The Exuma’s – Part 1

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March 25 – 28, 2025

As I mentioned, we had a nice short run to the Exumas from Long Island and tucked into our anchorage onto our mooring ball. Some weather was expected, so we were happy to be in this near 360 wind protection.

Moriah Cay Harbour National Park

When we arrived in the Exumas, we took a mooring ball in the Moriah Cay Harbour National Park. Turns out to be close to George Town, the biggest town in the Exumas, but also has a sense of not being too busy and away from it all. The George Town anchorages can be VERY crowded and we did not really want that.

Boats would come and go from the anchorage. This was about the most we had. A very pretty spot and very convenient.

We had heard George Town was the place to be but did not yet know how very close we were. We looked for a place for lunch in our area so headed south (as opposed to north where George Town was). I’d called a restaurant and they said they had a dock. We were, at this point, still used to deep water, 10’s – 100’s if not 1000’s of feet of water, so as we got closer to this restaurant, we were in a couple feet of water in the dinghy, people were up to their ankles in water frolicking between us and the dock and I’d heard it was way over priced. It was not working for us.

The water is shallow in much of the Bahamas as you are on what is called the Bahamas Bank. We are in 6.6 feet right here. The beautiful white and provides for these turquoise waters. But one must be careful in that there may be 6.6 feet at high tide, but it could be dry sand at low, or a foot deep.

So, we turned around and I looked for another spot to eat. We head back past our boat, through the bridge to no-where on Crab Cay and across more shallow water to a resort for a nice lunch. This is what we thought George Town would be, but no, it is another simple town, but with lots of boaters.

This very pretty bridge we go under from our anchorage to George Town on the other side (and across shallow waters.)
The resort did not seem to mind us tying up to go the the restaurant.
The restaurant is to the right. A pretty spot and the first meal out we’d had on china plates since Roatan. Such a luxury!

Crab Cay

We had weather coming in but we were somewhat protected so took a little dinghy ride across our little harbour to a short walk on Crab Cay. Although completely within the park, the cay is privately owned and has no trespassing signs everywhere. But, it looks like more of a busted development as there is no activity on the island. Just new no trepassing signs.

It looks like the waters were calm here, but it was actually quite rocky. We have a stern anchor out to keep the dinghy off shore as the landing is on the rocks.
There are lots of short trails that folks have created through the shrub in the Bahamas.
Sometimes folks leave little bits of art along the trails.
A pretty view from the top of the hill. You can see some the obstacles one has to boat around.

We went around the other side of Crab Cay and into a little bay. Before this development seemingly went bust, besides the beautiful bridge, they were cutting a canal though the limestone and building a club house.

This is a crazy cut. At the entrance the cut is about 3 ft deep. Further in, it gets to 10 – 12 ft and goes back maybe a quarter mile.
I snorkeled the whole distance. There is a resident turtle or two and thousands of baby fish who happily swim all around you. A very surreal experience.
The club house. We did not go shore although lots of folks have and said it is quite nice.
It was a lovely place to just float and relax.

George Town

We had heard so much about George Town, we had an expectation that it was somewhat of a “fancy town”. Nope, just another basic Bahamian town. Folks are friendly and you can find what you need, but there are no frills (beyond the resorts). Some images from town.

The entrance/exit to the inner harbour where the dinghy’s dock and you by dinghy fuel.
The results from Class A of the Family Island Regatta that has run since 1954, except during covid. This is a BIG event for the island. Boaters come from all over the Bahamas to be in these races.
The gas dock. Tie up your dinghy, and take your gas can to the pump. Getting fuel directly in your boat is not so easy. There is a small marina, but not clear if you can buy fuel there if you are not at the marina. We’ll buy fuel 10 miles north at the resort marina.
The outer harbour called Kidd’s Cove with the freight dock in the distance.
Excellent Grouper Fingers and slaw and this lovely quite of the day.
On the far side of the inner harbour along the road. Very Bahamian art!
I almost forgot the “official” dinghy dock. The supermarket provides it (and water for boaters who need to fill jerry cans). You can leave your dinghy here and wander where ever around town you may wish.

Getting Together with Old and New Friends

Jim is good at recognizing people. Leaving the grocery store in George Town, Jim recognized a woman we’d met in the Bahamas two years earlier. Turns out she looks like a friend of Jim’s which made the recognition easier. We’d had a Keystone Cops introduction involving 3 boats and a cellphone that went from the phone left on a dock to us, to Kelly and Richard to a third boat who owned the phone. The meeting of the boats was quite cursory but we did then run into Kelly and Richard in a bar a few days later. Two years later, Jim recognizes her.

Back to the present; Kelly and Richard had friends on a Selene (the make of boat for Kelly and Richard and their friends Cindy and Steve) and we ended up getting invited to dinner on Cindy and Steve’s boat.

The girls and Maddie the dog relaxing. The boys were in the engine room.

The Lazy River

As I’d mentioned, the water in most of the Bahamas is shallow. Kelly suggested we join them the next day for a visit to the Lazy River. I’d heard of the Lazy River, a fun spot where you float on the incoming or outgoing tide. We were moving anchorages and did not make the early morning leaving time for them but did catch up with them at and after the Lazy River.

Navigating through the shallow water to the lazy river. One looks at the charts, but we actually use satellite images for to see the basic cuts and then you have to ready the water and your depth sounder. Yes, the dinghy has one but many do not.
We expected to see a boat or two here. We were surprised and almost ready to turn around but saw Kelly and Richard who gave us the lay of the land. Behind the far sand and before the green hills is the lazy river cut. To the left behind the hills is the ocean. Beach your boat walk to the river at the inlet, get in and float back in.
The ocean with the tide coming in. If the tide is going out, then you’d float from right to left into the ocean. I much prefer left to right, into the land area. Luckily, the tide was coming in!
We did not start as far out as this young guy to float in. We started to the right of the breaking waves!

A Dinghy Concert

I had wanted to go for a walk on Stocking Island (which we have yet to do!), but Jim wanted to go to this concert. I’m glad we did. We dinghy’ed to the far end of the Exuma Bay (only a 10 minute or so ride) from where we were anchored and arrived just before the concert began. A single hand boater, Pauline Salotti, on Electric Mermaid her 28′ fully electric Ranger sailboat was preparing for her concert. In the end, 58 dinghys arrived and floated around while she entertained for two hours! Very enjoyable.

I’m hoping this video will not get blocked. The one I really wanted to show turned out to be copyright protected. But, The Eagles and Hotel California are apparently OK per YouTube. This video is nice as you get a view of the dinghys enjoying the concert. Her rendition of “Brave” which I wanted to include was exceptionally good.

A Booze Cruise

It was a very tame booze cruise. Kelly wanted to show us the entire Exuma Sound anchorage. Jim and I dinghy’ed over to their boat and Steve from Kallisto joined us, Kelly putted us around the east side of the anchorage while we enjoyed the evening and drinks.

See, a very tame booze cruise!
A tiny fraction of the boats in the anchorage. The boaters do a weekly count of boats. This week there are 308 boats in the Exuma Sound anchorage! Our little cove across the way about a mile has 3 boats.

A Friends Question

A friend wrote the other day asking if there was anything I missed from terra firma. I’ve yet to respond as I was thinking about it but then I just got occupied. Bad me! So, I’ll answer it here.

The thing I miss most about terra firma is not having to worry all the time about weather. On land, most days I look at the weather, but once at most. If I want to go somewhere, I don’t even thing about it. I just get in the car and go. If there is a storm coming, I may look more, but mostly out of interest, not out of need. On the boat, I am constantly looking at the weather and it dictates where we anchor, how we anchor and when we move. As I write this, we moved to an anchorage a day earlier than planned and are currently sitting out 2 days of sustained winds if 18 – 20 knots with gusts to 30.

The waves have been like this for 24 hours and will be for another 24. And this is protected. I really don’t enjoy this a lot. Terra firma is much nicer for storms.

Whether is is planning a passage, or sitting in an anchorage, I really do miss the joy of just getting in my car and going or hanging in the house if the weather outside does not suit me.

Tori is getting bolder. I don’t think she cares if she is on the boat or terra firma.
Chicha on the other hand used to love the boat, but as she gets older, I think she prefers terra firma.

Installment 2 of George Town (and beyond) will be with my sister Julia! Stay tuned.

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The Exuma’s – Part 1 — 1 Comment