Like we said, we understand the appeal of a stop like George Town, but we were anxious to leave all those boats and friends in Elizabeth Harbour behind us in search of more Bahamian adventure. Heck, we’re cruisers! Leaving our spot in the anchorage, we passed this big girl, very pretty with her two-tone outfit.

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Just outside the big harbor, we waved at the folks on their adventure cruise aboard the National Geographic Sea Lion. Further down the Exuma chain, that cabin caught our eye because it has a big ol’ stone chimney! In the Bahamas! After that, we only saw one sailboat, and it was headed in the opposite direction.

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It was a 6.5 hour cruise to Water Cay in the Jumentos Cays. History? Well, “jumento” is Portuguese for “ass or donkey”. That is all I got. Just wasn’t able to find any history as to how they got their name.
After anchoring, we were greeted by the local Welcome Wagon – a large ray, lazily swimming by.

Let’s go explore!

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We’ve sort of made a game of trying to be in the picture and point at the focus (typically our boat). We have dozens of misses, but we are getting closer!

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All good adventures must come to an end. Capt Todd navigated safely through the rocks and coral for our return to the SaltyMare.

By the time we headed back to our boat, the anchorage had gotten busy. More than 20 boats came in from the south!

We’d been told the fishing boats frequently anchor in the north anchorage of Water Cay, which, in turn, brings the sharks. Sure enough, as soon as we lifted the dinghy from the water, we had a curious visitor.

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All settled in for the night, a-n-d, cue the conch horn.

One of the advantages of such a large gathering point for cruisers is just that, a bunch of cruisers gathered together. Many are here for the same reason we are, shelter from the latest crazy wind. But honestly, it’s been a pleasure to catch up with several couples that we met months ago back in the States at one spot or another. Lo and behold, they’re here! First and foremost, the very first couple we met after buying the SaltyMare, Chris and Allison aboard Purrfect, who kindly gave us newbies an onboard lesson in anchoring this big girl. (Great teachers! And we’ve got it now!) Even fellow Selene owners with whom we’ve been exchanging messages for months, reached out. Gosh, we were humbled to be approached by a couple who knew the prior owners of our boat (they recognized the dinghy with its “rollbar”) and another couple who bought a boat from dockmates we spent several months across from during our long stay in South Carolina, Paul and April on Parnassia. Paul and April, still in SC, saw their old boat on AIS and its proximity to the nearby SaltyMare and told the new owners, Scott and Abby from Orenda, to come over and say Hi!
We now understand the appeal of a stop like this. The comradery is undeniable.

But this many cruisers also means a bunch of potential customers, and that means stores, shops, and eateries. So, let’s go check it out! A dinghy ride across the harbor to the main island of Great Exuma. George Town has secured its dinghy dock in a small, natural “lake” that only has one way in and out. Please yield to incoming traffic!

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After scoping out both groceries, we bought some supplies, got fresh ‘maters and cabbage from a street vendor, and headed back to the boat for visits with friends new and old….

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It happened to be our anniversary, and we were gifted by another visit from a money bat (Ascalapha odorata)! Drawn by the lights in the open doorway as we bid farewell to Hal and Barbara, it fluttered its nearly 6″ wingspan right past us and into the saloon. Unlike the late-January harbingers of fortune in Rock Sound, however, this one settled down long enough for a brief photo opp before panicking in response to our comedic efforts to gently shoo him back out. Not to worry – another gentle catch with a soft towel, followed by a safe return to the wild.

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Social life notwithstanding, the wind has kept any water or walking activities to a bare minimum. Susie has been nursing some bad bruises and hurts she got a week or so ago. So, we actually have been laying pretty low. Two big events? The winds lessened and the toaster died. The town had a traffic jam, surely it has a toaster. Ask a few folks and we get directed to three places (two of which would’ve required a taxi), and at the first (an appliance store for goodness sake), we score a new toaster, after which we enjoyed lunch with Hal and Barbara! Again, all easily accessible by “shoe leather” express.

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Thank you, George Town, for a lovely day!