Georgetown
Moonbeam
David and Lynn Wilkie
Wed 20 Apr 2011 13:07
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23.30.989N 075.45.380W
Georgetown
On Friday we up anchored in Conception although we
were reluctant to leave such a beautiful anchorage. The wind was light and we
had a glorious 40 mile reach over to Georgetown on Great Exhuma.
  We anchored off "Volleyball Beach" and I nipped
ashore to check in at Customs and buy our cruising license ( 300US$- OUCH ! )
but unfortunately I was too late for immigration so we would have to stay until
Monday morning!
  There were perhaps 200 yachts anchored in the
various bays of Elizabeth Harbour at Georgetown with by far the majority being
Canadian and US owned.
    We explored by dinghy and on Saturday afternoon
went ashore on Volleyball Beach ( Stocking Island ) and ended up playing a few
games with the very friendly cruisers, many of whom had spent much of the winter
there! Many of the yachts come down to the Bahamas for the winter then head home
to the US and Canada for the summer. One couple with a 25ft yacht ( and a lovely
dog! ) sail back to Florida then tow it back to Ottawa behind their
truck!
      Stingray!
"Wings" arrived during the afternoon and in the
evening we all adjourned to "Barefeet" to celebrate Chris and Erin's 4 year
circumnavigation which was completed here!
After a slow Sunday morning ( ! ) it was back to
the beach for several games of volleyball; by chance there is an adjacent bar -
the "Chat 'n Chill" ! Here you can stand in the water and stingrays come up to
you brushing against your legs, wanting to be fed. Local families and tourists
come across by water taxi and there is a good family atmosphere. Many of the
cruisers here have been coming for several years and obviously have got to know
local families.
I had imagined the Bahamas to be very
commercialised and easy cruising but down here despite the number of yachts the
place is very beautiful and unspoilt and the shallow waters at the anchorages
demand careful pilotage. The Exuma Chain reminds us of the Outer Hebrides,
especially the Sound of Harris with plenty of anchorages, glorious beaches,
channels ( cuts ) between the islands; however the temperature is very
different!
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