On to Georgetown

3/17/16 - 3/18/16   To  23 30.316N,    75 45.854W    Regatta Point, Georgetown    44.0NM

We went over to Big Farmers Cay to go exploring with the dinghy.  The chart indicated a nice beach on the sound that could possibly be accessed by walking along the rocks at the cut, or hiking a short distance over a hill.  Neither turned out to be viable - the current was flowing out making landing the dinghy on the sharp rocks at the cut difficult, and we saw no sign of a trail over the hill that had a fairly steep incline.  The cays tend to have a few sandy beaches interspersed with rough, jagged remnants of limestone/coral rock, that looks sharp enough to damage an inflatable, something we'd rather avoid and can be tricky walking.  We did find an area of coral heads but didn't see that many fish.  We went to several beaches along the bank side, one of which had a number of cairns and a cave at the far end that we checked out.  By the time we headed back to the boat, the cruise ship had weighed anchor an was heading across the bank.  It had been a brief stop for the passengers to kayak or snorkel.  We had the place to ourselves.

Cains on the beach - this was one of the rare beaches with flat rocks

Cave at Big Farmers Cay

A morning update on the weather indicted we'd have SE wind, around 10kts, but too much on the nose to sail, with more of the same Friday, but closer to 15kts.  Having done the trip with 15kts on the nose (makes for a long day), we ran up the main, and motor sailed to Georgetown, taking advantage of the lighter wind and smooth water, skipping Lee Stocking Cay about half way.  The wind was about 20 degrees off the nose, so the main stabilized the boat and, upon occasion, gave us a bit of a boost.  With a very long period swell and little wind waves, it was an easy day and we passed over a dozen boats headed N.  We arrived in Elizabeth Harbor, coming through Conch cut around 1630, where the swell became noticeably more pronounced as it encountered shallower depths, with a shorter period between the swells, and waves breaking on the shoals.

Approaching Cave Cay Cut on the way out to the sound

Much as I would have liked to stop at Lee Stocking, I hadn't done any provisioning since Nassau, and the 'fridge was getting a bit sparse.  I knew I'd have more luck finding fresh produce at the market Friday or Saturday - things get very picked over just before the next ship is due, and we'd passed an out bound freighter as we entered the harbor.  We found room to anchor off Regatta Point among  a number of other vessels.  While there are plenty of boats in the harbor, I think we've seen more in past years - the recent week of light wind has allowed boats to move, and many who arrived in December are heading home.

The shelves in the market were being restocked as we shopped, with a good selection of fresh produce.  New since our last visit, is a VAT, so the price list has 2 prices, cost and cost plus tax.  Everything is considerably more expensive than in the states.  I tried checking the prices, but not all items were on the list, and as Leonard pointed out, it wouldn't make much of a difference in what I bought since I needed everything.  We'll take the free ride to the deli for meat another day.

After running the groceries back to the boat, we went back into town to check out the library and see if Leonard could get help getting the voicemail set up on the phone. at the BATELCO office.  The library, run by volunteer cruisers, is open 2 hours a day, and for a $3 annual membership, you can swap and/or check out books (the newer books you bring in tend to become part of the lending, not swap section).  It's a nice little library given the size of the community.

Lady Sonia on the hard - mast had snapped and the deck joint and bow were damaged

As I walked through the 'straw market', I learned the old market blew away in the strong winds this winter - this was a temporary one.  The gals are a lot more laid back than in Nassau, and you can browse hassle free.  I also saw the same T shirts we got 3/$10 in Nassau were $15 each here.  Given reports of sustained 100mph winds in January, I'm surprised we don't see more evidence of damage.  I can only imagine the nightmare that must have existed in the harbor with too many boats and few prepared for hurricane force winds. Leonard checked out the wharf and found one of the local racing boats that hadn't fared well this winter. On the way back to the boat we noticed dorsal fins in the water - it's the first time on any trip that we've seen dolphins in the Bahamas.  What a treat!

We still don't have voicemail.  The BTC gal was sure Leonard didn't know how to do it, but she got the same error message when she tried, and the website was down so she couldn't help us.  She gave a phone number to call, to try from the boat, but the system didn't recognize the number on the SIM card, and after 3 attempts, Leonard was locked out.  Best advice - it you need to reach us, use e-mail. It seems to get through, sometimes when we've only had 1 bar.  We love hearing from folks, but PLEASE delete our message if you send a 'reply'. The download tends to be very slow.  Other than the speed, the hot spot works fine if we're within range of a cell tower, which is great for getting weather updates and getting or sending e-mail.

Sunset over Georgetown