Juno 423: March 21-25: Georgetown, Exuma- Adult Daycare, Our Dinghy Drifts Away, Reprovisioning

We spent the better part of Monday March 21 sailing one long port tack from Rudder Cut to Georgetown. Winds were supposed to be NE at 15-20 but they seemed more easterly (thus closer hauled) so we had a reefed main and jib. We arrived about 5 pm after having left Rudder Cut at 11:00 am and anchored off Monument Beach off stocking island just before some rain showers arrived. Tom and Anne Taylor on Alchemist called out to us in the anchorage so we invited them for sundowners on Juno tomorrow.

Sarah passing time en route

The highlights of Tuesday and Wednesday included the cruisers net broadcast each morning at 8 am as well as daily volleyball at 2 pm and miscellaneous social events at Chat-n-Chill - the central beach hangout for the approximately 180 boats anchored off Stocking Island. The cruisers net is like the local news here, where all boats can announce their arrivals, departures, boating parts or other misc. items needed (bartering or good will is the only currency here), and social events of which there is usually several each day. Tuesday Sarah responded to a request from Harriet from Imagine (Sunday River, ME) looking for help with her knitting pattern and in meeting Harriet, learned she had lived in Winchester, MA 30 yrs ago on Jefferson St and knew two acquaintances of ours.

Thursday began with water aerobics from 9:30-10:30 followed by lunch and then a “dinghy adrift” call on the radio caught our attention. Fortunately we heard this call for of the approximately 150 boats on anchor, the drifting dinghy turned out to be ours!

The "parking lot" at the beach

What else would you expect at Volleyball Beach?

Sarah (l) and Harriet (r) learn how to weave palm fronds from Sharon

As mentioned yesterday, we had a nice cocktail on Juno with Anne and Tom Taylor (Alchemyst) on Wed. night before the sunset around 7 pm. Wednesday we collected rocks and left “Juno” on Monument Beach before collecting silver palm fronds on our way up to the top of the hill where the monument is located. Once atop, we looked out and saw ocean on all sides of us and quite possibly, our “Juno” rock formation we had left in 2019 as well as the 2022 ”Juno”. The palm fronds were to later be used by Sarah in learning basket weaving with Sharon from a houseboat who hailed from the North Channel in Canada whilst Harry listened a group of cruisers for the best way to use the approaching cold front to get south (e.g. the Caribbean and beyond). Harry came away with the conclusion that it is easiest to get to the Caribbean (SE of Georgetown) by starting further north of Georgetown given that the northerlies that come through eventually die out giving way to strong easterly winds (which make it hard to sail SE) and a current pushing you northward that you always are fighting. Sarah learned by word of mouth that one circumnavigator (Nauti Nauti) has concluded that there is no where in the world more beautiful to sail than right here in the Bahamas. We are grateful to be here and most definitely agree.