Escaping Chicken Harbor

Well we made it out of Georgetown, leaving on Thursday. We had little choice but to wait that long as the propane fill was Wednesday. We almost clucked though. As we sat at the bar on Chat N Chill beach we were told that the coming cold front and winds were going to be to strong, that our intended destination would provide no protection - just stay they said, leave next week. The famous Georgetown refrain. We did enjoy Georgetown, the provisioning is absolutely first rate, probably dangerously so as you can find things you do not need. The gatherings on the beach each afternoon were fun as many kids (all older unfortunately) were there for Jake to try and run with. The adults found their way to the beach volleyball afternoon. It is clear that the semi-permanent community, the organization and perceived stability - purely the numbers as we estimated 150+ boats - provides an important backstop for many people. That said the downside is some very poor water quality, well overfished reefs and a pattern to each day that does not vary from the previous or the next.

We left Georgetown bound for Conception island, arriving after a long motor sail in very light wind in seas. Conception is uninhabited and absolutely pristine. Rae Ann commented that the beach was the best she has ever seen. The water clarity was crystal clear, absolutely unbelievable. The afternoon was sunny, dinner was scrumptious bounty of the sea, the drinks free flowing ... too free flowing and the company (Free@Last) outstanding. The winds built as forecast during the night, but we were protected. However, as Conception is a very small island any large swell wraps around the island, thus our anchorage had a fair roll to it. Reluctantly we left paradise and ran for Rum Cay. We had a brisk beam sail in 20 knots of wind and 6 foot plus seas. We will stay at Rum for the next couple of days, looking forward to the snorkeling and spear fishing here.

A spear fishing update. After procuring new spear tips in Georgetown we, Hammish of Free@Last and myself have become even more deadly. My latest was a lobster so large that it fed four adults, and was so heavy it kept pushing my under water filling my snorkel as I swam it back to the dinghy.

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