Conception Island, Bahamas Anchored at 23 49.863N 74 07.748W May 19-20, 2006

Sailboat | Voyages | Log

A national Park - unspoiled beauty Once again on a deserted island Alone to discover and explore The only things missing are The sun and our wives Multiple sweeping beaches No foot prints or coke cans Just conk shells and sand dollars A maze of mangrove channels made Made for grown up boys to explore We fight the raging ebb tide Portage over exposed sand bars Explore uncharted territories Tiger feet from Keen sandals I am trying to tan over the strips With little success The only things missing are the sun and our wives I spent the morning in Sumner Marina on Rum Island trying to get the internet connection to work with no success. It has been a week since I uploaded any photos. The followers of the voyage are suffering from withdrawl. We had a nice four hour sail from Run up to Conception AAAAH, Conception Island, we are boys once again exploring as if no man has ever been here before. We take the dinghy around the point to enter the channel into the mangrove swamps, but the there is a raging ebb tide. It is more like trying to fight your way up the Colorado River after the spring snow melt. The ocean swells crash against the out coming tide; Coral heads protrude from the water like the jaws of a shark. Should we attempt it? What happens if we get in and the tide continues to fall, trapping us inside? It is unlikely we will pass this way again anytime soon. We motor forward, winding our way past the entrance to more stable waters. Soon we find ourselves aground on a sand bar. A short portage and we are again motoring. We see gnarled mangrove trees, booby birds, and sting rays darting beneath the boat - a primitive wonderland. This was fun for big boys, imagine what it would be like for little boys. We didn't over extend our stay. With the tide ebbing, getting trapped on the inside was a real possibility. On the way out, we let the current do the work; we merely steered. How do the Bahamas compare to the Leeward and Windward Islands of the Caribbean? Geographically, they are flat with an abundance of beautiful sand beaches, but they lack the texture and majesty of the volcanic islands, with their lush rain forests. Numerically, they number in the thousands rather than the hundreds. The Exumas alone have over 360 islands. The islands of the Bahamas are more alike than they are different, while the Caribbean islands are more different than they are alike. The islands of the Bahamas lack the protected anchorages of the Caribbean islands. The anchorages are exposed and vulnerable to weather. Navigation in the Bahamas is rarely easy. Reefs, shoals, currents, tides, and hidden rocks conspire to challenge you at every turn. Power boats dominate. Sailboats tend to be passing through. As for sailboats, the catamaran, with her shallow draft, is king. Unlike the Caribbean islands, the infrastructure is primitive to non-existent. Tomorrow we head for George Town in Great Exuma. We have yet to clear into customs and immigration. I hope they don't fuss at us too much. There is a $300 cruising fee for using the Bahamas' waters. We will have to wait until Monday to clear in. This will cost us nearly two days! Since leaving Puerto Rico, we have sailed over 600 miles and visited nine islands, all in fourteen days. Time is running out. Previous | Next