Erben Renewal: New Plymouth and Green Turtle Cay

New Plymouth and Green Turtle Cay

With the rising tide we followed Alizann and our host “Donny” into Black Sound for a few days on Green Turtle Cay. This charming settlement again has historic links to those loyalists who left the American east coast after our revolutionary war. We learned that almost 1500 were rewarded with land here in the Abacos. The descendants of this population have persisted in spite of the harsh conditions. We come for the mild weather and beautiful water, but the islands lack an abundant supply of fresh water and suffer from a thin, poor soil. As a result, the traditional trades here have been fishing and boat building – not the agricultural endeavors previously perfected in the Americas. More recently tourism has been the main game.

In the New Plymouth history museum we saw photos of the destruction caused by the 1932 hurricane and came away with an even greater admiration for a population that has continued to rebuild and find a way to survive. This museum – in a traditional home complete with exterior kitchen and latrine, was full of treasures from life in the past. We especially enjoyed all the model ships built mostly by the museum namesake, Albert Lowe. His son, Vert, continues the tradition, and we were lucky to spend some time in his workshop listening to his stories of lobstering in his youth. Another one of Vert’s brothers is an accomplished artist and his work was also on display in the museum.

On the whole, New Plymouth is a densely packed but tidy community built on a flat spit. The scale of the buildings fits the surrounding bordered by a small harbor on one side and the Sea of Abaco on the other. The town is crisscrossed by narrow streets perfectly suited to the golf carts that zoom around. Fortunately they have devised a one way system to allow the occasional “car” safe clearance. Businesses co-mingle with homes and a few rental units – it is an easy place to wander and get the feel of the Bahamas. The town offers every necessary commercial enterprise including three groceries, liquor stores, two hardware stores, numerous eateries and the requisite “gift shoppes”. The official government complex was a cheerful white and pink clapboard compound with a library, post office and public restrooms.

Green Turtle has two “sounds” or bays that open out to the Sea of Abaco. In Black Sound, where we stayed on Donny’s dock the town was short walk up the road. We took a dink ride over to the White Sound area where the famous Green Turtle Club and Bluff House Marina are located. These two resorts offer luxury accommodations, services and marinas that could be located anywhere. Surprisingly their docks and restaurants seemed empty. Luckily our visit missed the rush of bone fish season and the crush of boaters heading north.