Getting Around

Getting from point A to point B in Bahama is not straight forward. I knew that moving from island to island with the sailboat would take some planning and time and works well in many instances but what I had not melded into the process was sailing into a very crowded harbor after dark and picking up a mooring buoy somewhere in the middle while alone or with a inexperienced crew. Well, we can deal with this. There is the ferry or we can always wait for first light, right? Right, but then timing becomes an issue with flights and all. The last ferry from Marsh Harbor to Hope Town is at 5:45 PM and the earliest ferry from Hope Town leaves Hope Town at 8:00 AM (or so).

The flight deal is easier to deal with. The Marsh Harbor International Airport is a short taxi ride ($15) to town. I knew the airport would not be a Minneapolis/St. Paul International airport but I figured it would be kind of like the Rochester, MN airport. Think again. It's OK and serves the purpose; There is a customs place in the airport but it is kind of tiny with outdoor waiting. It is safe and clean so not a big deal. Actually the size of the airplanes kind of match the size of the airport. The good news is that my friend Joseph (the taxi guy) gave me his cell phone number and is willing to pick up people any time - any where so one phone call and we're covered. So when guests get their flights all arranged we'll deal with the issues.

Most people rent golf carts to get around on islands like Elbow Cay. Some of the neat restaurants and beaches are on the far end of the island so the golf cart becomes the "family car". They have head lights, tail lights that work sometimes, and a horn so you can go all over the island day or night. You can even cram 6 people onto a 4 person cart at night with no tail lights and the tires don't blow and the cars behind you don't run you down, not that we would do such a thing coming back from a nightclub on the far side of the island where they were allegedly having a Junkanoo New Years Eve to get to the big Junkanoo in MH but I don't remember doing that so it must have been someone else.

My folding bike has proven to be really handy. You can walk to the supermarket or hardware store in Marsh Harbor but lugging stuff back to the boat without some kind of cart or bike is a real bummer. I have strapped a box on the back of my bike and problem solved :>) The folding bike is good for market trips but is not real fun to ride. If I had my Canondale here I would ride for fun but I don't so my favorite exercise is still walking.

Many people rent power boats for running between islands or to run to outside reefs for snorkeling. The dinghy isn't quite enough for the distance between islands etc. There are also many dive/snorkel outfits that take customers to the prime spots. They know the great spots and have boats that are easy to get on and off out on the reef.