"Chicken Harbor"

We safely maneuvered Persephone around and through the outlaying reefs and into George Town Harbor. George Town is the largest community in the Exuma Island chain of the Bahamas. Simply, we are back in civilization....sort of. George Town actually has cars, (We have only seen the very occasional car since Nassau) banks (24hr ATM), a real grocery store, liquor stores (replenished the beer supply) marine parts, pay phones, FedEX and WATER. All of the basic necessities cruisers need are available here. This is why many cruisers make George Town their winter home; staying from November through April.

There is an amazing infrastructure set up by the cruising community. The day starts with a radio net at 8am with news, announcements, list of daily activities, items for sale (such as spare or hard to find boat parts) and basic weather. The daily activities include all types of lessons; yoga on the beach, pilate, dominoes, art classes, ham radio licensing classes, poker lessons, volleyball on the beach (daily), bible study (including "Beach Church" on Sunday AM) and community service activities (a seminar is planned to help save the Ecuadorian rain forest). It is sort of like being on a cruise ship without the ship. Every evening there seems to be a pot-luck dinner on one of the beaches, or a get together here or there (tomorrow is a an oldies rock and roll dance). It could be very easy to get wrapped up in the social whirl. It is the opposite of why most of us are cruising.....to get away from organized communal activities.

George Town has earned the moniker "Chicken Harbor". This is the terminus of the snowbirds who migrate here each winter and then head back north in the spring. It is also where crews must decide whether to continue south down the "thorny-path" into the Caribbean or return north. Many boaters plan on heading south into the Carib, but find an excuse here at Chicken Harbor to return north saying "we'll surely go south next year". We will blog in the future about the challenges of heading south of Chicken Harbor and the "thorny-path" to the Caribbean.

Yesterday, Mike from Dancing Dolphins and I went "bug hunting" (read: lobstering). This involves snorkeling around the rocks and reefs looking in holes where lobsters hang out. The lobsters are speared and hauled to the surface and into the waiting dinghy. Yesterday, Mike got a nice size 3 pounder, and we had enough for heavy appetizers for the crews of both boats. We had a great time toasting the successful hunt. We have every intent of supplementing our grocery shopping with regular hunts for lobster and fish. (If we had to rely on me, so far we would starve!)

We plan of spending a couple of weeks here in George Town. We still don't have internet on the boat, but there are internet cafe's in town. So, we are still relying on ham radio for basic email communication. Will keep you updated on our activities as we enjoy a vacation from the trek south.

THE CREW