Georgetown/Great Exuma Island/The Bahamas
From March 25th, 2007 to April 17th, 2007, SeaStar was positioned at Great Exuma Island - first at Emerald Bay marina (www.emeraldbayresort.com) and later on anchor off Kidd Cove, Georgetown. During the period from March 27th to April 10th Barry crewed her alone while Donna toured with their daughters, Robin and Susan, in England and France.
The excellent facilities in Georgetown offered a much needed opportunity to re-provision. There were approximately 100 boats on anchor in the harbour which was a sparse number compared to the 500 that can be found there during the winter months.
Georgetown offers an excellent straw market where local women can be seen practising their craft.
A bus service runs down the island at a cost of $3.00 per ride but the preferred method of travel is definitely hitch hiking and the very friendly locals are happy to offer a ride.
Georgetown is an excellent location for any service a boater may require. Parts are easily shipped in, fresh water is free at the dingy dock and the hardware store offers everything imaginable. There is a dive shop, laundromats, restaurants and banks as well as gift shops which offer the Bahama's beautifully made Androsia fabric.
A short ride across the harbour from Georgetown takes you to Stocking Island, Elizabeth Island, numerous anchorages and hurricane holes as well as beaches, where many of the organized activities such as volleyball take place. As our friends on Nausicaa aptly put it, "Georgetown is a playground for adults".
A cruiser's net operates daily on VHF radio to keep area boaters informed regarding news, weather and activities.
We "cleared out" of the Bahamas at the Customs office in Georgetown for our travels eastward and southward.