Bahamas Bound

Great Exuma Island, Bahamas

With good weather on the horizon, we (and the other 1500 boats) began to leave Puerto Rico and make our way north to the Turks and Caicos, and Bahamas. The three-night passage was a mix of fair winds and rolly seas but we made such good time that we passed the Turks and Caicos at night and decided to press on to the southern edge of the Bahamas, before stopping for a days rest. During the passage, we caught a number of fish, but unfortunately, some of them got away and some were barracuda (not edible). But we did land one large Mahi Mahi. I think this one outweighed Mary!

We stopped in the Mayaguana, a remote island in the south eastern Bahamas, to rest for the day. While we have entered a number of shallow anchorages before, the Bahamas give a new meaning to the word shallow. We entered Abraham’s Bay from the east (the deep entrance) and were in less than 15 feet of water over a mile offshore. The underwater reefs were difficult to see, as the sun was still low in the sky, but we wound our way in and anchored behind the barrier reef. Berkeley East was the only boat in this remote anchorage and we had a great day catching up on our sleep, enjoying the beautiful water and dinning on fresh Mahi Mahi.

We left late the next morning headed for Conception Island, Bahamas about 150 nm northwest. During our morning radio check-in we found out that friends from Aphrodite, who we had not seen since leaving the British Virgin Island more than five months ago, were going to be in Georgetown, Great Exuma Island the next day. So we altered course and sailed over night to meet up with them. We arrived at the entrance to Elizabeth Harbor around noon and anchored behind Stocking Island. It was great to catch up and share stories of our adventures during the past months.

It turned out that in addition to Aphrodite, a few other Caribbean 1500 boats were also in the area. We all got together for dinner at the Peace and Plenty. While everyone is on slightly different schedules we will all be in the Exuma’s for the next week or so.

The next night it was the Chat and Chill, a small beach bar, for drinks and dinner for the whole group.

Conch was the specialty, as you can see form the pile of shells behind the restaurant.

Georgetown is the turn-around point for a lot of Bahamas cruisers, and many never leave. Many cruisers end up staying there for years, never making to destinations south or back home.

Surrounded by beautiful beaches and friendly locals, you can see why it is hard to leave.

But after visiting with everyone for a couple of days we had to leave to make it to Florida by the end of the month, so off we went to see the rest of the Exuma Islands.