I've always tended to avoid the Exumas on most of my Bahamian cruises, they're simply too much of a bit on the Beaten Path for my tastes... Which is a pity, for without question these cays are among the most beautiful in the Bahamas, and there's good reason so many boats pass thru them on their way to Georgetown... But this trip, since I'm running later than usual, I decided to give them a bit more exploration than I've done in the past, since I'm going against the traffic, so to speak - most cruisers who've wintered in G-town are already on their way back north...

The rusticity of places like Highborne, Sampson, and Staniel Cays of 2 decades ago is a distant memory, however... And, more than anything, it's the charter megayachts responsible for that.. I knew they were coming over here in droves, but until this trip, I had no idea how many are operating in the Exumas... Hell, on an average day, my freakin' AIS is displaying more targets than it did back in Miami... (grin)

These boats have become nothing more than floating toy boxes... Garage doors open, foredecks levitate, topside cranes swing into action, and out come an assemblage of water toys which appear to average 3 for every guest aboard... Sure, there's the odd kayak or two added for effect, but one doesn't see anyone windsurfing or kiteboarding from these things - all the toys require some form of internal combustion engine, and the more grossly overpowered, the better... The size and speed of these jetskis - not to mention the wakes thrown - really has to be seen, to be believed... The ignorance and lack of courtesy on the part of the operators goes without saying, of course... but it's still pretty stunning, to witness firsthand these extremely well-heeled hordes so completely unaware of their surroundings, or of paupers like yours truly attempting to enjoy them in a more modest fashion...

Don't get me wrong, I don't feel as if my time here has been spoiled in any significant way... I'm fascinated by these big yachts, after all, it's cool to see them in the flesh, and my respect for the guys who run them is boundless... These charter yachts have really become like cruise ships - they spend their days at their destination, and then often move to the next days destination during the night... In a place like the Exumas, that can involve some SERIOUSLY risky navigating... This 130' Heesen departed this anchorage off Norman's Cay about 2100, and just for the hell of it, I gave him a call, curious as to where he was headed that night... Well, he was gonna go out thru Highborne Cut on a slack tide, and then across Exuma Sound to be in Rock Sound the following morning... Hell, I'd be scared shitless to take a vessel of that size thru an Exuma cut like Highborne in the daylight, for chrissakes, I can't imagine doing it at night... I suspect the pressures on some of these charter crews can be pretty intense, not unlike stories I've heard from pilots about corporate flying... "Just Make It Happen, that's what I'm paying you for..." Suddenly, that industry average of roughly $1K per foot of LOA for megayacht captains doesn't sound all that outrageous... (grin)

Anyway, these inflatable waterslides appear to be this year's latest charter yacht "Must Have", and no doubt tops the crew's list of the Most Hated Toy To Have To Deploy... What a PITA that freakin' thing must have to be to set up, eh?

This afternoon, arriving in Big Majors Spot to ride out a bit of a blow produced by a secondary front, I was entertained watching the guests aboard HELIOS II trying their hand at self-levitation with those water jet flying thingys... Happily, I was anchored well upwind of them, so the noise wasn't much of a distraction... And, the breeze began to blow in earnest just as the guy on the Island Packet fired up his on-deck Honda 2000, so I was spared yet again, the natural sound of the wind cancelling out the unnatural... (grin)

best regards,

Jon