Georgetown, Bahamas #1

It is amazing to me that we have reached Georgetown already!  We are half way through our trip!  It's been a whirlwind of adventures, events, challenges, stress and sheer joy all wrapped up in one!  I am making a list of things I want to do differently when we make this trip again.  The biggest item on my list is a better dinghy.  Nothing fancy, just one that will take us further than our present dinghy.  We tried our hand at a scavenger hunt today, but the questions led us to other parts of the island that our dinghy just wasn't up to.  Needless to say, we came in last. (Too bad - 1st, 2nd, 3rd place won a bottle of rum!)

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Very happy to have made it this far! 

 

This is what we saw when we arrived in the harbour  -  lots and lots of boats everywhere we looked!  The count, as of the 27th, was 307 boats-give or take!

This is monument beach where we anchored for a few nights.

 

This is about what it looks like at night - my phone camera couldn't quite capture the beauty of 307 mast lights!

We happened to arrive at the Regatta time of year.  It is a period of 2 weeks where there are several types of boat races and activities for those not in a race. Some of these activities are fun and regulation volleyball games, sand golf, bocce ball, games, painting coconuts and crafts, parties, costume contest, door prizes, and award ceremonies.  There is never a dull moment here!  All the activities and events are broadcast over the radio by a volunteer so everyone knows what is going on.

Bocce Ball - We did not get to Georgetown early enough to register to play.

The playoff game of Fun Volleyball

The costume contest was a great hit!  The theme was castaway, Robinson Cruso, Gilligan's Island, etc.

Gilligan

One of the Mary Ann's

2 "Ginger's"

The Professor

Most Creative!

Captain

Wilson

Mr. and Mrs. Howell

  There was a beach where a lot of activities happened.  It was called Chat 'N' Chill.  They had a bar there that served delicious food and drinks.  
                              

  Inside the Chat and Chill Bar 

Conch Bar

Outside View of the Bar

He just bought 3 large lobsters

Chat and Chill Beach towards Dusk

One of a few Rays that swim along the Chat and Chill beach looking for the fish man to throw them some food.  They come right up to your feet then quickly turn away when you don't have food for them.  I was able to pet them and they are so soft. 

 




A starfish found in the water where the rays are.







 The town of Georgetown.....

Public Library

Straw Market

Carving outside the Primary School - Given to the school by the Regatta 2014

Administration Office

Clothing and Bahama Crafts Shop

        Flora around town

Panoramic of the harbor from the town

Another view of the harbor from town

Lake Victoria - this is behind the harbor - To get there we needed to dinghy under a short bridge.  This was our only way to get to town.  Going into it, the tide was with us and we surfed through.  On the way back the tide was against us and it was like a flume ride at an amusement park - we got just as wet, if not more so!

Flora along the shoreline of Lake Victoria

Plaque outside the hotel Peace and Plenty.  This was where they had the awards ceremony for the sailboat races.  After the ceremony there was a Rake and Scrape session where they had music along with serving delicious dinners.

This has been a very interesting island.  Very different from all the rest.  Definitely the largest amount of boats in one place!  The journey to town was a long one by a small dinghy like ours, so we would move Dolce Vita to a part of the harbor that is closer to the bridge leading to town and then dinghy under the bridge and dock at the dinghy dock next to the Exuma Market.  

There has been a lot of moving of the boat and re-anchoring in different areas besides wanting to get closer to the other side.  We were trying to get closer to the Chat and Chill Beach today.  We did anchor there but it was only good for a short while.  It was too crowded to stay the night, especially with a storm coming tomorrow.  We couldn't let out enough of the anchor rhode to be safe, so we got the anchor out and tried further north.  With it now dark, it made the journey slow and uncertain!  We found a spot and as soon as the anchor dropped down the man on the boat next to us thought we were too close.  He didn't agree with Ed about 100' feet of rhode being enough!   So, we pulled anchor again went even further North.  We finally found a spot for the night and anchored.  We'll check to see how we like it in the morning!   We've never anchored and re-anchored as many times as we have tonight!  I usually drop the anchor and Ed pulls it up as it is heavier than I can handle.  I have found a way to pull it up without too much trouble, so I do this job if the anchor hasn't been set too deep.  Hope to develop some muscle power in my arms on this trip!

We will be here for another week it seems because there are strong winds coming tomorrow.