Fare Thee Well to the Walter Cronkite of Hope Town...

...Will Heyer. He was much more than that. I knew Will for only a month, but we became immediate friends. I was looking forward to continuing our friendship during my winter cruises to the Bahamas, which is where I met him on Christmas Eve of 2024.

Will and I at the public dinghy dock in Hope Town

I was in Spanish Wells in Northern Eleuthera in the Bahamas in late December of that year, and my wife and son flew home earlier than planned. I was pouring over my nautical charts to decide where to sail next, as it would be where my wife (along with friends, Teresa and Jeff) would eventually fly back in to join me in a few weeks and I wanted to make sure I would be in an area that she'd get maximum enjoyment and minimum seasickness. Georgetown, Exumas looked promising, but I kept looking back at the central Abacos (from Little Harbour on the southern end north to Great Guana Cay). I'd sailed through there numerous times, but had never spent an appreciable amount to time there. The charts indicated that no matter the wind direction, there were nearby areas to anchor and play in the lee of the wind. I made my decision and I was northward bound across the Northeast Providence Channel headed for the Abacos.

After spending a couple days at Little Harbour, I made way to Tilloo Cay near the cut. When I got anchored I discovered a leak in my hot water system and headed to Marsh Harbor so I could be at a marina while I made repairs. The next day was Christmas Eve, and I headed to Hope Town for my first visit. I draw 5 feet and the approach and channel are shallow, so I I made way cautiously into the harbor, then motored around the mooring field to pick out a mooring ball. I spied a double green float and picked it up and secured Water Music. I was by myself on Christmas Eve, but happy to be so in a beautiful part of the world. Before I could could get myself settled, I dinghy came motoring right up to Water Music.

Will's dinghy tied up at the Hope Town Inn and Marina

It was manned by an older, mustached gentleman looking not unlike Wilford Brimley. There was a walking cane in a rod holder positioned for support when needed. He came right up to the boat and struck up a conversation about where I'd been, what I'd been doing. He pointed out his own boat, Antares, and let me know he was from Annapolis. I told him of a yacht delivery I made from Annapolis to Folly Beach. He also let me know that my mooring and all double green moorings were owned by a gentleman named Truman who would probably be out later to collect his fee. Also, he noted that he collected for Truman when Truman was busy. I felt like I was being welcomed to the entirety of Hope Town, and I still didn't know my visitor's name. I'm bad about that.

I put my dinghy in to go to the public dock and explore Hope Town for myself. On my way back, I stopped at my visitor's boat to hand him some cash for Truman, as I figured Truman would be busy with Christmas. When I got to Antares, I was greeted by a friendly woman and her dog, and my new friend popped up out of their cabin. I properly introduced myself and found out my visitor, as the intrepid reader surely already knows, was named Will, and his wife was named Muffin. Well, we continued to chat and they gave me tons of advice for navigation and suggested good snorkeling areas as they knew that was one of my favorite activities.

On my way out I hailed Will on the VHF radio to thank him for his kindness and his advice and to let him know I'd probably be back to Hope Town New Year's Eve. He was appreciative of me checking in and let me know to give him a shout if I needed anything.

For the next week, I ambled around the Abacos from Tilloo Cut to Tahiti Beach to Snake Cay to Man-O-War Cay, whatever location put me in good shelter from the wind. I woke up early, as is my custom, would drink coffee and plan my day's sail. I turned on the marine radio and tuned in to channel 68 where I had learned that the Abacos Cruisers Net would be broadcast at 8:15am. I had heard of the Cruisers Net over the years but had never caught a broadcast.

The Abacos Cruisers Net is a daily broadcast (except Mondays) by volunteers. It begins by going over local weather conditions, conditions for gulf stream crossings and local ocean passage conditions. The weather is followed by updates on local activities and events, as well as such things as restaurant hours and specials. An open mic is offered for cruisers to give information or to seek specific advice such as engine parts or repair. More often than not, a fellow cruiser will pipe in telling how to fix or offering a spare part or some solution to whatever problem was presented. I was completely enjoying my first listen; the host sounded like a professional broadcaster and sounded familiar to me as well. After about afifteen or twenty minutes, the host signed off. Several cruisers then radioed in thank yous to the host: "thank you Will."

So that's why the host sounded familiar, it was my new buddy, Will! The Net became part of my daily routine and it was another upgrade to my cruising experience. It really created a sense of community among the cruisers and the local Abaco residents (particularly Hope Town and the rest of Elbow Cay).

New Years was nearing and I called for S/V Antares on the VHF to ask Will where a good venue would be to watch the University of South Carolina's bowl game. He told me a couple of spots, then recommended the bar at the Hope Town Inn and Marina. So I headed back to Hope Town for New Year's Eve.

When I returned to Hope Town Harbor, I saw Will within ten minutes or so of securing my mooring and I told him, "You didn't tell me you were famous!" He chuckled, thanked me for complimenting the Net, and then he really tried to downplay his role in the community. He was extremely knowlegeable and he was very involved in local events. He was funny, enjoyed telling jokes and humorous stories, as well as poking fun at others in a good natured way. I also found him to be humble.

I kept him updated with my visitors, the first being my buddies Palmer and Jeff. I let him know that my wife would be flying in with our friends Jeff (another Jeff!) and Teresa the following week.

Everyone enjoyed meeting Will. A little after New Years, I picked up Palmer and Jeff in Marsh Harbor and we sailed the next day to Hope Town. I had Palmer and Jeff at the bow to pick up the mooring ball, which they had never done before. They were struggling a bit and guess who dinghied up to see us. Dear reader if you guessed Will Heyer then you have been paying great attention. Will proceeded to tease Jeff and Palmer for struggling with the mooring then offered them sound advice. He stuck around for a bit chatting with us. Palmer and Will told each other a couple of bawdy jokes that we referred to throughout their visit. I continued my daily routine listening to the Cruisers Net in the morning and Palmer and Jeff were immediate fans. We saw Will again at the end of Palmer and Jeff's time and they made certain to tell him goodbye when they left.

My wife, Teresa and Jeff were the next people I had a board and they enjoyed meeting Will, too. They particularly enjoyed the Cruisers Net, so much so that we all were disappointed on Monday when there was no broadcast and on another day when there was a guest host filling in for Will (he was trying to hand the mic off to the next generation).

Finally my Bahamas cruise came to an end and I made sure to go see Will. I thanked him for his advice, assistance and for his friendship. He said that he'd see me next time. I said next time would be December and I looked forward to it.

Fast forward to a few days ago. I got a text from Jeff on a text group of him, Palmer and me. Jeff had such a great time in Abaco, that he booked a trip for him and his girlfriend for her spring break. The text was to let us know that Will had passed away a few weeks prior. Someone reportedly had found him slumped over in his dinghy with the engine running. That hit me hard. I am gladdened he passed away in a place he loved doing what he loved. God bless him and God bless Muffin.

I can't imagine how many people he impacted over his years of wintering in Hope Town. He was beloved and he was a character in the best sense of the word. His kindness, humor and helpfulness are what made a tremendous impression on me. Fair winds and following seas to the most trusted man in Hope Town.