Fun in the sun

Staniel Cay was the most boater-friendly place in our trip down the Exuma chain – until George Town that is. We enjoyed a 2-hour service at the Baptist Church on Staniel, replete with much singing and fantastically dressed ladies in full millinery finery. Big ladies in bright colors and unthinkable hats dominated the small sanctuary, offering big hugs as well. Most of the service was spent singing hymns, followed by a fiery sermon from the preacher. Afterwards, we shifted gears (and clothing) and played our last game of tennis. We never got to dive the Thunderball cave, as the weather turned foul that afternoon. Monday morning we got up early and set sail for Cave Cay. Once there, we decided to take a marina one last time, and were the only boat at the extremely well-protected Cave Cay marina in the Exumas best natural hurricane hole. The marina is still largely under construction, but we managed to get a shower and do our laundry. We wanted to support them, as they are the most “green” marina in the Exumas, utilizing primarily solar power and growing their own vegetables. Tuesday early morning we took off for George Town on a nice east-northeast wind at about 15 knots. Our first challenge was the Cave Cay Cut – heading out into the ocean from the inside or “banks” side of the Exumas. The Cut is deep, not too wide, but neither is the boat. We made it no problem. After about 30 miles of big ocean sailing, we approached our second big challenge – the George Town Harbor entrance. It is surrounded by coral reefs and shallow shoals, and requires navigation of four reasonably exact legs to get safely in. We marshaled all our resources – GPS points, compass, charts, and written description of what to head for, and braved our way in. The written descriptions are the best: line up the Smith Cays with the houses on the highest hill behind them…head for Simon’s Point which has two highly visible pink houses…etc. We made it no problem, and dropped the anchor at monument beach amidst what has been called the largest floating trailer park on earth. There are literally hundreds of boats here! So far we have enjoyed a night out at Eddie’s Edgewater and dinner at the Peace and Plenty, a gorgeous pink sand beach for running which is usually entirely deserted, an introduction to what’s happening via the Cruiser’s Net (broadcast every morning at 8am on VHF 68) and an expedition to Volley Ball Beach. True to it’s name, Volley Ball Beach boasts sufficient facilities for 4 games of volleyball to take place simultaneously, as well as chairs and picnic tables for other activities. The Chat-n-chill bar and grill serves lunch and dinner as well as beverages. This is the epicenter of George Town Cruiser Life. I have started to learn how to play bridge in the afternoons, thanks to the willingness of Bill on “Nice and Easy” and his assistants. Wayne is not quite as interested in the social life, but plans on going to play some pick up games of volleyball. We’re also learning how to really relax now, knowing that for at least 6 weeks we don’t have to go anywhere else. Regrettably, internet is difficult – the sole provider of wi-fi lives in a small shack near the marina and his antenna is not extremely powerful. BUT, with persistence we can get a weak signal at the boat or just bite the bullet and go into town. Telephone service is unreliable and prohibitively expensive. But in some ways it’s just as well – learning how to relax involves being at peace with oneself and the world around you. The less you know about the world around you, the easier! Although our hearts and home are always in Marquette, our current world is that of sailboats, cruisers, sun and sea. What a delightful place to be. We are heading in to the little library this morning to check out some books on Bahamian history, and hope to come back not only having learned about the life of leisure, but also about the lovely people who live on these islands.