Don't You Want to Go Further South?
Ambler Isle
V and S
Mon 21 Feb 2011 17:54
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"Why don't you go to the BVIs?" " Or
Trinidad?" " Don't you want to see the Panama Canal?" People often
ask these questions. People at home and those we meet along the
way. Today, the VHF radio was abuzz with folks looking for paper and
electronic charts to Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico. Other
offer charts, books, even phones for points even further south. While US
citizens are not allowed to visit Cuba, everyone else is, and does go
there. It is not exactly the new, pristine boating site most Americans
pine for.
The answer to the first questions, for us, is no, no and
no. We have flown to many Caribbean destinations: Bonaire, Cayman Island,
Costa Rica, Puerto Rica, Tobago, and even the Virgin Islands. Each is
breathtakingly lovely. Each has its own unique flavor and
appearance. The scuba diving in Cayman Islands is spectacular. But,
for what we are seeking, the Bahamas is first on our list.
The incredible, remote beaches with their pink or
white sugar sands go forever. Many are too long to walk the entire length
at one time. Often there is no one else there. We set up
a sunshade for a week or two, and no one bothers it, except maybe to sit beneath
its shelter occasionally. The vistas are wonderful. Sunsets over
open water breathtaking. The water is like none we have ever seen
anywhere else. The clear, turquoise seas are shallow. This means we
can snorkel the coral heads and reefs without scuba gear. Catch lobster
and fish. The sea beds are sand. Because the Bahama Islands have no
rivers, no muddy, silty water floods out into the sea. We observed this
phenomenon in Tobago. Remember Enya singing about the Orinoco Flow?
Well, when it overflows its banks, it sends a river of mud into the ocean 35
miles wide. During this time the Caribbean Sea resembles the Mississipppi
River.
The Bahamian people are very warm, friendly, and
welcoming. Sadly, this in not always the case in other Caribbean
nations. The cruisers are nice, and you can gather with them or not,
as you wish. We have been anchored alone, and now in Georgetown with 325
other boats.
Another consideration is the distance. The BVIs is
nearly 1500 miles away, often across open water. Three hundred mile
passages are the norm for this trip. Weather reporting is not always
correct, and we have experienced bad seas on much shorted journeys.
A young couple was talking to Valt about their plans
to go south. He explained our position. They
scoffed, what did we know? Later another lady who'd overheard the
exchange thanked him for helping her decision about continuing on or not.
Over the years, we have talked with many boaters about this subject. One
hoped to get to California. Instead when they got to the BVIs, they
put the boat on a freighter, and had it shipped to Florida. They
drove their car to California. Another family with two kids came
back from Trinidad after a two year trip, promptly sold the boat and headed back
to Montana.
Some people call Georgetown "Chicken Harbour".
Folks stop here planning to go to the Caribbean. Often , just getting
here is very challenging, and they cancel their plans and just enjoy the
fun here. There are some very challenging places in the Bahamas for the
adventurous: Jumentos, Acklins, Mayaguana, Samana. Very
remote. Very tricky routes. Sometimes just getting home from
Georgetown can be a lot of work.
Just because the Bahamas is close to the US does not
mean it is not the best place for a recreational boater to spend the
winter.
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