Abraham’s Bay, Mayaguana
We spent four nights anchored off Mayaguana. The first, was just anchored off Betsy Bay on the West coast since we arrived just after sunset. Our first day was filled with clearing customs and getting cell phone coverage. In typical cruising fashion, those two chores took all day. Here’s the road into town:
Abraham’s Bay
On Saturday, we took a wonderful tour of the island with Scully Cartwright. On the tour, we visited a local farm run by Reverend Baine. He is amazingly resourceful and pointed out how much soil they have. To us, it looked like crushed limestone gravel. But, it is clear we were the blind ones as his produce was gorgeous. He grows bananas, citrus fruits, onions, Thyme, cabbage, tomatoes, a local variety of pumpkin, and broccoli. We always thought that broccoli was a winter crop. Clearly we were wrong. We left with a bag full of produce that he wouldn’t let us pay for.
Farm, Mayaguana
We also toured the beautiful shorelines of the north coast and the airport. Well, the airstrip which is a rebuilt runway from the long-closed American military base and the old firehouse which serves as a waiting room of sorts.
Mayaguana Airport
What really captured our imagination were the four planes in the scrub over to the side of the runway. Here’s a DC3.
Scully told a colorful story about this plane. Apparently it landed from Colombia, the folks quickly unloaded a valuable cargo and fled leaving the plane running in the middle of the runway. Scully and a friend tracked down the pilot and drug him back to move the plane over to the side of the runway and turn it off. The folks that brought it were never seen again here. And, there were a few automatic weapons involved as well. This story is consistent with the past history of drug running in these more isolated islands.
Abandoned Plane, Mayaguana Airport
Here are a few views from our bonefishing trip on Sunday.
Flamingos, Mayaguana Island.
Bonefishing, Mayaguana Island
And, of course, if there are coconut palms, they must be climbed.
Abraham’s Bay, Mayaguana Island
Abraham’s Bay, Mayaguana
Great story, very beautiful island.