Elizabeth Harbor has an interesting history as a pirate hangout in the 1600’s and a US Navy seaplane base in WWII. With its protected anchorages, stores, services, and beautiful beaches it is now a cruising hotspot. There are over 100 private yachts here now and we are told this is half the normal count due to Covid-19. The central meeting place is a beachside bar/restaurant named Chat-n-Chill on Stocking Island across the harbour from the population center of George Town. I had expected Chat-n-Chill to be some sort of Panama City Labor Day weekend south, but with around 40 kid boats in the harbour it has a laid back family atmosphere with volleyball and cornhole games aplenty. While waiting for the Sunday BBQ to start we happened to strike up a conversation with establishment owner KB Bowe, an Exuma native who left the island to get a University of Chicago MBA and corporate banking gig. The conversation covered raising pigs to meeting Milton Friedman, but after a while he developed this beach bar idea a few decades ago, came back home and the rest is history. We stocked up our depleted groceries in Georgetown and getting there during the current big winds was exciting. You have to go through a narrow one way dinghy tunnel with two different sets of 4 foot waves breaking through it without hitting the walls which reminded me of a sporty downwind leg on a Laser in traffic. We also had some fun watching the Bahamian Optimist National Championship taking place near the boat in 22 knot plus wind. We will do some exploring of the area this week and move the boat as the wind dies down.
