We anchored Spartina in 15’ of water near a narrow beach just west of Lynyard Cay. I snorkeled over the anchor to make sure we had a good set. After that, Grace (the dog), Julia, and I dinghied over for a walk-about. The roughly 100-yard long carbonate sand beach was flanked by jagged weather-worn limestone. Mangroves seemed to grow right out of the rock.
Like many out-island Bahamas beaches, this one came with a picnic table, a rusty charcoal grill, and lots of harvested conch shells. Fish net floats and boat fenders hung from a nearby tree. A soldering iron, plugged into a small inverter, sat on an overturned 5-gallon bucket next to a car battery. The soldering iron had melted into the bucket. It was as if someone set this up, then walked away and forgot about it … a puzzling scene.
Nailed to a tree, just above head height, a sign read “Uncle Charlie’s Beach … in loving memory of Charlie Sweeting, 1949-2017.” Charlie Sweeting, according to the online Abaco Forum, had family in Man-O-War Cay. He’d spent time living in Great Guana Cay before settling in the south Abaco artist colony of Little Harbor. It seemed that everyone loved Charlie. According to accounts, he befriended many visitors with his humble generosity and wry humor.
Little Harbor was settled in the early 1950s by Canadian bronze sculptor Randolph Johnston. His son, Pete, a bronze-medium artist like his father, now carries the torch.
In addition to his foundry work, Pete runs a gallery and a pub at Little Harbor, the only two businesses found here.
The next day we motored a mile down from our anchorage and set the hook in a sandy bottom just outside Little Harbor. We dinghied through the narrow harbor entrance, then tied up and walked to Pete’s Gallery. Among fantastic bronze sculptures of sea life and maritime scenes, I found a bust named “my friend Charlie.” Thanks to Pete’s foundry, Charlie Sweeting lives on.
Anton DuMars is a coastal geologist and longtime Folly resident. Come sail aboard S/V Spartina. To book a trip, visit sailspartina.com or email Capt. Anton at sailspartina@gmail.com.
