It’s a short sail from Calabash bay in Long Island to Georgetown, Exumas so with a strong wind blowing we slept in, made a wonderful lobster breakfast and headed out around midday. Clipping along at a nice 6-7 kts we were still being passed by the bigger buddy boats we were with but enjoying the sail nonetheless with two fishing lines in the water. Nothing doing on the 25 mile journey though so we pulled in the lines as we neared the entrance to Elizabeth Harbour in Georgetown.
Elizabeth Harbour is a massive protected anchorage with stocking island providing the protection from the usual easterlies and the main island of Exumas protecting from the nasty westerly winds in the winter. That fact, along with many amenities, such as the infamous Chat’n’Chill beach bar, a decently well stocked grocery store, gas station and many a restaurant make this area a winter sailing Mecca. With many a boat making this their home all winter.
Approaching the channel, we gybe to get the wind on the other side of our boat and head into the ten mile long harbor. The wind is just right so we leave the red sails up and glide through the now flat turquoise water at 7-8 kts. The sailing is fantastic but our jaws drop as we near the anchorage. We knew there would be a lot of boats but the numbers are astounding. Ships of every make and model, size and shape are nestled up next to each other, we later learn there are more than 300 boats in the anchorage. After months of sailing remote out islands with nary another mast in sight, this is a total shock to our system, civilization!
We pull in our sails, budge our way in among the other boats, find a small slice of water and drop anchor. By sheer coincidence, ;), we happen to be right in front of the Chat’n’Chill so we head in for a Sundowner or three.
The Chat’n’Chill has a special place in our lives as our good friend’s Forrest and Jessica were married there the previous June. We told the owner of the bar, Kwanzaa, that we’d be coming back. We weren’t sure if she would remember us but we had barely stepped foot on the white sand when she had hugged us and pulled us into the bar for a couple Goombay Smash’s. I guess when your dressed like this at a wedding, people tend to remember you, for better or worse…
We made our way back to the boat with a healthy buzz still astounded at the sheer volume of people and boats. As it turned to night, one by one the anchor lights went on and we had a venerable city of lights. I still prefer endless stars but they made a nice substitute for a couple of tropical nights.
Oh boy, where to start with the rest of the time in the Exumas? We en
ded up spending a couple weeks here, first with my parents coming to visit. We did tourist things, ate a bunch of food, swam with pigs, jumped from cliffs and generally had a fantastic time! Thanks mom and dad!
On top of all the fun, my dad delivered a new toy that I had pre-ordered quite a while ago. For your viewing pleasure, Introducing our new drone, Sundowner Sailors are now aerial!
After my parents visit, Alyssa used the nearby airport to get home to see her family and prove that she’s hadn’t run off for good to be a postcard model. 
This left me to man the fort and free to roam. So it wasn’t long before I’d rounded up an old spearing buddy and headed out. A day of fantastic spearing ended with a dinner invite for fresh fish and lobster. (what else would it be?) dinner quickly turned to a very big bottle of Sake and a classic big wave surfing movie. In other words, a pretty great night among friends. I’d fill you in more on the epic spearing but it was good enough to write an article for spearing magazine, you’ll have to wait till their next publication to hear the full details!
The next morning I awoke to a knock on the side of the boat, it was Jane and Jim from S/V Romabout. They’d come to recruit me for the Georgetown Regatta, first a race inside the harbour, twice around, and then an around the island race two days later. Of the 300 boats in Georgetown, probably about 4 were manned by anyone under 45, it was in fact an adult Disneyland. Complete with daily beach volleyball, water aerobics, yoga, and many a happy hour. So being a young, athletic guy, I was a hot commodity for the race and more than happy to join Jane and Jim in their quest for winter bragging rights among the harbour. They’d taken second the previous year in their beautiful 42′ Beneteau monohull and were looking to improve.
I spent the rest of the day getting to know S/V Romabout, meeting the other crew and putting both through there paces in the aquamarine playground of Exuma Sound. Only one day but Captain Jim and Don, our experienced hand, (having started the race in 1978) had whipped us into shape.
Day of the race arrived and we raised sail and joined all the other boats circling near the starting line, we planned out our strategy as we eyed the course and timed up the starting gun.
The countdown was on and we headed for the starting line, the gun went off and we crossed onto the course, marked by orange buoys. There were seven boats in our class and we found ourselves in second. The first leg was into the wind which put a deep lean into the boat as it powered forward with us on the rails. We knew before the race that our main competitor was the bright red hull that we now found ahead of us. On the upwind leg they pulled away, able to point higher into the wind. We weren’t fading much though and we bided our time, hoping the downwind leg would find us faster and catching up.
The buoy approaches and we time our tack, Jim tosses the wheel over, Rich, another crewman pulls the new jib sheet tight around the stainless steel winch. I’m perched outside the cockpit right next to the winch, handle in hand, I start out on the high side of the boat but as we turn the lean switches and my feet are couple inches from the water on the low side now. All the while, I crank like mad on the winch to get the jib (forward sail) tight and into place. We clear the buoy and turn downwind, letting the sails out to catch as much wind as possible. Downwind the boat comes out of the lean and everything quiets except for the rush of water against the hull, time to see if we’re catching up!
Looming on the downwind leg was more than one obstacle though, as the course weaved right through the anchorage. Picking a line through the boats, we were greeted with cheers and waves as we passed the relaxing crews of the anchored boats. Making over 8 kts we could see we were gaining slowly on the red boat but would we pass them in time before turning upwind?!
It was very close, with a half mile left in the leg, we were just 50 yards back and gaining, it looked like we’d just catch them at the corner. To complicate matters, a slower catamaran was looming ahead, it looked like all three would converge at the corner with us stuck on the outside, what a mess. Don had different ideas though,
“we’ll stay wide, keep our speed up, take the corner tight, slide behind them and take the upwind side, romabout will leave em in the dust from there”
As the corner loomed we swung out wide, readied for the gybe, the other two boats were just inside of us, Don swings the wheel. The boom comes flying over, we let loose the jib and pull it tight on the other side, we pass behind the other boats by feet, although passing behind, we’re the first to establish on the new course and are charging upwind as the others finish their gybe. It’s tight but our bow is half a boat length ahead and gaining. We keep our speed and watch as romabout leaves the red villains in our dust. The race is ours, huzzah!! Well, as long as we don’t do anything stupid like run aground.
We keep our speed and watch as romabout leaves the red villains in our dust. The race is ours, huzzah!! Well, as long as we don’t do anything stupid like run aground.
The race is two laps around the inside of the harbour, the tide is high for the first lap, on the second we’re well ahead of all the contenders and enjoying the victory lap but the water is dropping. On the home stretch there is a sand bank that comes up shallow, one of the reasons we’re in the lead is because we have one of the deepest keels at 6 1-2 ft. We eye the looming bank with tenseness coursing through the boat, it’d take too long to go around. Don takes control of the boat with a casual loofness, “not my boat,” he says as he steers for the bank… “everyone to the leeward rail,” Jane says as we clamor to the far side, increasing the heel of the boat, hopefully making us shallow enough. We wait for the crunch as we skim over the bank at 7 kts… no big boom though and we’re back into deep water! Looking back we can see sand has been stirred up in our tracks, whew that was close, must’ve been within inches!
Disaster averted we’re all smiles as we cross the finish line victorious, woohoo.
In the day between races Alyssa rejoins me in Exumas and signs on for the around the island race too. The next day we were once again on Romabout on the much longer around the island race. No three way convergences on the turns this time but Romabout still shines as she pulled away from the pack at the get go. It was a beautiful day with a constant 15kt winds, once we separated from the pack it was more pleasure cruise than race as we sliced through the waves in the 30ft of gin clear water outside the harbour, beautiful coral reefs below visible. Victory was the word for the day and the water inspired our drink choice as fresh gin and tonics were passed around at the finish line, my kinda race!
We spent the rest of the day enjoying accolades and more than one drink. We headed home to Heritage happy. The ride was a little ways as we still had her tucked away in a very protected anchorage in Georgetown but it was for good reason, in two days a big storm was headed our way!
Read the next blog to hear about the storm, crazy dingy rescues in 40 kts of wind, blue hole exploring and some more Spearfishing
