Acklins is an island of Bahamas.
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background
The Acklins archipelago and Crooked Island lies 320 to 400 km southeast of Nassau. The islands enclose the flat one in a semicircle Bight of Acklins (about 46 km west-east extension and 40 km north-south), which was once very rich in sponges. American loyalists and their over a thousand slaves settled there in the 18th century to build a short-lived cotton industry. A powdery mildew epidemic destroyed most of the cotton plants around 1820 and thus the plantation owners' source of income. Their plantation houses have now fallen into ruins. Exceptions are Hope Great House and Marine Farm, which are received by the Bahamas National Trust. Today the islands are still little developed and only sparsely populated. Due to the lack of work and income opportunities, the population on the two islands has decreased by about a third in the last 10 years. On the island of Acklins only about 430 people live on an area of 387 km². The power supply is still often provided by private generators. The main road of the islands in north-south direction has just been paved throughout with funds from the European Community. Drug traffickers use the loneliness and remoteness for their business and bring the goods with small planes.
Long Cay
Long Cay, as the name suggests, has an elongated narrow shape and is located around 2 km off the southwest coast of Crooked Island. In the past the island was also called "Fortune Island"The length is about 17 km, the width only two to three kilometers. The only settlement is the place Albert Town with only 30 inhabitants. A ferry connects the place with Church Grove on Crooked Island. In Church Grove you can for the 30-minute Rent a boat. After the decline of the cotton plantations, sea salt was extracted there. A plantation owner and 40 slaves were able to extract around 12,300 cubic meters of salt in one season. A Canadian company has submitted plans for an airfield, a marina and a resort on the island Hotel is to be built.
On the surrounding, larger, uninhabited islands Samana Cay, Plana Cays and Mira-Por-Vos grow cascarill bushes. The residents of Acklins come here and peel the bark from the branches. The bitter substance cascarillin was previously used as a stomach remedy for digestive disorders. In small quantities it is also used to flavor tobacco. However, the entire harvest of Acklins is exported to Italy. There the Campari liqueur gets its special taste from cascarillin.
East Plana Cay is home to a few thousand hutias. These rabbit-sized, herbivorous rodents also lived on Hispaniola, Jamaica and Cuba, they were considered extinct on all islands. In 1965 they were discovered by the biologist Dr. Garrett Clough rediscovered. Small groups of the animals have since been settled on two islands in the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park.
The long, narrow island Acklins in the southeast of the archipelago is around 80 km long and between one and 12 km wide. There are only a few individual houses along the street as “localities”. Only in 1998 did the island receive a state power supply. Visitors enjoy the gently rolling landscape and the endless beaches with unusual rock formations, or they explore the underwater world. Surrounded by more than 2,600 km² of shallow water, Acklins, like Crooked Island, is an insider tip for friends of bone fishing (fly fishing).
The two larger towns on the island are Snug Corner and Spring Point, they are about 20 km apart on the west coast. Snug Corner is the island's administrative center. The island then becomes very lonely south of Spring Point. There are only three noteworthy clusters of houses left to the southwest end.
The small island lies in front of the south-western tip Castle Island. The Castle Island lighthouse was built in 1867. It is about 8 km from Salina Point and can only be reached by boat. Information on access options can be obtained from the Island Administrator, Administrator's Office, Snug Corner, Mason's Bay, Tel. 344-3250, Fax 334-3281.
Sponges and shells
While the ship salvage industry was in full swing, a stranded Frenchman sent the first shipload of sponges to Europe in 1841. Large numbers of these porous and elastic skeletal animals were found on the Little Bahama Bank west of Abaco, in front of Exuma and on the Bimini Bank. Especially in the shallow waters of the Bight of Acklins, sponge fishing has been of great importance for over 50 years. As early as 1872, an illustrated report about the sponge fishermen in the Bahamas appeared in a New York newspaper. In 1902, when around 54,000 people lived on all the islands, 6,200 people were employed in this industry. In his annual report to the Colonial Office in London, Governor G.T. Carter: “597,629 tons of sponges valued at 97,548 pounds sterling were exported from the colony, which is 48% of total exports. 265 schooners, 322 sloops and 2808 open boats were used for the work. ”Over 5,000 men and boys worked in the sponge fishery. In 1939/40 almost all sponges were destroyed by an illness, which brought the sponge fishing to an abrupt end. Today, many fishermen live from catching their mussels and lobsters. While the large conch mussels are only caught for the country's own needs, lobsters "Crawfish" are exported to the USA. In the 1983/84 fishing season, which runs from August 1st to March 31st, 1,160 tons worth around 17 million dollars were exported.
getting there
By plane
Spring Point Airport, IATA Code - AXP, 5,000 x 150 feet (1,650 x 50m meters) runway, Tel. 344-3666, state-run, regional traffic only.
- Bahamasair. Tel.: (800) 222-4262, 377-5505.
- CleareAir. Tel.: 377-0341.
- Island Air Charters. Tel.: (800) 444-9904, (954) 359-9942, Fax: (954) 760-9157.
By boat
Mail boat
Twice a week there is a connection from Landrail Point - Crooked Island - with the Mailboat United Star, sometimes also from Spring Point, Lovely Bay - Acklins Island, travel time to Nassau 12-14 hours, fare 70 US $ for a one-way trip . Travel times can be obtained from Tel. 393-1064.
ferry
A ferry runs between Church Grove Landing on Crooked Island and Albert Town on Long Cay Island on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
There is a ferry service between Lovely Bay on Acklins and Cove Point on Crooked Island. This ferry operates 9:00 am to 4:00 pm daily and is $ 4 one way.
activities
Whoever comes here mostly only wants to fish.
shop
- C&M Seafood, Snug Corner. Tel.: 334-3474.
- Central Variety Store, Snug Corner. Tel.: 334-3520.
- McKinney's Grocery Store, Spring point. Tel.: 334-3625.
kitchen
- Rules restaurant, Salina Point. Tel.: 344-3164.
accommodation
- Acklins Island Lodge, Masons Bay, Spring Point. Tel.: 344-3536, 1 (860) 434-9624 (UNITED STATES), Fax: (860) 434-8605. 5 cottages, bar. Location: 8 km from the airfield, is actually only booked by guests who come here to fish.
- Grey's Point Bonefish Lodge, Pine Field, Spring Point. Tel.: 344-3210, 356-2347, Fax: 351-4042. 8 rooms, fishing. Location: 13 km from the airfield.
health
There is only one emergency supply.
- Mason Bay Clinic, Mason Bay, Snug Corner. Tel.: 344-3539.
- Spring Point Clinic, Spring point. Tel.: 344-3172.
Practical advice
information
- Local Government Office, Mason Bay, Snug Corner. Tel.: 334-3537.
police
- Salina Point Police Station, Salina Point. Tel.: 344-3126.
- Spring Point Police Station, Spring point. Tel.: 344-3666.
