Seaworthy.com

The chart and following text are from The Southern Bahamas Guide and The Northern Bahamas Guide, both by Stephen J. Pavlidis

The original Lucayan name for Cat Island was Guanima, but after the time of the Spanish explorers the island was called San Salvador. Some of the older families still retain land titles referring to the island by that name. Some of these same older residents insist that Columbus’ first landfall was at Cat Island instead of the more widely accepted San Salvador. Cat Island acquired its current name in the 18th century, some say the island was named after William Catt, a little known pirate or British sea captain, depending on whose side you take. Another opinion is that the island was named after the hordes of feral cats that the English discovered on the island in the 1600’s, descendants of tame cats orphaned by the Spanish in their quest for gold. In the 1700 and 1800’s the island was home to many fairly successful Loyalist cotton plantations.

Cat Island, one of the finest agricultural producers in The Bahamas, is approximately 45 miles long, from Orange Creek in the north to Port Howe in the south, and the island averages about 4 miles in width. Cat Island is akin to Eleuthera in that it is bordered by the North Atlantic Ocean along its windward eastern shore, while the leeward western shore sits on a large shallow bank with many possibilities for lee anchorages.

The culture of Cat Island is very traditional, some residents still cook in outside ovens. Cat Islanders are warm, friendly, and very proud of their island. Tradition dictates that when the last of a generation dies his house is left for the spirit to reside in and the remaining family members gather stones from the site to construct a new dwelling. Elsewhere, particularly in the northern end of the island, homeowners place spindles atop their houses to keep harm from befalling anyone who resides there, a lightning rod for evil spirits of sorts. Many believe that the spirits of the dead still walk Cat Island. Obeah, a form of magic, is still practiced on Cat Island though most residents won’t talk about it except in covert whispers and only if they know you. Many Cat Islanders are hesitant to enter the inland blue holes, possibly due to the stories of monsters lurking within or perhaps because things floating in the hole one week are found in the Atlantic the next week. Bush medicine is widely practiced and the people of Cat Island are known for their longevity, less so today than two centuries ago when a certain Daddy Sundown died in 1810 at the young age of 120.

One of the traditional types of music of Cat Island (as well as most of the islands of The Bahamas) that you will likely hear on Cat Island is the well known Rake n’ Scrape. The instruments may consist of, but are not limited to, a bass, similar to an American washtub bass and made of a length of wood, an old tin tub, and a piece of fishing line, a rhythm section containing a conchshell horn, a harmonica which is just a paper covered comb, a concertina, and a carpenter’s saw scraped with a piece of metal. Setting the beat is the smoking drum made out of goatskin with a flame inside to heat it up.

Although far from remote, Cat Island is seldom visited mainly due to its lack of all weather harbors and protection from fierce northers. The only true protection being at Bennett’s Harbour, Smith’s Bay, and in Hawk’s Nest Creek although smaller, shoal draft vessels may find shelter in some of the extensive creek systems along Cat Island’s western shore. In prevailing winds, cruising Cat Island’s western shore is truly pleasurable. Even if the wind is blowing 20 knots or more, you can sail right in the lee of the land ½ mile or less offshore in most places and sometimes within 50 yards of the shoreline in 9’ of water. There are only three large sandbars to avoid, one at Hawk’s Nest Point, another at Bonefish Point, and the largest at Alligator Point.