March 5, 2020 George Town Exuma

Stocking Island, Exuma

March 5, 2020

Annie, the Hausfrau for today: 

Leaving Cambridge was with some regret.  We could not satisfy our craving for beach walking, kayaking, hiking well-worn but tricky trails and snorkeling.  It was all beautiful!  Heading south of the Land and Sea Park, Calliope, Salty Paws, and MyCat anchored and slogged through a creek on Compass Cay.  It ended in a deep pool, called Rachael’s Bubble Bath, formed by boulders blocking the path to the Sound.  We tied lines to the boulders then waited for the big waves as the tide rose.  Grabbing a line, we hung on as the waves frothed and crashed overhead.  Our masks and goggles were protective but all we could see were bubbles.  

Rachel's Bubble
Bath

As we sailed south the landscape began to look rougher.  Islands were taller and craggy, shorelines were uninviting as waves crashed over sharp edges and into yawning caves.   The Thunderball Grotto  could be seen from our anchorage, the same dark maw featured in the James Bond movie, Thunderball.   We anchored at Staniel Cay where we could get fuel and minimal supplies.  We enjoyed lunch and breakfast at the Yacht Club, walked the neighborhoods and visited three little family owned grocery stores.  Only one of them provided dancing in the aisles, a smoky-voiced,  singing checker and fresh spinach.   We love that Bahamian spirit!

Who left the GTYC burgee at Staniel Cay Yacht Club?

The sail to Blackpoint Settlement was bumpy!  It was a happy arrival since we had been drawn to Blackpoint several times during our 2009 trip.   Some things had changed but it was still the friendly place we remembered.  There were more than 50 boats anchored with plenty of room for privacy.  Food at Lorraine’s was still good and her mom, Pierman, was still taking orders for fresh coconut bread.  It was delicious!  The Laundromat was improved and continued to be a welcome gathering spot.  How many Laundromats have a sturdy dinghy dock, picnic tables, a pergola with seating overlooking a huge bay filled with boats, a small grocery and haircuts by appointment?  

We have always enjoyed watching the Bahamian Class C racing boats and photos of the 2009 races hang on our walls at home.  We were fortunate to be around for a weekend regatta during this visit.  Dietrich was on board for three races, on Patton Pride and Smashie.  His place was usually forward Pry Ballast (the Pry is the long, movable plank on which crew scrambles to sit, keeping the boat from capsizing during wind changes).   Only one crew member was swept overboard (not Dietrich) with quick recovery and no damage.

The new Patton Pride mast stepping

Class C preparations

Annie's pilot on the end of a pry

 Lee Stocking Island was about 26 mi. south.   We anchored near the old Perry Institute of Marine Science, then for several additional days just beyond at Williams Bay.   There were up to nineteen boats, anchored at a distance for privacy but a friendly group.   It was common to have someone zoom up in a dinghy then hang out at our transom to chat.  There were numerous hiking trails that offered challenging terrain, long  range views and the sound effects of high tide waves hurtling into rocky inlets.  Dietrich snorkeled often.

The old Perry Institute of Marine Science

Lee Stocking Island shore

Lee Stocking Island shore

Lee Stocking Island shore

Lee Stocking Island shore

The 27 mi. trip south was lively and interesting due to a string of rocky islands along the way, a full head sail, a fishing line on a pole and two hand lines trailing behind.  We anchored at Sand Dollar Beach off Stocking Is., in the bay opposite George Town.  The    1½ mi. dinghy ride across the bay has been wild, wet and bumpy but necessary since most services are in town.  Raingear and waterproof bags are often essential.   A water taxi is a luxury at $15.00 round trip, fast and a real thrill.  Life on our side of the bay is busy and varied.  There are several restaurants (Chat n’ Chill, St. Frances Yacht Club, Peace & Plenty Beach Bar…), volley ball courts, great hiking all over Stocking Is. and along the western shore, snorkeling impressive coral reefs and fishing to the north.   Dietrich pedaled (bless that folding bike!) 26 miles through the countryside south of George Town.  He took time to talk with friendly locals and raced ahead of three pursuing dogs.

Don Pinder, master boat builder

South Great Exuma old architecture

The smallest bascule bridge

South Great Exuma old architecture with goat

The George Town Cruisers’ Net (celebrating 40 very active years) provides help and activity from early morning into the evening.  There are boaters’ seminars, craft classes, children’s activities, water aerobics, yoga, beach exercises, pig roasts (including the crispy skin) every Sunday, dancing, and so on…  

The Cruisers’ Regatta and Celebration began February 26th with the dinghy poker run, and will provide creative entertainment for the next two weeks.  There will be yacht and dinghy races (how about a Blind Dinghy Race?), games, contests, food everywhere and a themed variety show (it was a highlight in 2009, quite good!).  In a few days we will be participating in the Around the Island Race for big and overloaded cruising boats.  We have been invited to crew on Untethered Soul, a 47 ft., 35,000 lb. ketch.   It will be a highlight!

Junkanoo band at Georgetown Cruisers Regatta

Junkanoo band at Georgetown Cruisers Regatta

Crew of Salsa with cat

Friendly ray at Chat-n-Chill Beach

View from Monument at sunset

Each morning at 8:00 the Cruisers’ Net broadcast begins on Channel 72.  It lasts about 45 min. and covers weather, new boat arrivals, harbor activity updates, boat related needs, items for trade, anchoring and harbor protocols (there were more than 345 boats in this main 2 mile stretch as of 1-02-20. Rules and civility are required but, in general, this is a respectful and caring group) and farewells from departing boats.   A fellow we met in 2009 heard Dietrich on the Net and called soon after.  He had worked at the Perry Institute on Lee Stocking Is. and still has a farm near Maple City, Michigan.  Those Small World stories keep popping up!  

Dinghies are the lifeline to supplies, exploring, snorkeling, emergency help and to meeting fellow boaters. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes along with operator attitudes.  Crowded dinghy docks require long painters (dock lines) so many dinghies can fill the limited space.  Most of the time, everyone is thoughtful and cooperative.  The dinghy dock at the Exuma Market has the bonus of a free source for drinking water so it is always busy.   

An average day at the Georgetown dinghy dock

 We have been hoping to get out to Conception Island, a lush, remote place about 40 miles east of here and in the Land and Sea Park.   Friends, Paul and Nancy Jacobs, praised it years ago but weather prevented our making the trip in 2009.  A debatable weather window presented itself on the 29^th so we took it, hoping to  spend two nights in anchorages that might offer enough protection from changing conditions.   We encountered winds 25-27 knots, gusting at 30 out of the NW and 8–9 ft. waves  (not swells, but pointy-topped waves that occasionally slopped into the stern cockpit). We bailed about 25 miles into the adventure and skidded into a shallow bay near Stella Maris on Long Island.  There was no break from rolling and jerking during the night.   Realizing that waters around our goal would be too rough for at least another day we returned to George Town on March 1^st.  We had 15-28 knot winds NE, more 8’ waves, and surfing at 8+ knots (for Calliope, that’s way fast!).  It was a quick ride back to an anchorage off Stocking Is. across from George Town.  We are among friends, all of us struggling with 20 – 27 knot + winds and rough dinghy rides.  Even the tough water taxies are reluctant to come over from George Town today!

No photos here, we were too busy sailing the boat!

Monday night is Rake and Scrap Night at Eddie’s Edgewater in George Town, an evening not to be missed. We shared a dinghy with Sue and Pete Stott and their Chicago friends, Tim and Mary, to the Chat n’ Chill dock. Twenty other cruisers shared a water taxi with us into town where we hiked around the harbor to a fried dinner and music of the Bahamas.  Rake and Scrap refers to the traditional instruments and the way they are played by raking and scraping across the surfaces.  The percussion was intoxicating and the vocalist was quite good.  The dance floor was full of cruisers, loving the music and watching the locals execute the laid back Bahamian steps.   The taxi ride home was cold but fast and six of us in the dinghy back to our boats was a slog.  We were tucked in, safe with Dietrich at the helm, easing over a wavy bay but happy with the evening and our company. 

Rake n Scrape at Eddie's Edgewater

Today was the day to renew our visas and confirm our cruising permit’s validity.   The people at Immigration were flexible and friendly.  Afterward, we had one of the best meals we have had since leaving Traverse City…Choppy’s is a second floor restaurant with a stunning view of the harbor and well prepared, beautifully presented food. We had conch and tuna sushi, chopsticks and all the trimmings, with Kalik, the local beer.   Our meal was enhanced by a delightful waiter who, eventually, sat down to chat for a while.

Dietrich had his hair cut in George Town in 2009.  He liked the local story telling and colorful dialect that came with the project. After letting his hair grow into a ponytail since February 2019, he decided it was time for a new do.  That barber took nearly all of Dietrich’s hair!