February 27, 2011: Georgetown
We have returned to Georgetown following a brief, three day visit to Long Island, about 36 miles away from here. We decided to make tracks last Wednesday, following Dan’s and Sheri’s arrival on Tuesday, because the winds were calm and forecast to remain so and in the right direction for the anchorage there.
Long Island is appropriately named – it is long (about 90 miles or so) and skinny. The best anchorage is on the west coast about midway along its length. Because the winds were light and in our teeth, we ended up motoring all the way over, but it was a beautiful day and the turquoise colors (shallow seas over sand) were in full glory. We arrived in Salt Pond (also called Thompson Bay in the northern end) about 3:30 pm and found about 40 boats anchored there, including First Draft and several others we have met along the way. After rigging the dinghy, Van took Dan and Sheri on a brief tour of the Bay and met the folks on Persephone, who had departed No Name Harbor on Key Biscayne the same time we did. However, Persephone sailed straight through to Georgetown, cleared in, and continued on to the Jumentos, where they spent 5 weeks enjoying that isolated island chain.
On Thursday, we rented a car from Mr. T to tour the island. Mr. T is quite the entrepreneur – he retired from his work at the airport, and now runs a car rental business, a Sports Bar (actually managed by his son, but backed by Mr. T), and a multi-unit rental building occupied primarily by school teachers but available for rent to transients. Upon returning the car, Van found Mr. T tending to his flock of sheep. The car rental business on Long Island has much to teach Avis, Hertz, etc. Mr. T picked us up at the Island Breeze Resort and drove us to his home where we were invited in to meet Mrs. T and complete the paperwork – a single sheet with very few terms and conditions. The car left something to be desired – it was a Honda with over 130,000 miles and no suspension, but it got us from one end of the island to the other at the road terminus at each end. Along the way, we enjoyed a Bahamian lunch at Forrest #2, walks on beautiful beaches, a visit to the Adderley Plantation Ruins (the plantation was started in 1790 with about 600 acres and grew to over 2500 acres. Economic forces forced the end of the operation and the Plantation was sold to some of the slaves who worked there. The ruins were very impressive and we would like to learn more about the history.), and other spots along the way. At the extreme north end of Long Island, we climbed the hill to the Columbus Monument, erected to commemorate his arrival in the Bahamas in October 1492. The monument sits atop a high bluff with a white cliff face to the north east and offers a commanding view of the Atlantic and the near shore as well as a large part of Long Island.
We departed Long Island to return to Georgetown on Saturday morning, arriving here just before 4:00. This time, we anchored off Honeymoon Beach to be nearer the activity on Volleyball Beach, Beach Church, hiking spots, etc. Lauren’s back was bothering her (the lack of suspension in the Honda and sitting for 2 days) so she made a request on the Cruisers Net for anyone who might be able to help with osteopathic techniques. Sure enough, one of the boats had guests visiting, one of whom was a chiropractor. After Beach Church, he listened to Lauren’s history and current complaint and performed a couple of minor, gentle adjustments (on the beach under the Casuarina Trees) and she is feeling much better. He suggested a return visit tomorrow, so we likely will take him up on that.
This afternoon, we are hiking to the Monument and maybe swimming. We’ll see what opportunities lie ahead.