George Town - Farewell, Fair Winds

Fair Winds sailed back to Florida from George Town, Great Exumas, Bahamas on March 23, 2016.

Together Fly Away and Fair Winds sailed from Titusville, Florida, on November 11, 2015, down the IntraCoastal Waterway to Key Biscayne and crossed the Gulf Stream to Alice Town, Bimini, arriving at Blue Water Marina and checking into Customs and Immigration on November 21, 2015.

Fair Winds weighs anchor in George Town

We sailed across the Bahama Bank to Great Harbor Cay and down the string of Berry Islands to Chub Cay. We crossed the Tongue of the Ocean to Nassau and stayed at West Bay by Peter Nygard's compound. Then to the Exumas and its spectacular chain of islands and cays - Ship Channel, Allan's, Hawksbill, Emerald Rock at Warderick, Bell's Island by Cambridge Cay, Big Major Spot by Staniel Cay, Little Bay by Black Point, Farmer's Cay, Children's Bay Cay by Lee Stocking Island, Emerald Bay Marina, and George Town.  What a ride, what a sail!

We watched as Fair Winds weighed anchor and raised sails heading north. They would reach the US March 29 and be home by March 31.

We miss the sailing and the fun.  We miss them.

Gordy and Alan ... Do, do, do, do, doooo ... the anchoring dance!

Fair Winds raises its main sail and sails past Tacks Free

Tacks Free sails out the next day

Fly Away leaves George Town March 28, 2016 for Long Island and points south, to distant anchorages and uninhabited islands.

Fly Away sailing across the White Cay Bank
Photo by John Kelso on Decoy

George Town - Shirley's!

Another activity for windy days is eating!

Just north of George Town, within walking distance is Fish Fry Village, a roadside array of small, colorful restaurants, and our favorite was Shirley's. She offered a boater's special, two for one during the week. Good burgers, BBQ chicken, mac 'n' cheese, and  peas and rice. Served on real plates, too.

Shirley's at Fish Fry Village north of George Town

We also went to the Thursday night storytelling and junior Junkanoo, what a spectacular show.  The storyteller, Cordelle Thompson, a local historian, told us about Junkanoo, at D's request. I learned that it is held only 2 times a year, day after Christmas on Boxing Day, and New Years Day, starting at 2 am and goes to morning about 9-10 am.  I learned that it has its origins in South Africa and was brought to the Bahamas from the Carolinas by the slaves of the Loyalists moving to the Bahamas after the Colonial Revolution to avoid retribution from the newly independent country. There are different social groups, called gangs, who compete for awards with their music, costumes, and endurance - you must keep going until the next morning! It is a physical feat.

Friendship and food -
John, Rick, Alan, Jean, Robin, Leanne, Margaret, D, Gordon

Stopping to pick a coconut. Gordy lifts Jean high
as D watches carrying his oil cans to put extra
diesel and gas to extend our range through the
Jumentos, Ragged, and onto Cay Sal. 

Success!  Coconut
Now the work begins - husking, breaking and picking

Margaret, Jean, Leanne, and Robin pose with
the high cotton in front of a conch wall.

Gordy, Alan, John, D, and Rick pick cotton in front of the conch-crete wall. 

George Town - Trails!

On windy days we hiked the trails. Some of my favorite hikes were to the Monument, down the Sound side coast to the south side of Stocking Island, and across Stocking Island to the Sound side by Chat 'n' Chill.

Alan climbs the steep incline to the Monument

Many of the seasoned cruisers told us this was the coldest, windiest winter ever.  We had rough and windy weather in November, December and January. In February, we had more windy days than we expected. I thought, February is over, March should be better. When it wasn't, I thought Spring would bring better weather.  When it didn't, I thought April, May, and June will be better, and they will, I am sure of it. Even when it's windy, it's beautiful  ... not complaining, it's still paradise, just saying ...

It's steep to the top of the Monument.
There is a rope and foot holes in coral rock to help.

When you can only see one side of the palm, stay in the harbor,
according to Robin on Endangered Species. Good guidance, Robin!

The good thing about windy weather is the vista it creates!
These are the same waters we snorkeled the reefs, it's so
hard to believe it. 

Gordy and Jean pose in front of the breaking surf and white cliffs.

At every peak of the cliffs new and brilliant views.
We hike the entire coast of south Stocking Island.

Jean and Gordy take a break on some huge driftwood. 

George Town - Reefs!

On calm days we explored the water in the dinghy and found some incredible reefs. 

One was Conch Cay Cut where we speared 3 huge lobsters, another off the beautiful beaches of Stocking Island on the Exuma Sound side just across from St. Francis Marina in 20 feet of water, the coral grew up to within 4 feet of surface, and the third favorite was a bit south, an elkhorn reef, about 100 feet by 100 feet, more elkhorn in one reef than I have ever seen.  

Thanks to Alan Brown for the under water pictures!

D the lobster hunter at Conch Cay Cut

Jean treads water over the reef wearing her wet suit,
the water was about 78 degrees and it didn't take long to chill.

Margaret dives on the deeper reef to get a better view of fish

Small fish at the edge of the deep reef with
beautiful sand in the background

Elkhorn coral

Elkhorn reef - In the calm shallow water it is easy to find
as the golden color illuminates the surface of the water

Elkhorn coral and small green brain coral 

A beautiful crevice where fish and lobster hang out

A sting ray laying on the bottom

George Town - Conch!

Yum!  Some people love conch.  Some people don't.   Everyone enjoys Reynaldo.

Reynaldo dives for his conch in the Jumentos from his little Boston whaler. He brings plenty back and stores them in the water tied together in groups of 4-6 by a small line that is run through a hole in the lip of the conch shell.  He then brings a few of the lines to the beach near his conch shack adjacent to the Chat 'n' Chill restaurant on Stocking Island.  When a customer orders a conch salad, and there is usually a line for Reynaldo's conch salad, he goes to the water and brings in a string of conch.

Reynaldo, 21 y/o Bahamian, following in his father's and
brother's footsteps, cleans the conch for conch salad.
He rarely looks at what his hands are doing.

He hits the conch shell with a ball peen hammer and inserts a knife to cut the muscle, and voile, the conch meat slips out.  He cleans the white meat and tenderizes it on his table with a huge chopping knife.  His motions are machine gun quick, he rarely looks at what his hands are doing, and soon he has chopped conch, tomato, green pepper, onion to small dices.  He mixes and cuts limes to juice over the salad and 'cook' the conch.  Then he cuts oranges and adds the sweet juice to the salad.  He can add hot peppers, but I like it straight.

Cleaned white conch meat with the 'foot' still on it. 

Reynaldo chops and mixes all the ingredients lightning fast.
He has all his fingers. He hasn't cut himself in over a year!

Chat 'n' Chill beach and its eponymous restaurant is the home of Reynaldo's conch salad, BBQ ribs, hot dogs, hamburgers and conch burgers, cold Sands and Kalik Bahamian beers, special rotisserie chicken night, rock 'n' roll night, roast pork Sunday, volley ball, dominoes, and basket weaving every day, beach church on Sunday.  They help sponsor the Cruisers' regatta. Kendra and Shepherd in the bar are always hopping.  I personally enjoyed many mornings doing yoga with Agnes.

View from the Chat 'n' Chill restaurant.
White sand, aqua marine water, and blue skies with puffy white clouds.
The signs on the pole show distances and directions to boats' home ports. 

Lunch at Chat 'n' Chill.  Motto: The chat is free, you have to pay for the chill.
D, Margaret, Alan Brown, Gordon, and Jean

Gordon and Jean chillin' in a hammock at Chat 'n' Chill beach

George Town - Lobster!

Yum! Lobster! Everyone loves lobster!  Well, most everyone. 

Every once in a while as you are snorkeling over the gorgeous reefs in clear water, among the corals and crevices, you catch a glimpse of an antenna announcing a lobster is residing under that ledge. 

When that happens to me, I call D who is typically keeping a watch out from the dinghy.  He grabs his trident spear and snorkelling gear and jumps in, the lobster doesn't have a chance. We get 3 huge lobsters while in George Town all by Conch Cay Cut, the western entrance of the harbor.  And I get to enjoy lobster dinner!

D emerges successfully with a lobster in hand. 

Margaret and D each hold one of the lobster.
They have spines as long as rose bush thorns, not to be handled without gloves.
That's why they are called spiny lobster.  

Welcome to George Town, Great Exumas! Stay awhile ...

George Town, Great Exumas, is a cruiser's paradise. 

It has all the amenities of home in a fun, carefree atmosphere. The dinghy dock is calm, convenient, holds many dinghies and has free reverse osmosis (RO) water! There are grocery stores with a continuous supply of fresh produce and great selections; a meat market where cuts are to your specifications and they pick you up and bring you back to the dock; propane is available at the power plant, at the dinghy dock, drop off at Namaan Forbes, or Rodney will pick it up and deliver it to your boat. There is a charge for trash, which is unusual in the Bahamas. Trash is $2 and located next to Red Boones next to the dinghy dock. Laundry is easy and affordable. Ask any cruiser and these are the things they want.  But wait, there is more - restaurants, regattas, festivals, straw markets, farmers markets, volleyball, yoga, aqua fitness, dominoes, hammocks, hiking trails, reefs, lobster, conch, and a sense of community with a high participation cruisers' net each morning. Also, it is beautiful ... Yes, it's easy to put your anchor down and stay.  

Monument on top of Stocking Island across from George Town
Monument Beach is a popular anchorage

 George Town harbor is really Elizabeth Harbor, which is 9 miles long and 1 mile wide, and offers many small anchorages all around the harbor - Monument Beach, Sand Dollar Beach, Flip Flop Beach, and Hamburger Beach, to name a few.  The harbor lies between Great Exuma Island and Stocking Island and typical depths are 8-10 feet.  When the wind blows from the east all the boats move to the Stocking Island side for protection and calm water; then, when it blows from the west, the boats move to the George Town side.  It's called the George Town shuffle.  We chose to anchor near George Town and dinghy to either side. George Town had all the shops, and Stocking Island had all the fun.  Plus we didn't mind a little rocking, as long as there wasn't any rolling, so the boat was comfortable.

View of George Town from our boat in the anchorage

Going into George Town on the dinghy you go under a little bridge
Watch out for traffic, incoming traffic has right of way.

Tie up at the floating dinghy dock with a long painter.
Free RO water on pole to the right.

Family Island Regatta is Bahamas island racing.  It's near the government dock,
Notice the supply boat in the back ground.  Deliveries almost daily.

Young Bahamian sailors practice for the Family Island Regatta.
They sail past our boat practicing. 

Looking toward Stocking Island across the crystal clear blue harbor.
Notice the white caps, rocky but not rolly.  

Monument Beach anchorage

Beautiful beach on the 'other' side of Stocking Island, the Exuma Sound side.
When it was calm, we explored in the dinghy.

Another beautiful beach on the Exuma Sound side. 

In George Town, we saw 34 sunrises over Stocking Island.
We stayed awhile.