islands.

Fr. Jerome's Hermitage

Stations of the Cross

                 
      On our last evening in New Bight, we met and talked at length with a kindly old gent who filled us in on more Bahamian history.  The islands were first inhabited by the Lucayans which Columbus noted in his log of 1492 when he claimed the islands for Spain.  The Lucayan population dwindled quickly as they were exposed to diseases brought by the “white man“ (Spanish).  Then in 1648, the first English settlers came seeking religious freedom.  And finally in 1776,  a great  influx of Loyalists occured after England lost the War for Independence in the New World.  The inhabitants of today are either descendents of the Loyalists or “Fat Cats” from the USA and Europe.
                               We thoroughly enjoyed the beauty of Cat Island’s shores and its people.