The gist on George Town, Great Exuma

There are two full-service outboard shops in George Town: Minns Water Sports and Brown’s Marine. Minns is a Yamaha dealer and Brown’s sells Suzukis. Brown’s can handle almost any size outboard boat with engines up to 350 horsepower. These outboard shops are especially important because they provide excellent services so far south of Nassau.
February Point just opened a new restaurant, the Rusty Anchor, which I highly recommend. The new building has a lovely view across the flats to Crab Cay, the food is upscale and the staff is as cheerful and efficient as anywhere in The Bahamas. Moor your dinghy at their new marina and walk a few yards to the restaurant. februarypoint.com
One of the jewels of George Town is Diane Minns’ Sandpiper Arts & Crafts, a store with quality items for the whole family. When you are done shopping, step next door to the Driftwood Café or across the street to Peace and Plenty for lunch. You old timers may like to know that Lerman Rolle, “The Doctor of Libation,” still mans the bar at Peace and Plenty.
Late April is when George Town becomes really enjoyable. This year the National Family Island Regatta is April 26-30. The regatta is great fun and one of the most photogenic events anywhere. After the regatta most of the cruisers start to leave—some to head to the Caribbean for hurricane season and others head back to the U.S. For those who want peace and quiet, this is the beginning of the best cruising in Exuma and a great time to run out and back to the southeast islands. Great Exuma remains one of the very best locations for flats fishing, and there are excellent locations to fish in almost any weather.

Turtle sex

April is the beginning of the mating and nesting season for sea turtles in The Bahamas. Please keep a sharp look out as you travel along the ocean shores of all the islands. Loggerheads are especially vulnerable to boat strikes as they congregate to mate off their nesting beaches. Sea turtle populations have grown slowly since the 2009 ban on sea turtle harvest in The Bahamas, so adult breeders are especially important if this trend is to continue.

Abacos
A reminder for all birders and wildlife enthusiasts in The Bahamas, especially the Abacos, the website, rollingharbour.com, continues to publish amazing photos and general information about birds and other wildlife around the Delphi Club on Abaco.

Farmer’s Cay

According to Roosevelt Nixon—owner/operator of the Farmer’s Cay Yacht Club & Marina—all mooring chains and lines have been replaced with new stainless steel chains and 3/4-inch lines, and the dock and seaport has been re-planked including new braces. That is very good news for those who enjoy Farmer’s Cay and want to moor safely at the dock or in the main channel with easy access to the Club—the restaurant is open from 9AM to 12AM. Roosevelt is always helpful and very proud of his cay. Call (242) 355-4017.

Underwater art

One of the not-so-perfectly-kept secrets of the Exumas is the underwater piano and mermaid sculpture off Rudder Cut Cay. Sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor’s The Musician (commissioned by renowned illusionist David Copperfield) sits in about 12 feet of water and is easily reached by snorkelers. The location of the sculpture is now published in the latest edition of the Explorer Chartbook. Taylor has created stunning underwater sculptures in a range of locations, including his work in the Coral Reef Sculpture Garden in southwest New Providence. underwatersculpture.com

Mariah Harbour Land and Sea Park

The boundaries of Mariah Harbour Cay Land and Sea Park have finally been set. The park includes the southern part of Elizabeth Harbour from the south end of Stocking Island to Pigeon Cay (north of Little Exuma) and includes several important land areas. The park is known to include several endangered species such as piping plovers, iguanas, sea turtles, and a rich variety of other wildlife. Scientific surveys have also shown that this area is an unusually healthy nursery for crawfish. Mariah Harbour Park is a major addition to the national park system and ensures that Elizabeth Harbour and the surrounding waters are protected.
Outreach efforts to engage stakeholders are underway and will be part of the process to determine an official management plan for the park. The Bahamas is among the world leaders in marine conservation, and hopes are that all visitors and boating friends obey Bahamian fisheries regulations and respect the extraordinary environment.
Keep abreast of the latest fishing regulations for your location in the U.S. and Bahamian waters with the very useful app for smart phones fishrulesapp.com. This app is updated regularly and also has excellent fish identification guides.

 

by Stephen Connett, Southern Boating Magazine April 2016

Bahamas websites, blogs and social networks keep cruisers connected.

.The Internet now offers safety, information and a sense of community to cruisers in The Bahamas. Many cruising websites provide timely maritime and local island information, as well as social announcements to keep cruisers in the know.

• Barometer Bob: barometerbob.org
• Bahamas Info Newsletter: bahamaislandsinfo.com
• I Love Hope Town: ilovehopetown.com
• Bahamas Chatter: chatter.explorercharts.com

There are also websites and blogs that enrich the Bahamian experience and make life more enjoyable, such as Rolling Harbour (rollingharbour.com). It features wildlife news and photos, a variety of useful links, lists of pertinent books, maps of Abaco, and more. The blog is informal and delightfully random, but it is a great place to gain a general knowledge of Bahamian wildlife on land and sea.

Cruisers will also want to check out the following websites and social media pages of these major conservation organizations to learn about their environment, educational programs, volunteer opportunities, and events. Cruisers are welcome to get involved in many activities.

• Bahamas National Trust: bnt.bs
• BREEF: breef.org
• Friends of the Environment: friendsoftheenvironment.org
• The Nature Conservancy: nature.org

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Salvage support is something cruisers hope to never need, but if you or someone near you needs to be salvaged or towed I recommend calling Overseas Salvage at (242) 355-2140 (overseassalvage.com) or R&B Boatyard at (242) 333-4462 (rbboatyard.com). These companies are equipped with experienced personnel, impressive equipment and can respond effectively. They will discuss pricing with you before getting underway.

Rum Cay is one of the beautiful islands in the southeast Bahamas and an excellent stop for those headed or returning from further south. The anchorage in Port Nelson is tenable in winds from NW-SE, though there is usually considerable surge causing the “Rum Cay Roll.” Sumner Point Marina provides excellent protection from all weather. In 2011, Hurricane Irene caused considerable damage to the south coast of Rum Cay and altered the natural movement of the sand filling much of the channel into the marina, but things are looking up. Sumner Point Marina is now under new management and reconstruction is expected to start this winter. In the meantime, some slips and facilities are available. For questions about facilities and for help of any kind in Rum Cay, call Bobby Little at (242) 525-0184.

The Bahamas National Trust (BNT) has established new mooring and anchoring fees for the Exuma Land and Sea Park and created a new membership category: Support Fleet Membership. Price varies with the size of your vessel, but the membership includes priority on the waiting list for moorings at Warderick Wells, two complimentary mooring nights to be used within one year, a BNT membership card, BNT newsletters, and a variety of BNT membership benefits. Membership also keeps you informed about BNT events, educational programs and conservation initiatives. Be assured that you will be investing in the sustainability of one of the finest cruising areas in the world.

French Leave Eleuthera is a new resort in Governor’s Harbour, with Harbour Village on the east side of the harbor. Harbour Village has a new dock with slips for two megayachts (up to 180′) with full services. There are also five megayacht moorings. Yachts staying at the docks or tied to the moorings will have access to all the resort facilities, including the pink sand French Leave Beach half a mile away on the ocean side of Eleuthera. The 1648 Bar and Grill located just south of the megayacht slips is open to the public. Reservations for the docks and moorings are strongly recommended. Governor’s Harbour is an historic town with a vibrant community that offers a full range of supplies and services. Be sure to visit the Anglican Church and the Haynes Library. frenchleaveresort.com

By Stephen Connett, Southern Boating January 2015

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