Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Going to Town ... George Town That Is

Day 311  | Rudder Cay to George Town  |  5.3 Hours  |  34 Miles

We had a smooth pass through Rudder Cut to the "other side" of the Exumas chain. We could see how it could be treacherous with strong wind and waves. Our biggest question this morning was, "When does a rock become an island?" Up until this point we've been traveling in the waters of the Bahama Bank. With our exit through the cut we entered into the Exuma Sound and deeper water for our continued trip south. We joined in a parade of boats which included catamarans, monohull sailboats, trawlers, and this distinctive 83-foot wooden yacht. We had a smooth trip down to Conch Cay Cut which is the northern entrance to Elizabeth Harbor.


Today's cloud cover was heavier than we've seen in a long time and it continued to increase as we tucked in just south of Goat Cay for protection from the forecasted westerly winds. Almost as soon as the anchor bridle was secure, the clouds opened and a steady shower fell for half an hour. That was the perfect amount of time to formulate our plan for the afternoon. First up was a trip to the markets to replenish our supply milk, bread, fruits, and vegetables. We dropped the dinghy and headed into George Town proper on a mission. We were pleasantly surprised to find a prime spot on the dinghy dock. We both chuckled at the ad stapled to the town's welcome sign. A new supply of fresh produce was being unloaded at Exuma Markets so we gladly took a little walk to stretch out legs and give them time to unload. The directional sign was not very helpful -- too tall and print too small. Luckily we had the map on our phone that led us right to the Shop Rite. We picked up a few things and headed back to the first market. It seems the folks in George Town are constructing their own border wall to prevent boaters from coming ashore.


Between visits to two markets, we picked up all we needed and took our purchases back to the refrigerator on Crossroads. A short distance away was a highly recommended restaurant we were excited to check out. We dinghied back over to Shirley's and enjoyed an amazing meal. Mine included coconut crusted grouper, peas and rice, and coleslaw all washed down with a mango daiquiri. Barry had steamed red snapper, mac n cheese, and a salad. We returned home just as the sun began to set. A downfall of our west-protected anchorage is no sunset view. The clouds to the east provided a good show, however, as they glowed in shades of pink and orange to end the day.



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