Bahamas Flying and Sailing trip - the Exumas

Forgot this from yesterday's post - Messy view of our room at Tranquility on the Bay - huge room!  Very comfy!

Tranquility on the Bay from the air.  The "round" building was the bar/restaurant.

Colonel Hill Airport -  Crooked Island Bahamas from the air.

Approaching Georgetown Exuma

Landing at Exuma International Airport

The FBO, Odyssey Aviation was very helpful!

After a short taxi ride, we were at the Exuma Yacht Club -  meet the "other" Island Girl!  A 46' Leopard Catamaran.

The other couples arrived at intervals -  getting settled in.

This weekend was the Island Family Regatta - a local celebration of sailing using specifically design sailing sloops - no engines allowed and all crew must be from the Islands!  It's a big deal down here - mostly for bragging rights.

Island Girl at the dock.

The boys - working for once.....cleaning the deck before departure.

Reid being silly - I don't know if he's sleeping or hugging the beer.  (Lots of beer!)

More of the competition boats.

After fueling up and topping off the water tanks - we were away from the dock for the short trip across to Stocking Island.

The Regatta was under way.

Forgot to mention that the boats not only have no motors - but the sails are all cotton.

Anchored near the "Chat n Chill" beach bar.  Dinghy-ing in for our first bit of island libations.

Chat n Chill in the distance.

A Cessna 182 on floats tied up to the beach.

Our transport for the next 10 days!

Rays  inhabit the shore - looking for handouts from the bar....

Closer view of the Cessna

I was already feeling like I was getting too much sun....covered up to make sure of no sunburns!

At Chat n Chill

Silly Reid again....

More regatta traffic - we were anchored very near the course.

Some of the crew creep out on the board pictured here to help offset the sail on the other side of the boat.  Exciting!

Reid had brought a LED light that goes in the water to attract fish at night.....it was cool looking but we never saw it attract much more than some smaller fish.  Weird, because we've seen similar lights at docks and there were always lots of huge tarpon or sharks attracted.

And the day was done - pretty sunset!