March 1, 2009.

We hauled anchor in Georgetown at 0830 on Saturday morning. Sunday would have offered a better opportunity for sailing but we wanted to be sure to be well set before the weather goes to hell on Sunday night.

By leaving at 0830 we would be transiting the Middle Rocks Channel at about high slack tide. The water depth wasn’t the issue it was the fact that we were trying to avoid a wind versus tide situation.

The wind was coming from pretty much where we wanted to go so we spent the day motorsailing to our destination of Thompson Bay on Long Island. The trip was a slow affair into a small head sea. The only fish we were able to land was another Barracuda. We passed about 15 sailboats headed to Georgetown so we were confident that we would pretty much have the huge anchorage practically to ourselves.

Once we had the hook down we quickly gathered our laundry, hopped in the dink and blasted down to the Long Island Breeze resort. Here in the lower Bahamas the businesses can’t really afford to turn away a buck. So this brand new resort lets cruisers do their laundry in the resorts laundry room.

We had our laundry done in short order and just got back to the boat in time to head to Trifina’s for dinner. Trifina’s is the place we went to last year with the crews from 22 other boats for dinner. It was a little less crowded as there were only a dozen or so cruisers and a handful of locals in the place. Again we had a great meal at Trifina’s buffet, all for only 15 dollars.

On Sunday Jay from Far Niente rented a van and we took a tour of the island. It seems there is a church of one denomination or another every couple of miles. We stopped to see several including one that had been built in the early 1700’s but now sits abandoned.


We stopped for lunch in a small place called the Outer Edge Grill in Clarencetown. A couple of Grouper sandwiches with fries and a couple of cokes was only 20 bucks. Good deal.

We stopped at several beaches during the day. One beach called the Compass Rose was as picturesque as they come with crystal clear, calm water with a narrow gap for the sea to enter. Another beach was flanked by unforgiving shoals and was littered with wrecks.


We also stopped in to see the islands most famous blue hole. Its 660 feet deep and sits right next to the edge of the island. You can literally walk in knee deep water into a 600 foot abyss. They hold yearly world free diving championships here.

The weather should present us an opportunity to head south into the Jumentos on either Tuesday or Wednesday. Once we head out it could be as much as a month before we get internet and are able to post an update. Until then…..be well.