The 67 mile long passage from Rock Sound to Royal Island Harbour was with a beam sea, so we hugged the lee shore of Eleuthera for protection from the swells. There were many villages and settlements along the shore. We passed through narrow Current Cut, navigating very close to shore to stay in the deeper water.
Here, rip currents can run in excess of 5 knots. As we were almost at slack tide, we only had a 3.2 knot following current, boosting our speed.Current Island residents park their cars here on the Eleuthera Island side, to use after they arrive by boat. The little village here was covered with a wall of water and battered by winds in excess of 200 MPH during Hurricane Andrew. They are still recovering.
Now we are at Royal Island, a secure anchorage and good jumping off place for the trip north to the Abacos. An elegant private estate was built here in the 1950s, but has fallen into ruin.
Now, developers are changing the uninhabited island into a resort with villas (these have canvas tent-like roofs), golf course and marina, all under construction. Boaters are no longer allowed ashore, but may still anchor in the protected harbor.
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