The Abaco islands are a chain of islands and cays covered in pine forests, stretching in a curve for 130 miles from Walker's Cay in the North to Hole in the Wall in the South. In the 1800s, The Abaco Islands took on an almost New England character as fishing, wooden boatbuilding and "wrecking" -- salvaging damaged ships while they were sinking -- became the mainstays of the local economy. Wrecking was a profitable pastime and Abaco was ideally placed on a busy shipping route to take advantage of its reefs and sand banks. Sponge, pineapple, sisal, sugar and lumber were later developed but never became big business. Wrecking also declined after the construction of lighthouses. The lighthouse on Elbow Cay at Hope Town was built in 1863, after the wreck in 1862 of the USS Adirondack, despite sabotage attempts by local people. By 1900 Hope Town was the largest town in the Abacos, with a population of 1,200 engaged in fishing, sponging, shipping and boat building. It took nearly a century for the boatbuilding industry to strip the island of its hardwoods, and today only two firms carry on the tradition. Still, the Loyalist heritage of The Abaco Islands remains strong. The boats made in Abaco were renowned for their design and the builders became famous for their construction skills. Boats, though made of fibreglass, are still made on Man-O-War Cay today.
Many island residents, commonly called "Conky Joes", vehemently opposed Bahamian independence and even tried to secede from The Bahamas and form their own British colony. Descendants of the original settlers even went to England to solicit the support of Queen Elizabeth II, but their efforts were rebuffed.
With excellent boating, fishing and scuba diving, The Abaco Islands rank high among the tourist destinations in The Out Islands. The historic Loyalist settlements that survive here offer a fascinating time-travel experience and striking contrast to both Nassau and Grand Bahama.
The population of Abaco is roughly 14,000 permanent Bahamian residents. In addition there are approximately 2,000 vacation or retirement homes built and owned by foreign residents on Abaco and the Cays. The majority of these seasonal residents are American with some Canadians, and recently, a growing number of Europeans.
Many island residents, commonly called "Conky Joes", vehemently opposed Bahamian independence and even tried to secede from The Bahamas and form their own British colony. Descendants of the original settlers even went to England to solicit the support of Queen Elizabeth II, but their efforts were rebuffed.
With excellent boating, fishing and scuba diving, The Abaco Islands rank high among the tourist destinations in The Out Islands. The historic Loyalist settlements that survive here offer a fascinating time-travel experience and striking contrast to both Nassau and Grand Bahama.
The population of Abaco is roughly 14,000 permanent Bahamian residents. In addition there are approximately 2,000 vacation or retirement homes built and owned by foreign residents on Abaco and the Cays. The majority of these seasonal residents are American with some Canadians, and recently, a growing number of Europeans.
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