Contagion spreads from Florida to Exumas

[a64pilot]

You know complaining about boats in anchorages on this site, makes about as much sense as arguing for gun control on the NRA site, don't you?

[jwing]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

You know complaining about boats in anchorages on this site, makes about as much sense as arguing for gun control on the NRA site, don't you?

Nobody can control other peoples' attitudes, but governments can regulate and tax actions. I guarandamtee that its always easier and more pleasant for everybody when people act with consideration and respect than to be forced to comply with regulations. It doesn't matter whether we are talking about shooters, polluters, or sailors.

[colemj]

Originally Posted by SAIL23692

Why would people want to continue to be fleeced, overcharged and fearful in the Bahamas when you can simply head East until you hit highway 64 and proceed south direct to the BVI;s and see what cruising is really about.

If the BVI's are "what cruising is really about", I guess I don't want to experience much "real" cruising…

Mark

[rognvald]

Let me see if I understand Mr. Carey's comments in regards to tourism. The Bahamas are a tourist based economy. They manufacture little if anything other than conch salad and straw hats . . . the last one I bought in Nassau was made in China. No, not the conch salad. Mr. Carey wants to make it more difficult and costly for cruisers to spend time in his country since they are polluting the environment and eating all the fish. He assumes that a cruiser on a 34 foot boat carries all his food, drink and supplies aboard and can live in the Bahamas for six months without spending any money and surviving entirely on catching his dinner. So, being a government official without the least scintilla of understanding basic economics, he is going to protect his tourist based country from the rapacious cruisers by raising prices and discouraging them to visit his country. It works. . . but, only if you think like a politician and you see where that's got us in the US. Good luck and good sailing.

[a64pilot]

I think he looks over at the Cayman's and says, why can't we get money like that, we need to keep the riff raff out and the Rich will come.

[rognvald]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I think he looks over at the Cayman's and says, why can't we get money like that, we need to keep the riff raff out and the Rich will come.

64,
The Caymanians had foresight. The entire island and infrastructure was built on the drug trade profits of the 70's, 80's and 90's. The island was/is prosperous. They were/are jobs. The streets are clean. The people are educated. There is little if any crime. They welcome tourists with open arms. And spend they do! The Bahamians could learn much from the Cayman Islands. If only they could stop the cruisers from eating all the fish. Good luck and good sailing.

[Captain Bill]

Originally Posted by jwing

I mostly agree with the gist of your opening argument. But then you went wildly off track. I'm assuming that your questions are rhetorical, so I won't bother answering them; the answers would make you silly. That's because you don't know what you are talking about; your post is almost all wrong.

I posted this to give a resident's point of view of visiting yachts, based on a real place and real Bahamians. Arrogant dismissal of other people's viewpoints, as illustrated in your post, is exactly what I'm talking about, and exactly why onerous regulations and fees are imposed on boaters by local people.

Bahamian reefs and the fish that populate them belong to the Bahamian people. You are allowed to be there and take fish only by the grace of the Bahamian people. Act with consideration and humility.

I'm sorry, I must have misunderstood your original post. When you said you visited a cottage I assumed that you were there as a tourist, I did not realize you were a resident. My Bad. I wasn't dismissing your position, I was just presenting an opposing view. I didn't realize that you were the only one allowed to have an opinion. My bad again. I know many Bahamians, some are happy to have us, others not so much. As for the fish, I am allowed to be there and take fish with the grace of the Bahamian people and of course the $300 that I give them for a fishing license. I find it is often easier to buy fish from the locals. I always treat the locals with respect as I am a guest in their country, but why should I defer to another tourist because I'm ruining their view. Recently tourist cottages have been popping up all over the Bahamas ruinning many beautiful beaches and Islands. These are rental cottages and not occupied by residents, often they're not even owned by residents. Many of these are showing up on beaches in anchorages that have been used by cruisers for long before the view was rented out to tourists. I personally don't think I owe deference to another tourist. I paid the Bahamas $300 to park my boat there, how much did the land tourist pay the Bahamas for the view? I'm not sure how close one has to be to wreck your privacy? Does this mean that I need to anchor my boat so far away that I can't tell if skinny dipping even If I have to use binoculars? I am aware of a couple of Islands owned by billionares who think that they bought the water along with the island. Would this be one of the cottages you are referring to? One has even posted signs threatening to put you in Fox prison if you should so much as set foot on his island and it's enforced by the government. Of course it was a complete lie and when we asked the local police about it they took a very dim view of his signs. This is of course right on the only sheltered anchorage in the area where many boats take refuge in bad weather. The only water deep enough to anchor in is close to shore, though one nice local offered to let us use one of his mooring balls which was fairly close to his house. He was not the guy with the signs obviously. Dare I ask..... oh why not? Are you the guy with the signs?

[IdoraKeeper]

It seems to me that the problem is that you guys are all cranky. Your all mad that the Bahamas are not pristine. Your mistake is that warm is not paradise. .remember hell? Have any of you ever heard Gordon May complain? He lives in Thunder Bay! Try the Canadian Maritimes..the Great Lakes ect. Abandon the Bahamas and in a thousand years it may change.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I think he looks over at the Cayman's and says, why can't we get money like that, we need to keep the riff raff out and the Rich will come.

But they already have that in the Bahamas. It's called Paradise Island Nassau. No riff raff there. All us riffs and raffs are relegated to the Out Islands.

[Robin3]

I was looking forward to cruising the islands soon but now maybe will look farther afield to the Caribbean anchorages instead. This nonsense might well have done me a big favour and we will have $300 more to spend when we arrive too.

[rognvald]

Originally Posted by skipmac

But they already have that in the Bahamas. It's called Paradise Island Nassau. No riff raff there. All us riffs and raffs are relegated to the Out Islands.

Skip,
I can assure you that the Richard Bransons' of the world would never set foot on Paradise Island nor would anyone with real money. Paradise Island is the Bahamas answer to Las Vegas . . . a low brow, middle class amusement park with water slides, aquariums, beachfront palapas, and kids pissing in the pool. I think you got it backwards, Skip . . . that is about the location of the riff raff. Good luck and good sailing.

[rourkeh]

Good article.
About half of all cruising sailboaters think they have a right to buy a boat sail south, invade some foreign country and abuse the privilege. I have been cruising the Bahamas and Caribbean for a lot of years and have slowly watched as an ever larger number of broke ass boaters invade the islands trying to "live the dream on $500 a month", what a joke. Owning a boat is a privilege, it is a toy. If you can not afford to travel in your toy and be responsible with your sewage and garbage you should stay home.
This all started in America years ago when the towns along the intracoastal got sick of picking up after a bunch of boaters and started banning anchoring in a number of towns. I currently live in a marina in St Maarten and regularly watch the sailboaters anchored out come to the dingy dock and dump their garbage on the sidewalks, walk their dogs on the marina property, sneak into the marina showers, dingy in at night and steal water from peoples hoses etc. And we wonder why we are not welcomed with open arms in the Bahamas? I have seen what has happened to Georgtown Harbour, it has turned into a floating American retirement community after hurricane season ends. News flash, half of the cruisers out there don't have enough money to be cruising, all you need to do is read the ridiculous articles on this site about what it costs to "go cruising".
I hope they put mooring balls everywhere and charge enough to weed out the people who can't afford to be down here in the first place. They are ruining the dream for the rest of us with their over blown sense of entitlement. It's interesting that you don't see too many financially responsible boaters in the Caribbean sneaking into marinas to shower or dumping their sewage into pristine tropical waters.
The Bahamians and the rest of the pissed off islanders have a point. If you want to come for a visit spend some money like all the other tourists, be responsible or stay home.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by rognvald

Skip,
I can assure you that the Richard Bransons' of the world would never set foot on Paradise Island nor would anyone with real money. Paradise Island is the Bahamas answer to Las Vegas . . . a low brow, middle class amusement park with water slides, aquariums, beachfront palapas, and kids pissing in the pool. I think you got it backwards, Skip . . . that is about the location of the riff raff. Good luck and good sailing.

I don't disagree with this at all. I was comparing Nassau to the Cayman Islands that were referred to in the original post. It has been several years since I was in the Caymans but I don't recall them as the playground of the rich and famous. However, relatively speaking Nassau has fewer cheap cruisers and more megayachts and a very large recirculating group of "tourists" that stay in hotels, eat every meal at a restaurant and even spend money at the casinos. None of those anchor out for free and steal fish from the locals, cheap types.

If you really want hang out in a high dollar neighborhood go to St Barts or Mustique.

[Andy73]

Originally Posted by rourkeh

Good article.
--snip--
I hope they put mooring balls everywhere and charge enough to weed out the people who can't afford to be down here in the first place. They are ruining the dream for the rest of us with their over blown sense of entitlement.
--snip--

Here Here!! How dare the serfs leave their farms without permission?? I remember the good ol' days when they could be arrested for that kind of afrontery...

Seriously, While I appreciate your broader point, that people need to be more responsible for themselves and their impact on the world around them )i.e. picking up their rubbish, not abusing facilities, etc), you lose this point with senseless elitism and stereotyping.

[rognvald]

Originally Posted by Andy73

Here Here!! How dare the serfs leave their farms without permission?? I remember the good ol' days when they could be arrested for that kind of afrontery...

Seriously, While I appreciate your broader point, that people need to be more responsible for themselves and their impact on the world around them )i.e. picking up their rubbish, not abusing facilities, etc), you lose this point with senseless elitism and stereotyping.

Andy,
You don't have to agree with Rourkeh but you must admit his honesty and candor is refreshing. And, he has made some valid points. Wouldn't it be a dull world if everyone thought the same. This is what Albert Camus called "Hell."