George Town, Great Exuma, Bahamas

We depart fairly early but after Geru who are pushing to get the miles in. The clouds are thick and rumbling with thunder and when a brief break in the rain appears we decide to make a run for it. We have only about 20 miles to do to George Town, but it is where all the thunder and lightening is coming from at the moment, so we set off slowly hoping it will pass.

We set off with the rods in the water, but no bites today and we even end up turning a big circle to let the squalls have time to dissipated before we eventually get into the approaches to George Town around lunch. The sun comes out just as we attempt the entrance which from the charts looks terrible, coral heads, submerged rocks, sand banks. It is boater central in the Bahamas with up to 300 boats all hanging out during the season (winter), but when you first look at the chart you can’t imagine how they all get in there, but console yourself it can’t be as bad as it looks. Well in the end after duly following our 5 waypoints from the pilot guide, we arrive into the town anchorage, realising that it really wasn’t that bad actually, though that’s mainly because we are shallow drafted.

Winding our way into George Town 

We drop the anchor in the large bay a fairly uniform 2-3 m deep over bright white sand on the edge of town. The sun is out now and the colours are stunning. The water clarity is so amazing here that we have been looking at fish, star fish, coral and weeds on the bottom in amazing detail. The anchor sunk straight into the fine sand and it definitely wasn’t going anywhere. There are only around 10 boats anchored here and more over in Stocking Island the barrier island protecting the George Town roadstead and another cruiser hangout. This bay is nicknamed Chicken Bay from all the cruisers that pass south of here out of the sheltered water of the Bahamas to realise it is rough out there and come back. Looking around after days and days of rough crossings before us, I wonder actually who the clever ones are…. the Bahamas is definitely our favourite place so far despite timing our visit in the wet season.

Stocking Island anchorage

After a quick bite for lunch we decide to explore in town and take the dingy under the road bridge into the inner lagoon which is very shallow, but has a couple of dingy docks giving good access to town. The town itself has a certain character with its pastel shaded buildings and laid back atmosphere, but has a certain scruffiness too. We find the one supermarket and take a walk round looking at what they stock and just buying in for the evening. We need to come back and stock up for the next 3 weeks tomorrow – stores being few and far between after this in the Exumas.

Invincible on George Town anchorage

There is not much else of interest in George Town, an ATM the only one until Nassau and the first since Turks and Caicos so we get out some cash. We then head back to the boat and enjoy a pleasant evening on the calmest anchorage we have ever been on, not a ripple and really quiet.

 

Indefatigable (dingy) floating on clear Bahamian waters

Warm Bahamian evenings – 41.6 degrees C in the shade of our cockpit at 6pm!!