… we spent the last ten Christmas's in the Bahamas, I found the Christmas time was less crowded than February and March, much less. Spent a few of those Holidays in Georgetown, was amazed how few boats there were well into January. Way, way less than "in-season" of February & March, their busiest time will be right before, during and after Cruisers Regatta (not Family Island) which I think is end of Feb/early March … stay AWAY. I sort of recall well under 100 boats in the entire harbor, maybe closer to 60, town was dead in January. On the other hand, we generally stay as far away from the Exumas as possible these days, for reasons Jon alluded to, but as he says, bouncing around there late spring, May & June, is pretty darn nice and uncrowded, that's generally when we are there. Also keep in mind the Staniel Cay area was jam-packed with Holiday activities and the boats generally flock towards there during this time. And for the megayachts from Atlantis and easy day trip down for the deep-pocket clientele. Nevertheless my guess is you would have found solitude up inside Pipe Creek, which is an easy fast dinghy ride to Staniel should the need or want arise. You will find nice, uncrowded anchorages just south (or north of BP) at Bitter Guana; the south end of Rudder Cut Cay; between Lignumvitae and Prime; and try the back side of Black Cay just south of Rat Cay. Great Guana and Little Farmers are not my favorites, but others love these spots. Unless there is no one at White Bay just south of Black Point, that resort isn't being built yet, and the wind is not south of east. I do like going to the Raggeds on the Bank from Black Point, not sure about your draft. And going to Raggeds by way of Pudding Cut by Rat Cay is cool, again draft may be an issue for you. You won't find many boats there this time of year.

My guess is you will be singing a different tune in another week, and my guess is you will find lovely anchorages all to yourself in January, in the Exumas, then you will see more boats for February & March. Things will start clearing out in April, but it's really after the Family Island Regatta things really empty out. A week after that Regatta late April, there may very well be 50 boats in all of Elizabeth Harbour, very nice indeed.

You were forewarned a bit > the favorite places now for those seeking quiet seclusion, and uncrowded anchorages, correction … you're the only boat in the anchorage … will be Cat, Eleuthera, Raggeds, C&A (and the smaller islands around there like Samana and the two Planas) and Little Inagua. There, any time of the year, you will have anchorages, grouper & hogfish, and lovely beaches all to yourself, in fact you will think the VHF is broken, nary a squeak all day long. I was amazed last time in Staniel, the frickin' VHF was more annoying than being in Georgetown, it was painful.

That is truly sad news about Hawksbill. Perhaps our favorite place in the Exumas. Not so long ago there were no moorings … and no boats. The Park's policy has sort of pissed me off, I can't believe they can make you take a mooring at Shroud, Hawksbill and Cambridge, that should simply not be. They'll tell you it's because they want to protect sensitive areas, and that may be the case in places like the South Anchorage on Warderick, but clearly it's a motivation on their part to increase revenue. What a bummer …

Bummer about the computer, has happened to me twice in the Bahamas, I think their 110 current isn't really 110, and fries Apple computers. Mine will work perfectly fine, and as soon as I plug in down there to charge, all kinds of whacky stuff starts happening. I've had two new ones shipped into Staniel twice in 10 years. Still sounds like you're having FUN !! Cheers, John