My Abaco Biography
by Sandy Estabrook

Folks sometimes ask, what is the meaning of Motu Iti and it's crossed palm logo? How did I get to know and love The Abacos? Here is my tale.

I was born in Philadelphia, moved to Long Island in 8th grade where I lived untill leaving home after my vacation with Uncle Sam. During that time my parents bought a home in Delray Beach, Fl. during the good old days when Delray was a small town that even had two knit shops.

I guess my island fever started around 1963 when we were on a family outing. It was on a day charter and snorkel trip aboard sailboat in the Florida Keys. Untill then I had never snorkeled, so when I jumped into the water using the boats snorkel gear, my eyes popped in amazement - the fish, the colors, the motion of the swaying sea grass. The following day I went and bought a mask snorkel and fins. Oh yes, a spear gun too. The reefs just off the beach along A1A between Delray Beach and Boca Raton made for some good snorkeling for beginners back then.

A couple years passed and I received a my calling to the Caribbean in pursuit of the ultimate reef. Only I didn't know where to go, until I realized my Dad had a friend with a home in a community called Silver Sands between Falmouth and Duncan on the island of Jamaica north coast. Shortly their after my cousin John "Syl" Gorman and I were aboard a Pan Am 707 headed to Montego Bay. We even climbed the Dunn's River Falls with not a tourist in sight! Who today can say that?

During the following years that original group of two, expanded to a club of eight with as many as five on an Island Hopping trip at one time. John Szeglin was a regular along with Norman the "Pirate" Annis. Only now it was the BVI and on a bareboat chartered 46' Chris Craft houseboat. We repeated that adventure on four occasions. (one even included gals, but that is another story). Those early trips enkindled the real island fever in me, magnified by the freedom that boating provides in such an environment. We were, "The International Island Hoppers" with our own passports and island stamps. The original crossed palm logo I designed for the club is still used today on my Website. Four of us are still in contact.

Then in 1973 I was married. We planned to go to Delray Beach with a few days in the Bahamas. But I know not where. My only prerequisite was, it had to be a quiet "Out Island" as they used to be called, and a boat had to be available for rent.

A travel agent turned us on to the Green Turtle Club. We flew to Treasure Cay aboard on old 4 engine DC6 with Mackey Airlines. Yes, I did say 4 engine DC6. Got photos to prove it on my website's History Page This was in April, just months before Britain granted the Bahamas it's independence. Those good old days in the Abacos, are also covered in my History Page of "My Abaco Guide".

Later, my wife and I along with some friends made one more trip aboard a houseboat in the BVI that resulted in my son Tom. Eventually his sister followed. We didn't return for to the Abacos for a few years. By the time the kids were 4 & 6 we we would bring them with us. After our first visit with the kids we pretty much visited the Abacos every year, all the way from Stony Brook, Long Island. Green Turtle was, and still is, a great place for kids as long as they can swim.

My island lust continued. Putting aside one day cruise ship stops, I spent time over the years, some with repeated visits at: Antigua, Montserrat (before the volcano) Guadeloupe, St. Martin, St. Barts even Hawaii and eventually my ultimate dream, the islands of French Polynesia - Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora. (The latter spurred on by the Brando version of Mutiny on the Bounty). I remember that trip well because just 2 weeks latter I was in Iceland on a business trip. Who in this world can say they were in Tahiti and a fortnight later in Iceland.

Many of the islands of Polynesia are Atolls, ringed with islets called Motu. One of these would eventually inspire the name of my boat(s) - Motu Iti literally translated "Little Island". It was also the name of my first website using self taught html code. Every so often I update it.

During all of the those years we always managed a trip to Green Turtle Cay. We've been to the Abacos in all seasons. Yes, even when the wood burning stoves were aflame during a wintery New Years Eve in the 80's when the temp was in the 50's. Two weeks post 911, my wife Debbie and I flew over to Green Turtle to advantage ourselves of special promotions, when the fear of flying was high. The Cay was ghostly quiet as you'd expect.

Back in 1980 my Dad passed away and I ran the family business eventually selling it 10 years later and moving to Sarasota. There is some irony here, because my company became part of a division of Johnson Wax called JWA- Johnson Worldwide. A collection of "Leisure Time" businesses. Although unrelated, our family business was in the company of Scuba Pro, Min Kota electric trolling motors, and Old Towne Canoe to name a few. One of the perks of my new arrangement, I had a complete set of new scuba gear.

Moving to Florida afforded me the opportunity to see all of the Abacos the way they should be seen, from top to bottom - by boat. My first of six trips was in 1993 in a 29' Phoenix Sport Fish, my first Motu Iti. Much of those early trips are referenced in My Abaco Guide including my solo trip over and back from Longboat Key Fl. in a 26' Glacier Bay Catamaran. In between I made two trips aboard my 34' Catalina Islander. One of those trips is written about here.

My website came about because of my experience programing my company's computer, using a language called RPGII. Idle time in Florida got me interested in HTML the language of the internet. So I registered Motuiti.com and set up a simple site of pictures and music of my impressions of the South Pacific Islands. Then I expanded it to Motuiti.com/Abacos.html to include the Abacos. (Or for easier remembering: AbacoEscape.com).

That first Abaco page grew and grew to the point where it had to be broken up into what has resulted in over 30 pages* and over 1600 files (text pages, pictures and mp3 audio files) all linked to my main page entitled, Sandy Estabrook's Guide to the Abacos. By the end of 2005 after launch in May, I averaged 2,500 unique 1st time visitors per month. 2006 saw the average rise to over 5,000. By the end of 2008, over 12,000 a month and still rising. Stats are here. Most of our success is due to the fact that we are No. 1 in a Google search using "Abaco Guide", common phraseology folks might use.

Now you know the rest of the story. Oh yes, Debbie and I still make an annual pilgrimage of about 12 -17 days in May/June which is usually split between Green Turtle & Hope Town with side trips from both islands. The vacation's happenings, with the emphasis on things new or changed (pictures too), are posted every summer at AbacoUpdate.com. Afterwards it's up to Wilson.

PS. You might see the wispy image of my father on Manjack Cay, near where Brendal has his picnic. His ashes reside there.

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