We make it to the Dock and Dine at Man o' War

Wednesday 5th - arrive in HarbourView marina in Marsh Harbour. It's too late to cycle to Abaco gas so I take a taxi. Jeff the driver tells me he grew up in Hope Town and went to Nassau to become a teacher, taught for a while then went to Florida to get a degree. Eventually he returned to Hope Town. Lived there for 10 years but then moved to Man o' War because it was quieter. Well OK, about the only place quieter is Man o' War cemetery.

Thursday 6th - Head for Treasure Cay, we're hoping to get through the Whale Cay passage to have some time to explore before I have to come back to Marsh Harbour. It's starts to rain and the forecast is strong winds tomorrow so we put into Man o' War Cay. The entrance is narrow and rocky and then we have to avoid the shoals on either side so it is always stressful especially when the ferry or the landing craft freighter are coming the other way at the same time.

We go ashore for a quiet walk. I want to buy Steve Dodge's History of the Abaco which I saw in a store here but didn't buy. One of the strange things in MoW is that stores seem to hide at times. I was looking out for what turned out to be Joe's Emporium and walked right past it. The only thing I can think is they all look like homes. The map says there is a museum and there is even a weathered sign pointing up hill to the museum but it took three visits before we noticed a sign on a building that said Man o' War Museum. I don't think it opens. Speaking of which we were always puzzled by the ice cream parlour which opened between 7pm and 9pm, an hour after sunset at this time of year.

The Abaco was settled by loyalists who had to leave from New York, the Carolinas and Florida on account of being on the losing side of the American War of Independence. MoW is a family affair that started back when one of these loyalists, Benjamin Archer, had a sixty acre farm on Man o' War Cay though he lived in Marsh's Harbour (as it was known then). When he went to work on the fields he took his 13 year old daughter Eleanor. On one trip Eleanor met Benjamin Albury a sixteen year old boy who had come ashore after his boat was wrecked on the reef. Eleanor is always described as a "well developed" 13 year old which sounds like a clause added to smooth over some Victorian sensibilities. Anyway they fell in love, married and had 13 children and stayed on the Cay. My guess is they got started pretty soon after meeting. In 1977 230 of the 235 Bahamian residents in MoW were descendants of these two. So it's a little quirky but nice in the respect that it is a real community compared with say Great Guana.

We ate at the Dock and Dine which has a good reputation. Being a dry island the boaters turn up at the table with various containers. The food was good but when you ask for the dessert menu they suggest you go down to the ice cream parlour, which we did as it was 8pm. The ice cream was good too.

Friday 7th - We had to sit out the bad weather. Took a walk along the beach.