Instagram icon
Sign in Subscribe
Adventures Bahamas Sailing Videos

Resorty…In A Good Way – Sailing Hope Town

Nikki Wynn

Nikki Wynn

— 5 min read
Resorty…In A Good Way – Sailing Hope Town

It’s winter here and considered to be the tourist off-season.  The population is less than 500 and golf carts are the main source of transportation, but not even the golf carts are allowed in the main part of town (unless you have a special permit).  One look at the narrow roads and it’s a wonder they allow bicycles.  Thankfully, they do allow bicycles and its hands down the best way to explore this picture-perfect island.

Hope town feels resorty, but in a good way. It looks like a Carolina’s seaside community with its pastel colored houses and white picket fences but its distinctly Bahamian. Not just because of the towns strict Bahamian Architecture standards either. But, I’d rather show you around versus letting my words fail to describe this charming little island.  Grab your sunglasses, click the play button and let’s go for a ride.

What did you think of that cute little town?  We had a good feeling about this town right from the get go.  We sailed in and dropped the anchor just shy of the lighthouse in perfect time for sunset.  We sat in our folding chairs on the trampolines, admired the scenery and thought to ourselves we’re gonna like this place!  As I’m sure you saw in the video, we were sad to say goodbye to this little slice of small town paradise.

hope town anchorage

The Lighthouse

The Elbow Cay lighthouse is or at least should be a must see.  It’s not that it’s going to blow your mind but it is one of the only manual lighthouses left in the world.  It has a kerosene lamp and a weight mechanism that must be hand cranked every couple of hours.  There are two lighthouse keepers that share the duty…every damn day, 24 hours a day.  Can you imagine committing to that job?  We can’t even commit to staying in one city!

Lighthouses are always alluring and steeped in maritime history but this is the first truly interesting piece of history we’ve seen in the Abacos.  It’s also oh so photogenic! I had an incredibly hard time choosing which images to share and felt the classic black and white presentation was best.

elbow cay lighthouse bahamas
sv curiosity off in the distance
elbow cay lighthouse
exploring the hope town lighthouse
elbow cay lighthouse bahamas
a little elbow grease

I always wonder what it’s like to live in each new place we visit.  I imagine what is it like to run a business, be a student at the school, mow the lawn, pay the utility bill, buy groceries, and all the other day to day necessary life stuff.

I think it’s because a city isn’t a city without people.  If I can manage to get a glimpse into what it’s like to live in a place, I leave feeling I have a greater understanding of the place itself.  We only spent a few days in Hope Town, Abaco but it was enough to know it’s a town worth getting to know.

hope town beach

Sips and Bites

  • Firefly – It was moderately priced (especially for the Bahamas) good food and a nice view.  It is owned by Firefly (the people that make sweet tea vodka) which is a South Carolina company, and the area was settled by British loyalists from the Carolina’s…so it’s like six degrees of separation kind of local.
  • Hope Town Coffee – Only open until noon so get there early!  I was almost fooled by their Gevalia cups but they do roast their own beans.  The quiche was legit and wifi is fast, what’s not to love.
  • Captain Jacks – Seemed to be a favorite hangout spot so we couldn’t resist.  Wifi worked well and the food is decent (nothing to write home about).  They do have some good happy hours on food and drinks that make it worth a stop.

Sailing Report

To see our full map with interactive pins, click here: gonewiththewynns.com/map

sailing map

Nautical Miles Sailed: It was a whopping 7.3 NM from Marsh Harbour to Hope Town
Dates: November 28- December 1, 2016
Anchorage: We anchored directly out in front of the lighthouse and it was a great location.  Not too much wake from the ferries and quiet. There is still some boat traffic coming and going so we use the rechargeable Mantus snap-on lights on the bow and stern to light up the boat and help us be seen. There are Lots of free dinghy docks in town. Stern anchors are required at the public docks so be prepared for a “Bahamian mooring”.
Cell & WiFi: Our BTC signal was good and even better with our booster on.  However, the wifi in town is good so why not sip on a cup of joe while you get some work done.

Gear Used In This Video

Cameras Used to Capture This Video:

Pssst…If you have ever finished watching a video or reading a post and thought “I wonder how I can show these guys some love?”, we put together a few ideas here: gonewiththewynns.com/tip-jar

Read more