| Southern Bahamas |
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The following text is from The Southern Bahamas Guide by Stephen J. Pavlidis
The Southern Bahamas
Only the hardiest of cruisers head south of George Town, Exuma, for the islands of the Southern Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, and the entire Caribbean. Many of these islands lie well off the beaten path and are rarely visited by yachts. Those that do stop are usually in transit southward from The Bahamas to the Caribbean, or northward from the Caribbean to the U.S. Some of these areas are extremely isolated and if you get weathered in you may find yourself the only boat in the anchorage for days, and sometimes, weeks at a time. The cruiser in these waters definitely needs to be as self-sufficient as possible. Extra jerry cans of fuel are a good idea, a necessity if you have a small fuel tank and motor a lot. In places like the Jumentos, the residents get their fuel in 55-gallon drums from Nassau and there may be little if any to spare for visiting yachtsmen as most of it must go to fuel their fishing boats., Adequate medical supplies and the knowledge to use them properly are a necessity. A well-stocked pantry is a prime consideration. When leaving George Town or Long Island make sure that you provision well, some of the stores in the outer islands, although they might carry a few staples, often lack a lot of the luxuries that you may be used to such as cigarettes, fresh milk, eggs, veggies, meat, and even alcoholic beverages, which are not sold at Landrail Point on Crooked Island. You may become like the islanders themselves, waiting on a mailboat that is late or that may not even arrive at all for weeks. However, if you can fish, you can eat, so sharpen your hooks and spears, and grab a line to string up some conch and have at it! The fishing is superb. If you are used to conch such as are found in the Exumas, you will find that the conch in the outer islands are plentiful and much larger. Of course, once you arrive in Providenciales, you will find shopping the equal to what you’ll experience in Nassau. In the Dominican Republic the provisioning is wide open and inexpensive. Here in these outer islands, with their many open lee-side anchorages, you will learn a new dance, "The "Out-Island Roll," and no matter how hard you try, you will not escape performing it somewhere down the line. Usually a bridle arrangement, or a stern anchor, setting your bow into the swell is your only salvation, and even that may not be enough to keep you from rolling a bit if the wind picks up. But all these things are minor. The provisioning and medical supply situations can, and should be given some thought. The roll, well, you’ll get used to it, and when you find a peaceful harbor such as Attwood or French Wells you will be all the more grateful for it. As for fuel, usually someone will come to your assistance and let you have a few gallons, enough to get you to someplace where you can purchase fuel. With a little preparation, determination, and a definite desire to have fun, you will succeed in doing just that. These outer islands are not to be missed. The people are the some of the friendliest in The Bahamas and you may even learn some new tricks from them. For instance, people on Crooked Island are very aware of the moon’s influence on our lives. They tell the tide not by the height of the water, but rather by the position of the moon. Some can even predict the kind of a day they are going to have by whether on not the moon is "on the right or on the left." Enjoy. Open your mind and your heart and you’ll have an unforgettable time as you voyage from the Exumas southward to the inviting Caribbean.
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