A pilgrimage to Nipper’s on Guana Cay is an Abaco cruisers tradition. If you don’t go, the other cruisers might accuse you of not having enough fun. But if you go, they’ll know that you probably had too much fun!
Also, this might be the only family photo we took on the entire trip. Thanks random stranger on the dock!
You have two choices when anchoring on Guana Cay, Settlement Harbour or Fisher’s Bay. Both are beautiful and literally right next door to one another. However, the only public dock is in Settlement Harbour. We choose Fisher’s Bay because it was less crowded and my parents prefered it over Settlement Harbour based on experience from previous trips. The only downside was the long dingy ride over to the public dock. I thought it was a ton of fun, but we left Nipper’s before dark, when we still had our wits about us. It might have been another story if we had left that dingy ride until after closing time!
To get to Nipper’s from the public dock you have to walk through town over to the other side of the island. It’s not a long walk and mostly shaded.
Signs point the way. You won’t get lost. Trust me.
If you look closely this old tractor is covered in stickers from different boats. Personalized stickers are really popular with the boat crowd and we really regretted not having some Alpha1ontherun stickers made before this trip!
Nipper’s!
This is really just your average beach bar . . . but on steroids.
The paint colors are brighter and the drinks are stronger. People generally come here to party but this was the slow season and we were the only people there.
These two look like trouble.
We had a good time practically having the place to ourselves, but it was a much more low-key experience than the typical “getting nipped at Nipper’s” story.
My mom actually found creative inspiration at Nipper’s. After coming here a few years ago, she painted her garden fence in shades of pink, lavender, yellow, and turquoise. Not exactly typical for central Texas, but it suits my mom perfectly.
The multi-level pool in the back is perfect for games but don’t expect to feel fresh after your dip in the ocean. The pools are just as salty.
There wasn’t much going on at the bar so we all took our drinks down to the beach. Unfortunately, the ocean was a bit angry that day and the beach at Nipper’s is lined with sharp rocks. Not a good combination.
Determined to play in the water, I made the most of it hanging out in a little bubbly pool formed by the high tide.
Every time the waves would crash on the rocks the water would bubble over into my little pool. It reminded me of the famous bubbly pool in the British Virgin Islands. Lots of silly fun but you have to time your visit with high tide.
This kept me entertained for a good portion of the afternoon.
Doing my best swimsuit model impression.
We were back on the Irie Joe before sundown. Without other bar patrons to keep the party alive at Nipper’s it made more sense to have dinner back on the boat. Guana Cay was also going to be our last “destination” before returning the boat to its long-term mooring in Hopetown.
We’re all really going to miss the Irie Joe! Packing up to leave is always my least favorite part of any trip. Luckily, we don’t have to go home just yet. After we pack up the boat we plan to move over to the Abaco Inn in Hopetown, where we will spend Christmas singing carols, drinking champagne, and visiting with new friends.
ALPHA 1 ON THE RUN 