After leaving the cruise ship island of Little San Salvador we set sail for Eleuthera. Our plan was to stop at Cape Eleuthera Marina at the southern end of Eleuthera. However, we got there early and decided to “skip” it and continue on to anchor at Tarpum Bay, a little farther north. When we arrived there we motored in towards the shore and discovered it was very shallow so the plan changed again and we “hopped” another 14 miles to Governor’s Harbour. It was mid afternoon when we anchored and went ashore.

Governor’s Harbour is a busy town, the seat of government for Eleuthera. There are shops and restaurants a block or two from where we bring the dinghy ashore. The homes are built on a steep hill and on the other side of the hill on the Atlantic Ocean side of Eleuthera is the beautiful pink sand beach of a Club Med Resort that was partially destroyed in 1999 by Hurricane Andrew. It has not been rebuilt but some of the buildings and the beautiful landscaping remain.

The next morning we went out to breakfast with Cathie and Tom (Interlude) at the Buccaneer Club, where we had delicious food in a uniquely decorated restaurant. 

Below are photos of the Governor’s Harbour Library, near our anchorage, and several homes on the hillside.

After breakfast we decided to leave and sail to Goulding Cay. Our next destination was Spanish Wells and while we could leave from Governor’s Harbour the next morning and get to Spanish Wells in the afternoon, we wanted to time our entrance through Current Cut for slack tide in the morning. Goulding Cay is a lovely anchorage near the Glass Window in northern Eleuthera a short distance to Current Cut. We spent the night there and left in the morning for the “jump” to Spanish Wells. On the map below, the narrow Glass Window is just below the top arrow from the word “Eleuthera Island.” Goulding Cay is a very short distance south of that.

One of the houses on the beach has a surfboard table in the yard. I guess Sailor is practicing surfing. You can see Seas the Day anchored off the point of the cay. Goulding Cay has a great shallow swimming beach, usually deserted, and the perfect place for Sailor to fetch his ball in the water.

This was our quickest visit to Eleuthera in the four times we have come here. Other years we have also stopped at Rock Sound, which we skipped this year, and spent time renting a car to drive the length of the island, visiting a number of beautiful pink sand Atlantic beaches. Once in Spanish Wells, we are only a short $8 water taxi trip back to Eleuthera so we’ll be able to rent a car for a tour of the island.

Our goal was to reach Spanish Wells by the middle of April with a month available to stay there before returning to the States at the end of May. When traveling on a boat, plans are written in sand, but in this case we had good weather and were able to adjust our stops to reach Spanish Wells. We were lucky the weather cooperated because that is always the determining factor on when and where we go.