Great Abaco to Eleuthera

Monday morning we caught the first ferry back to Marsh Harbor and then a cab to the airport.  Since we would be travelling in the Bahamas for the next few days, all we had to do with customs was have them stamp our inter-island permit paper.  No fees.  On the ramp was this DC-3 with funky looking engines and props on it.   
 
One last look at Marsh Harbor with Great Guana Cay in the distance before heading south to Eleuthera Island. 
 
Looking down at Marsh Harbor airport. 
 
Heading down the eastern coast of Great Abaco. 
 
Nice golf course! 
 
Still heading down the Abaco coast. Yes, we are in gliding distance of land, but it's all jagged coast or shrub or wood covered. Plus its completely uninhabited. In other words, not a lot of good options if we had to make a forced landing. 
 
The southern tip of Great Abaco, with lighthouse.   From here we headed southeast over the ocean.
 
Land ho! In only a few minutes, Eleuthera Island was visible off the nose.
 
The northern tip of Eleuthera.
 
Crossing the northern part of Eleuthera inbound to North Eleuthera Airport (MYEH). 
 
On left downwind at N. Eleuthera. 
 
We were just staying here a few hours to look around and have lunch so we didn't need to unload the airplane, tie it down and all that.  The Customs and FBO building is right behind me. 
 
Jack must be hungry; he's pretty excited. 
 
We were parked right next to that helicopter on the left.  As we were having lunch overlooking the ocean, we saw the helicopter fly by and it occurred to me parking next to the helicopter was probably not a great idea.  But the plane was fine when we returned. 
 
Now that we are within the Bahamas, customs is easy.  Just check in with them and they stamp your inter-island travel pass.  No fees.
 
There wasn't much on the mainland side.  We took a short taxi ride to a ferry dock, and cruised across a mile or so of water to Harbor Island where civilization was.  The ferry was just a small motorboat.  The price was right though, only $5.  Best deal on the island.  The mile ride from airport to ferry cost twice that.    I gather they'll carry anything on the watertaxi!  If you can get it on, they'll take it.
 
Cruising over to Harbour Island. 
 
Harbour Island is famous for its pink beaches so we wanted to check them out and have lunch there. 
 
We walked east and found this nice hotel restaurant overlooking the pink beach and had lunch.  I didn't really think the beach was pink,but it was still a very nice beach, regardless.  Looking north. 
 
Looking south.  Although this place was very nice and upscale, there weren't many vacationers about.  It was the same at all the places we stopped in the Bahamas.  Extremely nice places, but the vacationers just weren't there.  And this is the season.  Apparently no one comes here in fall and winter due to hurricanes. 
 
Back at the ferry dock, Harbour Island side.  We had seen that big inter-island ferry underway from the air coming in. 
 
Heading back to the airport in the ferry motorboat.
 
The restaurant waitress had been interested in our airplane so we told her to look for a little silver and black airplane to fly by later on.  We took off and flew down the beach at 500 feet.  That's Harbour Island below looking southwest. 
 
Heading southeast along the Eleuthera coastline.  It's a long, skinny island. 
 
About halfway down Eleuthera was Governor's Harbour airport (MYEM).  I was interested in it because the Bahamas & Caribbean Pilot's Guide said it used to be a U.S. Naval Base.   It didn't look like much, and there was a crosswind I didn't feel like dealing with, so we didn't stop.  Later I found out it had actually been a Naval Facility which opened in 1957 and closed in 1980.  From Wikipedia, a Naval Facility is basically a SOSUS monitoring station.   SOSUS systems consisted of bottom mounted hydrophone arrays connected by underwater cables to facilities ashore.  Their purpose was to listen for and provide locating data for Soviet submarines.  It was highly classified stuff when I was hunting Soviet submarines in P-3 Orions way back in the 1980's.  Now you can read about it in Wikipedia.  It must have been sweet duty for those stationed at this particular NavFac. 
 
Continuing south down Eleuthera. 
 
At the southern tip of Eleuthera we turned almost due east for the short hop over to Cat Island.    That's Cat Island straight ahead. 
 
We proceeded to fly south down the length of Cat Island. 
 
Overhead New Bight Airport (MYCB) which is about midway down Cat Island. 
 
We were starting to get used to seeing nothing but scrub on these islands. 
 

Cat Island doglegs to the west and at the end was our destination:  Hawk's Nest.    Hawk's Nest is a private airport that is part of the Hawk's Nest Resort where we would be staying.  

Notice how sharply the water goes from shallow aqua to deep blue.  A charter boat captain later told us this tip of land is the tip of an underwater mountain.  The water gets deep quickly, which is great for fishing.  The boats only have to go a short distance and they can start fishing.  Which is fantastic, he said. 

 
The resort is on this side of the runway, to the right.  Opposite of the marina. 
 
Turning over Hawk's Nest.  The water is incredibly aqua blue. 
 
Can you believe that displaced threshold?  Half the runway is wasted. 
 
A great look at the Hawk's Nest resort complex including beach. 
 
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