After Georgetown and Elizabeth Harbour, we headed further south into the tropics. Not far, since Long Island is the first island in the tropics, of the Bahamas and just past the Exumas Island chain.
The sail took us outside into the deep water of the Exuma Sound. The brisk wind swept us along, through cerulean waters. Wide sandbars flowed out from Great Exuma Island pointing us towards deeper water, but water not wide enough to sail the deep angles we needed, so the motor was on most of the way.
Soon we passed the southern most part of the Exumas and crossed to the relative shelter of Long Island. Its long sand bars and high bluffs blocked waves from the prevailing south east and easterly winds. Finally, we turned enough to the south west to get the sails pulling by themselves.
We had two anchorages while in Long Island, both near the town of Salt Pond. Seems most cruisers inhabit these. Its fairly easy to get fuel, though you will use jerry jugs to shuttle it from the station to the boat. When COVID isn’t a problem you can partake of several restaurant/bars that cater to cruisers. And the grocery is a better bargain and better stocked than those in Georgetown.
We enjoyed most of Long Island. Not all of it, something we will make clear later on. First the good. Long Islanders are friendly and genuinely want cruisers there. Even during Corona Virus. There are sites to see. A cave system to rival others in the Bahamas. Deans Blue Hole, the second deepest in the world. There is also the Columbus monument, purportedly the landing spot for Columbus during his voyage in 1492. If you need isolated beaches, you will find protected waters and deep sand; you might even see a native Flamingo.
From our base in Thomspon Bay, we rented a car to explore the Island. We drove to the Northern most tip and the end of the road in the south. Everywhere we went, the people were glad we were there and helped us find interesting things. Only after the police warned us about being out during the curfew of Corona Virus did we slink back to the boat… Even then, it seemed much more of a suggestion than a command.
What we can’t say we liked the most was the cruising community. Well, let us step back a bit first. The community seemed fine before the pressure of COVID-19. Most would mind their business; some as always would not. Maybe we will write a blog on the real types of cruisers you find in popular destinations and anchorages. There were some cruisers that would spend their days in the cockpit with binoculars just monitoring the comings and goings of their peers. In many busy anchorages or popular destinations you will see this.
After Corona virus, the busy bodies took it to the next level. One person, who did not have a boat in the harbor, took it upon themselves to become the “cruiser liason” with the island administrator and member of parliament. They established rules, like, “you can not go to the store and must use this service of our friend…”; but when you call the store, they just tell you to come in.
They monitored everyone’s movements and in one case of a boat trying to leave the harbor, they called the police and BDF. Then had a cruiser in the harbor try to order them to stay. And when they did it became abundantly clear that what they fear is being kicked out the country, because someone might reflect badly on them… It was like a petty home owners association.
Long is wonderful, though. Just don’t stay long in Thompson. Get what you need from the grocery or fuel. Then leave.