Nassau Reflections

So here we sit in Nassau, waiting out another front and trying to time our departure so that we can have a good sail across to Chub Cay, then to the Bimini Islands and hopefully followed by a 'quiet' crossing back to Florida!  Despite our worries about Nassau, we have enjoyed our stay here at the Nassau Harbour Club.  Most of our concerns had to do with stories of theft and personal safety that seem to circulate amongst the cruisers about Nassau, but here at the marina, they have security, and we have been very comfortable.  We have taken obvious precautions that we have not had to worry about in the Exumas, such as locking the boat when we leave (in fact, the lock was rusted shut, it has been so long since we bothered to use it!!) and locking the dingy engine to the transom.  However we have not locked the dingy itself to the boat, and it is still here!  The club itself is a little run down, but in a comfortable way, and the staff has been great, so we have enjoyed it!  We have also been spoiled because there is a pool here, so a nice place to spend a hot afternoon, not to mention free showers!!

Wyvern III tucked in behind a Swan 45, with the bridge and Paradise Island in the background

The pool at Nassau Harbour Club

I am embarrassed to say that I managed to hurt myself again when we were leaving Cambridge Cay for the last time.  While pulling the lines free from the mooring ball, I slipped on the wet deck and jammed my foot in between the toe rail and a large cleat that we have up forward, and have not been able to weight-bear properly since!  I feel like I have become some sort of 'Calamity Jane' on this trip!  It has certainly been humbling, as I normally feel fairly coordinated and capable, but I have managed to test that theory, and failed, three times now!!  The end result of my injury is, we have had to be more cautious than normal as far as sailing in high winds, as I have not been able keep my balance well, nor go forward to assist with sail set, or working other lines, so I am now at the helm, and George is going forward when necessary! The other 'fall-out' from not being able to walk properly, is that we have essentially kept to the marina during our stay here, and have not ventured on to 'Pleasure Island' where the infamous Atlantis and all of the accompanying gambling establishments are.  This is not something that appeals to either of us, so we have been quite happy to stay on the 'quiet side' and merely look at 'Pleasure Island' from our dock!!  We did, however, enjoy an amazing fireworks show our first night here, courtesy of  Atlantis.  The barge where the fireworks were being set off was right off our dock, so the display was being fired right over our heads!!  Very loud, and very impressive!!  Best fireworks show I have ever seen, bar none!!

Because we are in Nassau, that means we are also nearing the end of our visit to the Bahamas, and after meeting a number of fellow cruisers who have, to my surprise, been following my blog, I have decided to put in a quick entry addressing some of our 'lessons learned', in hope that it will help future cruisers enjoy the Bahamas!

If you have been following our trip, you will know that we decided to spend the vast majority of our time here in the Exumas, and so, most of my advice, such as it is, will pertain to visiting that region of the Bahamas.  We were looking for quiet, isolated anchorages, with pristine beaches and clear water, and were happy to visit small, Bahamian villages that have not been too overwhelmed by the effect of tourism.  With the exception of finding isolated anchorages,(as the number of cruisers increase, those are becoming harder and harder to find) that is exactly what we found in the Exumas!  It really was lovely and relatively quiet!  

However, the charm came with it's challenges!

Firstly, due to the isolation of the spots we visited, there were no banks or bank machines.  This meant that whenever we needed cash, which was not infrequent, as a number of the small stores on the out islands do not accept credit cards and deal in cash only, we had to find a store or bar that was able to give us cash on our credit card.  This is an expensive way to get cash, as everywhere we went there was a surcharge of 5% for using the credit card, and then if you were getting cash on the card, they would charge an additional 10%....not to mention what the credit card company is charging you for each transaction!!

Secondly, staying with the 'financial' theme, everything in the Bahamas will cost you two to three times what you are used to paying in Canada or the U.S.  Here in Nassau and also in Marsh Harbour, there are large grocery stores similar to what you will find in North America, however everything is about twice the cost.  I cannot speak for Georgetown, as we elected not to go there.  In the out islands, the stores are very small.  Usually one-room attachments to a house, and because everything comes by boat, you will pay three times what you would pay at home.  This includes the cost of beer and liquor....in Nassau, a case of 24 beer is $42, in Staniel Cay, $65!!   You can also expect to pay $4 for one load of wash, $4 for one load of dry (and Black Point has the only laundry facility; everywhere else you must pay for a laundry service, which of course is far more expensive), and finally, the only public showers are in Black Point, and they are $4 for 5 minutes.  We used our on-deck camping shower, which worked great, however lacks somewhat in privacy!! There is no fresh water on the islands, so it will cost you 40-50 cents a gallon.  Therefore, depending on your fresh water capacity, washing your clothes on the boat and having fresh water showers may be a limited option!  I don't want to carry on about the price of stuff for too long, for clearly, going to the Bahamas is much more than 'totalling the bill', however, it did catch us off guard, and we felt it was worth 'fore-warning' future visitors!

Finally, because the grocery stores are so small, the selection is extremely limited in all areas, and, unfortunately, often the fresh produce is in very poor shape and goes bad quickly once on board your boat!  We do not have a freezer, so we never bought meat and only bought fish from a fisherman once and then ate it immediately, however there was usually a freezer, such as one you would have at home, in the store, with frozen meat for purchase, but no frozen vegetables or fruit, as far as I can remember!  The advice here, is to stock up as much as you can before leaving the United States with the spices, condiments, and canned and dried staples that you use all the time (and frozen, if you have the freezer and the space!).  Other than fish, there is essentially little to no 'home-grown' food for sale and therefore, we found that much to my disappointment, I was cooking essentially the same meals we would eat at home!

The weather itself (or more specifically the wind), can also provide some challenges while visiting the Exumas.  While it is true, the Exuma Bank is protected from the Exuma Sound and the 'open' ocean by the island chain, its protection mainly covers the northeast to southeast sector.  If a low pressure system is moving through the area with its inevitable cold front and associated southwest to northwest winds (which can be quite strong at times), cruisers have to seek shelter from the westerly blow.  While there aren't an abundance of island bays and coves providing a lee from the wind, there are a few good, but of course popular spots.  These can get crowded and demand a well set anchor, appropriate scope and attention to the effect of currents which at times oppose the wind and cause dissimilar vessels to not always swing in conjunction.  Incidents are limited but a good nights sleep when the fronts are marching through, is not always to be had!    During our time here in the Bahamas, the fronts seemed most regular (every 7 – 10 days) during the months of January and March.  If you are looking to enjoy comfortable sails and anchorages from point to point, these systems have to be respected and taken into account as to whether or not you should move on, how far you plan to sail and your proximity to a sheltered anchorage or mooring.  That said, we have certainly had many stretches of light wind, sunny weather, that has made it all worth while.

In closing, my hope in today's blog is to give those of you who are planning to visit the Bahamas some supplementary, first-hand information that might be useful in your planning and augment the cruising guides and related references you'll be wading through.  The islands have been beautiful, and the people very friendly and accommodating and we have truly enjoyed ourselves and we wish anyone planning a trip here 'fair winds and a following sea'!!  You will not be disappointed!