Bellatrix

17 March 2015

Georgetown, Exumas

Sorry I have not posted recently, we are having too much fun…

Robin’s Mom came a few weeks ago and landed in Staniel Cay. We snorkeled in “Thunderball Grotto” site of some of the scenes in the Bond movie “Thunderball. We saw the swimming pigs, wild pigs that will swim out to your dinghy for food. We sailed to Little Farmers with Robin’s Mom then down to Lee Stocking Island where “Mighty Huntress Robin” speared her first lobster. We cruised to Georgetown during the Cruisers Regatta week. 350 cruisers boat in the harbor, a good grocery, fuel, free water and fun. There are many anchorages, Sand Dollar Beach, Monument Beach, Volleyball Beach and Kidd's Cove. Most are on Stocking Island. On Volleyball beach is “Chat & Chill” bar, food, Conch salad, music and fun. It is known as “Daycare for Adults”. There are get togethers, volleyball, yoga, dominoes, talks by cruisers on electrical systems, sails, traveling north, traveling south, Cuba, the Western Caribbean, etc. There are activities for children, build a sailboat to race from junk on the beach, tug-o-war, face painting, balloons etc. There are stingrays to feed conch scraps at the conch salad stand. Beautiful beaches on both the harbor and ocean side of Stocking Island. Robin’s Mom left after 10 days, we really hope she had a great time.

After the Cruisers Regatta there was a regatta to Long Island Cay, about 35 miles south of Georgetown. Nancy and John Platts flew in and we joined about 40 other boats and went to Thompson Bay in the middle of Long Island Cay. We had a race in the harbor, we sailed well and took First Place in our division. We went to a cave restaurant for dinner, a real cave, lit with Kalik beer bottles with a wick and kerosene, bats (yes bats), open fires, and island music. We took bus tours of the island (in an old school bus) and visited old churches, salt ponds, Cape Santa Maria, Columbus monument, Clarencetown, and Dean’s Blue Hole, the world’s deepest blue hole, 668 feet deep, home of the AIDA Freediving World Championships. While we were there, the world champion was performing training dives, and Robin performed cliff jumps of 40 feet. 

After a week we brought John and Nancy back to Georgetown for a sad departure. On a positive, I wont have to listen to Robin and Nancy sing ”It’s pirate Friday” arrrrrrr. They composed numerous verses of “Its Pirate Friday aboard the Bellatrix”.

We will hang in Georgetown or an island close by, for about another week, we’re waiting for mail,new bathing suits for Robin and a stainless French Press (unbreakable), then off to our next exploration.

BTW "Winning Drive" owned by Steve Biscotti was in the harbor last night, we met his wife Renee dancing at Chat & Chill, she was here with girlfriends from school.

Robin's Mom arrives in Staniel Cay Winter coat in bag

1600's church built by the Spaniards

Swimming pigs

Blue Hole Long Island Cay 

Free Dive World record holder 

Local non-champion cliff jumper Robin

The day Robin's Mom left we all were sad to see her go

A Catholic Church in Clarence Town Long Island Cay

Clarence Town

Boats like this are raced by locals, they have hiking boards similar to our log canoes

A plaque dedicated to the indians found on this island and totally exterminated by the Spaniards

These photos are out of order. Here we were enjoying a pizza at Blackpoint

A pretty place

Another pretty place

Robin puts meat on the table, our first caught lobster

Brandon and Marsha feeding rays

Another handsome couple enjoying the Bahamas

Chat & Chill Stocking Island, Georgetown, daycare for adults

Our great friends John and Nancy enjoying the Bahamas

Another beautiful beach

One of six anchorages in Georgetown harbor

Dinner in a cave complete with bats

Dinner music by a Bahamian band, what they lack in talent they make up for with volume

Robin and Marsha
(iphone photos)