We crossed the Tropic of Cancer today, the most northerly circle of latitude on Earth at which the Sun can be directly overhead. The Tropic also passes through George Town (spelled with 2 words), the capital of the Exumas, located on Great Exuma Island with approximately 1000 residents, a favorite spot for boaters and vacationers.

George Town is also known as a “Exumas sailing destination” because there are four giant protected harbors here, with room for 500+ boats. Many sailors see George Town as their final destination for the season and stay here all winter because it has everything a cruiser could want to have an easy winter season until they return north to avoid the summer hurricane season. Coming into the harbor, we see hundreds and hundreds of masts from miles away. The day we arrived, the official boat count was 315.

We anchored at Monument Beach on Stocking Island, a good size anchorage that can accommodate a large number of vessels. We ended up staying here for almost a week, partly because it is a fun place but also to ride out the 30+ knot winds predicted in the later part of the week. We spent two days in the boat because it was too windy & rough to even go outside in our dinghy. Is this what people mean when they say we are “Living the Dream”? Furthermore, Claudia came down with a bad cold accompanied by a low-grade fever. It was a big relief after an at-home COVID tested negative, still, it was a challenge trying to keep Claudia’s at bay with her extremely high energy level. She needs to constantly move with her daily walks and exercises, that’s just how she’s wired.

Back to George Town – it has a very active cruiser’s net, where each morning at 8 AM, everyone tuned into VHF channel 68 for social information and activities such as beach yoga, water aerobics, volleyball, dinghy racing, conch shells making and blowing classes and even Sunday church services on the beach. The rally point is the Chat ‘n Chill tiki bar with a large beach and many picnic tables, and a place for kids to play and mingle. We went to Chat & Chill several times to meet friends (Alex, Corky, Debbie & Mike), and enjoyed their famous Sunday pig roasts. We also made new friends who are staying or passing through the Exuma’s.

Across from our anchorage at Monument Beach , there is a big monument up on the hill behind the beach.  Of course, when traveling, any time we see a high point, we have to hike up and see the view.  It was awesome and worth getting sweaty. The trail leads up the shallow slope, but there are a couple of sections with a steep climb. At the steepest one, there are footholds carved into the rock and a sturdy rope to help make the ascent. Finally, we make the summit and the view is spectacular. You can see all of Elizabeth Harbour and Stocking Island including the hurricane holes filled with sailboats. After a good rest on a bench facing west, we found another trail down to the Exuma Sound side of the island. We descend to the Atlantic side of the beach for a nice hike. Not knowing another way back, we back tracked our way, back up the hill to the top before getting back to our dinghy. This was a much-needed hike we desperately wanted after getting stuck inside our boat for 2 days.

Tomorrow we leave George Town for a 50 NM sail north. This was our southernmost destination; we will be starting our journey back home but will continue to visit new places we’ve not been in the Bahamas. Ironically the place where we change course to turn back home was a mixed bag for me. Here’s why: some see a crowded anchorage and are drawn to it, eager to partake in its lively social scene (Claudia). Some see a crowded anchorage and are repelled by it, eager to partake in nature’s quiet solitude (Jim). As the heart of the Bahamas cruising community, George Town receives its fair share of glowing compliments and derogatory remarks. It’s a bit like family summer camp at the beach (some referred to it as a glorified retirement home), and plenty of people spend the entire season here year after year. It’s not my cruising ideal, but since it made Claudia happy, we were glad to have had one week of the George Town experience in the Exumas. After all, a successful relationship is all about making compromises, right?