Attitude Adjustment in Abaco Part 9

Attitude Adjustment in Abaco Part 9
Dr.Ralph <rbundy@cfl.rr.com> -- on Wednesday 8/8/01 @ 6:39 p.m. EST

Monday, July 16
At 7 AM I am wide-awake; I've had trouble sleeping, I am excited about the prospect of good weather. I open my overhead hatch and am greeted by an explosion of bright, iridescent blue sky, a soft dry breeze, and no clouds. In a few minutes I'm at Attitude's helm drinking in the gorgeous sunrise, sipping a little green tea. I have 45 minutes before Cruisers' Net, so there's a little time to look around. I walk to the base of the dock, then up the hill to the little wooden beach overlook. The ocean is stunning, almost purple; the wind is from the SE at about 10 knots or so, there is a slight chop, and I can already see several boats. Back at Attitude, I unzip her Isenglass curtains, take down my laundry (it's actually dry), and wait for the Net.

At 8:17 Barometer Bob is gushing: high pressure from the south has moved over Abaco, the trough has dissipated, and good weather is forecast for the next several days. He predicts winds 10-15 knots from the SE and scattered afternoon thunderstorms, mostly over Great Abaco Island. At breakfast I give Bunny the good news and ask her how she wants to spend the day. Bunny ponders her options for a moment, and decides she wants to go fishing and conching down on the South End. We shower, square away the boat, and by 10 we are heading south through Lubber's Channel.

Years ago, while hiding from a squall off the north side of Guana, we bumped into some local fisherman. We had planned on bottom fishing, and I had brought the same 100-pound 4/0 rigs we use for snapper and grouper in deep water off Daytona. The locals were very polite, although I'm sure they thought we were nuts. They advised us to use light tackle, 12-16 pound spinning rigs, and to tie relatively small hooks (#1) directly to the line without a leader. We asked them where to fish, and they told us to simply drift in 50-60 feet just beyond the main reef, using only enough weight to get our baits to the bottom. We were a little skeptical, but figured we'd give local knowledge a shot. In two hours we caught nice grouper, yellowtail, triggerfish, grunts, mangrove snapper, a cero mackerel, and some other fish I couldn't identify. This has been our fishing technique ever since. Its only drawback lies with the absence of a leader: you have to check your line frequently for fraying, and you have to be patient enough to re-tie as often as is necessary.

Our route takes us south from Lubber's Quarters, around Tilloo Bank, through Pelican Harbour, and finally out into the ocean via North Bar Channel. By 11 AM the wind has picked up a little, it's about 15 knots, and we bounce over a 2-foot chop as we head south along Lynyard Cay. When we are opposite its southern tip we throttle back and shut down the motors in 55 feet of water. Attitude lies "beam to," her bow facing east away from land, her cockpit facing Lynyard Beach. We have frequently done well here, and we are anxious to start fishing. Bunny and I use slightly different techniques: she likes fishing with cut bait on a #1 hook, and I like to bounce quarter- or 3/8-oz jigs on the bottom; we both use 12-pound spinning rigs. I quickly bring up a grunt, and this becomes Bunny's cut bait. We fish for an hour and don't have much luck. Low tide is at 11:30, and I am wondering of that is what is stopping the bite.

We decide to cruise along the SE coast of Great Abaco and return to fishing later after the tide turns. We head south at sailboat speed, passing Goole Cay, Little Harbour, The Boilers, and the cliffs that lie to the south. Ahead of us the sky is darkening, and I watch three small rain cells pop up on the radar. We are disappointed, we had really wanted to explore SE Abaco, but we've had it with nasty weather, so we decide to run back up to Lynyard where we can dash back into Pelican Harbour if we have to escape a squall.

At 2 PM we are fishing again, keeping one eye to the weather to our south. Bunny brings up a small hind that gets sent back, then connects with a nice fish that bends her rod double. She works her fish up and down for several minutes, then finally finesses him to the surface. I put down my rod and lean over the gunnel behind her to see a gorgeous yellowfin grouper of maybe 6 pounds. As I reach for her line, I see a severe fray just above the hook. As I hesitate the line parts with a "snap," and for a moment the grouper lies stunned at boatside. I have to work fast: the net is still buried, I forgot to pull it out. The gaff is stowed in brackets right beside me, so I hastily grab it, hoping I can free-gaff the fish. I make three passes, but without a line to stabilize the fish, I can't drive in the point. The grouper is waking up, starting to flap its tail; it's now or never. At this point I'm not thinking, I just want that grouper, and I start to slide over the gunnel into the water. But a firm hand grabs the waist of my bathing suit; I am suspended, feet in the air, my hands a foot from the fish, Bunny hollering, "Oh no you don't!" The fish slowly swims away; I am furious. Bunny puts it in proper perspective, "It's just a fish. And what were you going to do if you got in the water with it, Mr. No Gloves, hmmmm?" I feel very unmanly.

But, with the tide change the fishing has picked up. We bring in two nice yellowtail and several red hinds ("strawberry grouper"), three of which appear to meet the three-pound minimum, although I'm still not sure whether that actually applies to this species. As we catch small trash fish, I cut off the head, which I then impale on a 4/0 hook that is tied to four feet of 50-pound mono. This is fished on a 20-pound spinning rig that goes in a rodholder while we fish the lighter rigs. Twice this rode gets good hits, but both are cut off before I can get whatever is at the other end out of the rocks.

By 4 we are cooked, so we decide to head for smooth water and some relaxation. We pack up our rods and tackle, run NW through North Bar, then north through Pelican Harbour, and finally into the cove on the north side of North Pelican Cay. With the south wind I can bring Attitude to within 100 feet of the shoreline in four feet of water; we drop the hook, watch for a moment to make sure it's fast, then shut down the motors as the breeze holds us off the beach. While I'm getting down the noodles and dropping the dive ladder, Bunny builds us drinks. We slide into the warm water, get comfy in our noodles, retrieve our drinks from the dive platform, and slowly kick our way toward shore.

Considering the entire Bahamas, this is our favorite Noodle Beach. A sandy spit extends west from a rocky hill, forming a gorgeous beach that is sheltered from the prevailing SE wind by the hill's forty-foot elevation. The water color at the shoreline is a sandy beige that slowly gives way to lighter and then darker greens as the depth increases. There are scattered rocks and grassy patches that provide occasional dark relief. The water is warm and calm; tiny wavelets are lapping at the beach. We bob in two feet of water, drinking in the beauty of this wonderful spot. After an hour or so it's time to look for conch, so I put on mask, fins, and snorkel, and make a quick pass through the cove. We have occasionally found good numbers of conch right in the harbour, but today I can only find whelks and horse conch, no queens. Looks like I'm going to have to work for them.

We weigh anchor and idle over to the deeper grass west of North Pelican. We have a 50-foot "trolling rope" that has a loop at one end; we deploy this into the water away from the props. When all is ready, I get in the water, place my right heel through the loop, and Bunny idles Attitude toward the west. The water here is relatively deep, 15-25 feet. The trick is to find 3-5 conch together; I don't want to have to make ten descents in this depth. I pass over several "singles" until I find four conchs relatively close together. I drop off the line, take three deep breaths, then dive for the bottom, purging my ears against the pressure. The conchs are in a 15-foot circle, and it takes me a moment to gather them all. Four conchs are heavy, and it's tricky to juggle them as I work my way to the surface. Bunny has retrieved the line and is circling to pick me up. As Attitude eases by me, I "push" my treasure up to where she waits on the starboard corner of the dive platform. In two more dives we have our ten; it has taken perhaps 15 minutes.

I love the run back to White Sound. Bunny pilots us west until she clears Tilloo Bank, then puts Attitude into a wide arc to the NE, and at 28 knots we fly before the wind. I have time to rinse and dry off, shoot a little video, and take some stills. It is a gorgeous Abaco afternoon; the sun is scattering spectacular yellows from behind a purple cloud that is dumping rain on Great Abaco. We throttle back shy of White Sound mark, fire up the generator and air conditioner, and soon settle into our slip at Seaspray. Time to go to work.

While Bunny gives Attitude her afternoon bath, I fill one bucket with our conchs and another with our fish, gloves, a rag, knife, hammer, and stone. The fish-cleaning table is just a few steps from the boat, Bunny and I can easily converse if necessary. With the fish happily nestled in ice, I can go to work on the conch.

There are two reasons why people collect conch: they either want the shell or the meat. Those wanting a "perfect shell" are faced with the daunting task of removing the animal without disfiguring the shell. There are several ways to do this: most involve killing the animal by either freezing or boiling, then somehow pulling it out with a hook or pliers or letting fish or insects eat it away. I have had no luck with any of these; Bunny doesn't object to a ¼ by one-inch hole in her treasures, so I clean them the "Island way."

I place the shell "face down" (the opening is the face) on the table, and strike the "magic spot" with the stout single claw of my masonry hammer. The spot lies between the second and third ring of horns counting from the bottom; the hammer makes a slit-like opening in the shell wide enough for a one-inch knife blade. As the hammer pops into the shell's interior, the conch cleaner is greeted by an explosion of "gook," rendering him a disgusting mess; thus I perform this operation in an old bathing suit, rinsing off frequently. Once the shell is open, I run my knife along the outside of the interior spiral, feeling for the foot's attachment, popping it off with the knife. As I feel it give way, I grasp the claw and remove the animal. After slurping the pistle, I cut away the soft, slimy mantle and viscera. Next I tap the body several times with the dull side of the knife; this firms the meat and lessens the difficulty of removing the conch's very thick skin. I cut off the claw, then cut longitudinally across the eyes and proboscis until I have developed a flap of skin. I use my fingers to extend this plane, working the skin away from the flesh while I pull with the knife against the skin flap. If done correctly, the entire circumference of skin comes off in one step. More often, it fragments, and I have to trim small bits of skin away from the body. Lastly, I make a slit along the vent, wash out the gritty dark gunk, and wind up with a nice, clean conch steak. It takes me about an hour to clean ten conchs: by then I am covered with gook, hot, sweaty, thirsty, totally disgusting.

During this process I consume a 20-ounce bottle of spring water. We carry several 12-packs of whatever is on sale, and we go through about 8 each day. It is a wonderful and convenient way to stay hydrated: when we get thirsty we just pull one out of the cooler, then leave it in the icemaker between sips. After cleaning conch I'm ready for a little rum; Bunny does the honors. Back at the fish-cleaning table, I knock out our grouper and snapper in 15 minutes. I filet them the same way: I make a diagonal cut from the shoulders, proceeding just behind the pectoral fin, into the abdominal cavity. I make a second cut through the abdominal cavity back toward the vent, staying superficial so as not to puncture viscera. I then run the knife along the backbone working toward the tail, leaving a small piece of skin attached to the tail. I flip this section over and work the knife along the skin, thus removing it. Lastly I trim away ribs and any other bones I can find, yielding a nice filet.

After a shower and change of clothes, it's 8 PM, time to start our favorite Island meal. Bunny puts four fat conchs in a heavy Ziplok bag, and I pound them into a paste with a meat mallet on Attitude's transom. We then set up our little "Fry Baby" on the transom; we have to run an extension cord through a deck hatch back to the cockpit. When all is ready Bunny drops pieces of battered grouper filet and cracked conch into the sizzling deep fryer. As the sun sets behind Great Abaco we are treated to fresh fried grouper, conch, and a salad. It doesn't get much better! By 10 we collapse into our berths; tomorrow should be just as good!

Pictures:
top left: Bunny;s first red hind
top right: our day's catch
bottom left: Bunny Noodles at North Pelican Cay
bottom right: preparing to dive for conch

More pics from Part 9
Dr.Ralph <rbundy@cfl.rr.com> -- on Wednesday 8/8/01 @ 6:42 p.m. EST

top: a nice haul of conch
middle: fun at the fish-cleaning table
bottom: the finished product

52383

These are great posts......Thanks.
Mark Winninger <winninger@kca.net> -- on Wednesday 8/8/01 @ 7:00 p.m. EST

Re: Attitude Adjustment in Abaco Part 9
Jim S <jddstaff@bellsouth.net> -- on Thursday 8/9/01 @ 1:18 p.m. EST

Hmmm, I think I need to buy a boat...

I knew your luck was due for a change sooner or later.

Re: Attitude Adjustment in Abaco Part 9
Charlotte Couple <sailr@excite.com> -- on Thursday 8/9/01 @ 1:50 p.m. EST

Hey Doc, stay off those nekkid beaches and you can avoid that red hind!

We love it!!!!!!!!
Dr.Ralph <rbundy@cfl.rr.com> -- on Thursday 8/9/01 @ 7:31 p.m. EST

Re: Attitude Adjustment in Abaco Part 9
Hat Last <juneannfox@aol.com> -- on Thursday 8/9/01 @ 3:07 p.m. EST

Enjoyed your day almost as much as you. I could almost smell and taste those wonderful fish and conch. Thanks for sharing.

Re: Attitude Adjustment in Abaco Part 9
Abacoparrott <parrochie@webtv.net> -- on Thursday 8/9/01 @ 7:54 p.m. EST

Sharing????? I call that "teasing"

Are those a mess of...
abacowilly <abacowilly@aol.com> -- on Thursday 8/9/01 @ 6:25 p.m. EST

....those tiny, too-small-to-keep Strawberry Grouper?

AW

Re: Are those a mess of...
Abacoparrott <parrochie@webtv.net> -- on Thursday 8/9/01 @ 7:52 p.m. EST

Just askin' for it, aren't ya big boy?

Hard to tell , without a comparison ......
CabanaMon <cabanaman_9949@msn.com> -- on Thursday 8/9/01 @ 9:15 p.m. EST

to a "Large Sandal" Here we go again, I love it.

C-Mon

Re: Attitude Adjustment in Abaco Part 9
CattermerAnne <fourwaysnc@yahoo.com> -- on Thursday 8/9/01 @ 6:28 p.m. EST

Thanks for the descriptive and delicious details of your trip. I have been printing them to put together for friend who plan on taking the same trip next year. Looking forward to Part 10!! Thanks again !!

Re: Attitude Adjustment in Abaco Part 9
Big Daddy <bdmbrs1@snet.net> -- on Friday 8/10/01 @ 12:27 a.m. EST

I gotta hand it to you, Doc--reading your short stories is the next best thing to being there--the "pictures" formed while reading them are only confirmed by the photos. Glad to see you finally got a break with the weather!
If I may put in my 2 cents worth(for the webmaster)as a newcomer to the board-- since so many people seem to be printing and saving these "best of the best" trip reports like yours and the "hillbillies" for future reference--including myself for our trip 8/18-- perhaps it's time to set up a link at the top of the board for an "editor's choice" selection of a few of these these prize-winning epics for other newcomers to the board to enjoy down the road. Otherwise, after a few weeks time, the stories may only be remembered by those fortunate enough to be reading the board during this period of time. Just a thought.
Thanks for taking the time to go "above and beyond" in composing these great stories.

Trip Report Link
AbacoPeach <AbacoPeach@aol.com> -- on Friday 8/10/01 @ 9:41 a.m. EST

I haven't clue of what would be involved in doing this but I think it's a great idea! Travel Talk Online has something like that but that particular message board is set up differently from this Board. Can it be done Sinc?