High & Dry

"High & Dry" Painting by Alton R. Lowe

Being an island boy, I’ve always had a love for boats of all kinds. The boat in this painting is unique. It was brought to Green Turtle Cay from England and its double keel made it quite unusual for the Bahamas. In the background of the painting are a number of houses, including my own family home which is next to one of the island grocery stores.

No one would suspect that the quiet beach along what we call the “creek shore” was once a hub of activity. Seventy years ago one could see fishermen drying their nets on stands located along the beach. There were almost a dozen crawfish scows for holding live crawfish for export to the United States. Dinghies were from time to time constructed on the beach. I especially remember wild hogs, captured on Abaco Island being brought to the cay, dressed out and sold to friends and neighbors. Finally, a small shark fishing industry developed where they were skinned for what became a kind of fancy leather. The sharks also had their livers removed and put into barrels and sent to America where they were used in making vitamins.

Those busy days have passed into history. Few people remember how a small community maintained itself and prospered thanks to the talent and ingenuity of its people. - Alton