Mahsh Hahbah - devastated

                            GH47s in Little Harbour

The intrepid Great Harbournauts dropped their moorings and left beautiful Little Harbour around noon yesterday.  The morning was spent enjoyably with a tour of the gallery and gift shop - and soaking a bit in Little Harbour's cool, blue waters.  We left LH in bright sunshine and mild winds, with some threatening clouds up ahead.

It was a lovely cruise for the first 30 minutes or so until we caught up to those dark clouds.  Winds remained light as we were all treated to 45 minutes of nice freshwater boat washing.  Around 2pm we were approaching the breakwater at Marsh Harbour's Abaco Beach Resort (aka Boat Harbour).  That is pretty much EXACTLY when winds increased to 20+ knots - which made for some pretty sporty docking, but everyone managed to get in safely, breathing a big sigh of relief!

                            Great Harbours at Boat Harbour

After getting settled, I offered to lead a group into Marsh Harbour proper - to see if we could find a place for a cold beer.  On the way, I was astounded and much saddened by the devastation wrought by Hurricane Dorian in 2019.  Most of Marsh still looks like a war zone, with houses and businesses that I used to know, blasted apart by the 200-mph winds and 13' tidal surge.  It looks like a different town with all the large trees gone.  It is especially sad after seeing all the excellent rebuilding taking place in Hope Town and Green Turtle Cay

                                        War Zone Marsh Harbour

We finally sat down at the very colorful "Colors Restaurant" on the harbour and drank a toast to the way Marsh Harbour used to be - and in hopes that it will someday be again.  Joe ordered a tropical conch salad from "Fatty's Conch Shack" right next store. Said it was delicious - but never offered to share it with me...

                                    Swimming at the marina

At 7pm, we all trouped up to "The Terrace at Marinaville" outdoor restaurant at the marina.  Food was delicious and the rain held off long enough for everyone to finish their dinner (I had pizza - YUM.)  Afterwards, we went to bed convinced that the winds would die and the weather would improve for tomorrow's trip to the "party island" - Great Guana Cay.

                                        The sun TRYING to come out!

Epilogue:  This morning, I visited a bit with my old friend Dane Stratton, a many generations native Abaconian.  He told me the horrific story and aftermath of being there during the absolute devastation of Hurricane Dorian.  His family's thriving fish market and freezing company was completely destroyed and the stories of what he and his family went through brought tears to my eyes.  No one will ever understand what these people went through in September, 2019.  The death toll in Marsh Harbour alone will never be known as most of the Haitian immigrants were undocumented.  In 2012, I made Dane and his family a 3' tall copper and bronze sculpture of the Hope Town Lighthouse.  It was one of their treasured possessions and oddly enough survived the wrath of the storm mostly intact - only to completely disappear sometime during clean up.  I went to Dane's parents house this morning and it will be an honor for me to make another lighthouse sculpture (this time incorporated into a corner table) for the Stratton clan.

                                 After the storm, but before it disappeared forever