Georgetown, Great Exuma, Bahamas
From Government dock, Georgetown. So many shades of green waters and blue sky
Here is what AI search returned when I typed "Georgetown."
"George Town is the capital of the Exumas, located on Great Exuma Island in the Bahamas. It has a population of approximately 2,488 people. The town is known for its rich history, beautiful beaches, and vibrant culture.
Historical Significance
• Pirate Haven: In the 17th century, pirates used the deep-water harbor.
• Plantation Era: Settled by plantation owners from Virginia in the 18th century.
• Military Use: The U.S. Navy utilized the port during World War II."
But it does not capture the beauty of the surroundings. We are anchored off Stocking Island, opposite a beach called Chat N Chill, a favorite of day-trippers as well as cruisers anchored around. Stocking Island has beaches on the Atlantic Ocean side as well as on the wide area of water between the island and Great Exuma Island. This area has depths ranging from 2' to 20' and several sandbars.
The place is very wide and protected from swells and moderate winds from all sides except the west. There are literally hundreds of boats, mostly catamarans and mono-hulls—very few trawlers like ours.
After anchoring here, we have mostly been using the dinghy to get around. One of those excursions was to go to a very colourful carnival-like festival. I have attached some pictures of that.
Georgetown is a sleepy place; everything is closed on Sundays. There are bars and maybe nightlife too, but we have not yet sampled anything. It has a decent marketplace shop that carries fresh veggies and fruits, as well as lots of frozen food and condiments. The shelves empty quickly, and one needs to be there shopping within days of the container ship's arrival, which brings supplies from the mainland.
Container ship that brings fuel, groceries twice a week from mainland
We have been here for three weeks now. The first two weeks were great, steady 10-14 knots of wind and sunshine. The last week has been rainy, and since yesterday, heavy rains and winds of 22 knt with gusts reaching 30 knts. Depressing. We do, though, enjoy the peace and solitude of being on the boat and doing our own things.