Nassau

Our original plan was to clear into the Bahamas in Bimini, get rested up there and then continue on to Nassau for a brief stop before entering the Exuma chain. The weather windows to cross have been few and brief. Our window would only stay open for a couple days, and knowing if we did not continue on we would be held up in Bimini, we decided to bypass Bimini and continue on to Nassau. We passed just north of Bimini, crossed the bank and then entered the Northwest Channel and then on to Nassau. We arrived at Nassau just a few hours before the window closed again. This is our first time in Nassau and we are glad we have the opportunity to see what it is all about. We are anchored in the middle of the harbor formed between Paradise Island and the city of Nassau on New Providence Island. We are at a position east of the cruise ship docks and south of Atlantis and west of the bridges which connect to Paradise Island. Three or four cruise ships arrive daily, sometimes as many as five. They stay just one day. We ventured to the cruise ship dock end of town but didn't find anything of interest to us. It was mostly luxury goods for the cruise ship crowd.

We spent an afternoon at Atlantis. We had permission to land our dinghy at a small dock in front of Dockmaster's office. The marina caters to the very large luxury yachts. The aquarium is fascinating. We walked through the casino and past all the shops. We concluded with a walk on the beach which was packed with vacationers.

The end of town east of the bridges is where most of the marinas are and is an area we like. It is where the locals shop. We needed just a couple items at the grocery and found the supermarket to be as well stocked as is typical in the US.

We met a lot of cruisers at a weekly luncheon organized by BASRA (Bahamian Air Sea Rescue Association). It was at the Green Parrot, a extremely cruiser friendly restaurant. They provide a dinghy dock and free WiFi. BASRA also runs a radio net in the mornings to provide a weather update and a chance for cruisers to connect.

Fantasy Island (Windchaser in foreground)

Aquarium

Brian and Jan