It was a 30 minute walk to the ferry station called The Crossings where the G and L ferry to Hope Town departs. The ferry station was a fine place to wait with a snack bar, benches and shade. The G and L was formed by two former carpenters who bought a boat to get to and from work on Man of War Cay. They helped defray costs by selling fares to other workers. They got a chance for a larger real ferry boat and business grew. They got a contract to ferry kids for school on three outer islands. They run a 6 am for workers and also help church groups and volunteers. They are full time ferry owners now.
Behind the counter are pictures of Dorian’s devastation of the docks and boats along with a quote from Maya Angelou, typed and framed in a plastic sleeve.
“You may encounter many defeats but you must not be defeated. In fact it may be necessary to encounter the defeats so that you can know who you are, what you can rise from and how you can still come out of it.”
The trip to Hope Town was about 20 minutes. We wanted to stop at the lighthouse which is across the harbor from the town.
“Do I need to ask to stop at the lighthouse or is it a regular stop? “ I asked the captain.
“You need to ask.” He replied.
I am beginning to realize that I ask a lot of superfluous questions.
“May we be dropped off at the lighthouse?” I asked.
“Of course,” he nodded.
The lighthouse was originally built in 1863. It was rebuilt in 1938 and required repairs after hurricane Floyd in 1999 and again after Dorian in 2019. The lightkeeper’s quarters had to be rebuilt after each hurricane. The lantern runs on kerosene and can be seen for 17 miles. The lantern is turned by a weight inside the stair tube that is pulled up using gears. Gravity then turns the lantern as the weight drops down.
After the lighthouse, we went to the Hope Town Inn for lunch. The food was good and at one point some chickens walked through the restaurant. There were some nice driftwood and basket decorations.
After lunch, we took the shuttle boat to town center. We walked on the adorable narrow streets past the houses and gardens in lovely colors. We went to the ocean side for a swim and then caught the ferry back. Beautiful day.
