Sailing from Pristine Paradise to Nassau, the Blight of the Bahamas (in My Opinion)

This morning, we pulled up anchor at Highborne Cay shortly after 9 a.m., not disturbing the nurse shark sleeping in the sand 3 meters below our starboard beam. We enjoyed a couple of hours of pleasant sailing across the Exuma Banks, averaging 6-7 knots; and then we reached Nassau.

Peter navigating the shallow banks from the top of the pilot house

Sundog over the Exuma Banks

Ridiculously large buildings obstruct the horizon. Small power pleasure craft and jet skis zoom by creating wakes and noise and pollution. Fast tour boats take vacationers to snorkel and to see dolphins, all congregating in over-crowded areas. There were five monstrous cruise ships berthed side by side at the cruise terminal, with ten or more decks each, some with waterparks and enormous-screen televisions mounted on their top decks. The lights on all the tall resort buildings obscure the stars and moonlight. Music blares from the shore so it is impossible to hear the water lapping against the hull. Nassau is the Las Vegas (another place I truly loathe) of the Bahamas.

Luckily, after checking out two anchorages where we could see other boats--even catamarans--rocking and rolling, we found shelter from the southern wind in Goodman Bay just west of the downtown Nassau but not far enough away for peace and quiet and darkness. Obviously, Nassau draws tens of thousands of tourists each day, but it does not appeal to me. It is all too artificial and over-the-top. We have no desire to go ashore.

Tonight, for the first time since we arrived in the Bahamas, we will set up the motion detector in the cockpit, bring all loose items below, and lock ourselves in. Everywhere else in the Bahamas, people leave their boats unlocked night and day, whether they are on board or not. The lack of a sense of personal security is another reason Nassau is not desirable as a destination.

Really foul weather is predicted for late Sunday monring and all afternoon, but there really are no anchorages offering all-around protection from clocking winds on New Providence Island, so we will probably leave here early despite the forecast and head for the Berry Islands. 

Cruise ships in port in Nassau

Excessively enormous resorts