George Town, Exuma - New Fees for Cruisers

[KILLLIONFISH]

New moorings are being put out in Elizabeth Harbour. All boats going forward will have to pay the Harbour Master $30 per week. All boats will also have to use the waste pump out service due to an over abundance of lazy, rude and inconsiderate squatters dumping their waste in the harbour. Get ready to pay to play! I have a feeling that the quality of the 2010/2011 Georgetown, Exuma cruising community will rise exponentially.

Also, there is talk of a garbage charge of $2/bag for the upcoming season.

Any comments?

[John A]

One more stop to bypass.

[KILLLIONFISH]

Does this mean that you like swimming in feces and urine along with not helping to support the local community? Moves like these will separate the slackers from the truly responsible and deserving seamean and women. Anchors up!

[osirissail]

Do you mean that they are installing 400 moorings in Georgetown? When I was there in 2003 there were in excess of 400 boats anchored for the annual regatta. I am sure in later years there were comparable amounts.
- - What do you get for US$30/week?
- - Exactly where are the moorings? Stocking Island Holes? Volleyball Beach? Monument Beach? Sand Dollar Beach? Crab Cay? Kidd's Cove?
- - "Support the local community?" Who is getting the US$30/week? The Bahamas Government? A private contractor? A relief fund for the Georgetown homeless?
- - You are not supporting the local community if the money is going into a private company's pocket or the government of the Bahamas in Nassau.
- - Quite the opposite, the cruisers support the "local community" by purchasing T-shirts, baskets, food at Exuma markets and other little shops, restaurants and bars. Cruisers who long longer stop there will not be supporting the local community and the locals will not be earning those missing dollars.

[KILLLIONFISH]

Hamburger Beach, Monument, Hole 1 and 2, Volleyball Beach, Kidd Cove and Flamingo Bay. Sand Dollar, as I have clearly and concisely stated, will be reserved for visiting yachts and/or vessels over 45' in length.

For the $30/week you get to anchor your vessel and be close to the community, excitement and happening of Elizabeth Harbour.

If you cannot handle it I guess you could always go down to the Jumentos, be by yourself and away from everything. Well, the bugs will keep you company.

[osirissail]

I maybe sense a bit of "pissed off" in general and a lot of ambiguity in specifics.

"Hamburger Beach, Monument, Hole 1 and 2, Volleyball Beach, Kidd Cove and Flamingo Bay. Sand Dollar, as I have clearly and concisely stated, will be reserved for visiting yachts and/or vessels over 45' in length."

Nope, you stated only "Elizabeth Harbor" - that is a rather large area and nothing about areas being reserved for specific sized boats.

"For the $30/week you get to anchor your vessel and be close to the community, excitement and happening of Elizabeth Harbour."

You clearly and concisely said "New moorings." Now you are saying that to anchor your vessel in this area a cruiser will have to pay US$30/week?

Just trying to get the whole story . . . where did you get this from?

[KILLLIONFISH]

All visiting vessels will have to tie up to rent a mooring. Does that help you Chief? The bottom line is visitors will have to pay to play.

Crab Cay is opening their beach grill (located on east side of Crab Cay in the coved).

I am hearing this will be higher end and willl keep the cheapskates away from the top shelf players.

[osirissail]

No. Just trying to get the whole story . . . where did you get this from?

[KILLLIONFISH]

The people in charge.

The upcoming season will be great and the water will be alot cleaner from the vermin that were previously doing the old "pump and dump".

The adult summer camp now has a principal armed with a wallet and a ruler (and a THICK leather strap).

I am hoping that those that do not properly bathe and/or wash their clothes will start getting fined. I have personally been downwind from some very unsavory "armoas" while pushing my cart down the aisles at Exuma Markets.

[osirissail]

I give up! Heresay from "people in charge"?
- - How about a web-link to a government press release or planning document or to some official proclamation?
- - Also what is the official effective date? And when will all these "moorings" be installed and ready to use.
- - Who is operating the pump out boat? Is it in operation? If not, when will it be in operation?
- - How about something hard? Many places make grand pronouncements of this and that and never get around to doing them as the funds are not there or disappeared.

- - Cruisers are going to be fined if they do not bathe before shopping in Georgetown? - - "I am hoping that those that do not properly bathe and/or wash their clothes will start getting fined."

[KILLLIONFISH]

No need for a press release. It is all being done locally.

The pump out boat started operating last year (run by Patterson Smith who used to run the warer taxi in 1995 and 1996. Unfortunately, most of the cruiser's turned a blind eye to this service. This year, they will have no choice.

80 NEW moorings are in place off of Volleyball Beach towards monument and they will continue to be put in over October and November.

elizabethharbourmanagement@gmail.com

THE FREE RIDE and visiting POLLUTERS IS OVER.

[John A]

Originally Posted by KILLLIONFISH

Does this mean that you like swimming in feces and urine along with not helping to support the local community? Moves like these will separate the slackers from the truly responsible and deserving seamean and women. Anchors up!

WOW!! You sure read alot into those few words that were not there!!

Rather than do the annual migaration to Georgetown to sit at a mooring for the season amongst fellow snowbirds. I prefer to visit remote villiages of the locals and to travel from island to island. I did this for ten years. I'll avoid Georgetown for the same reason I avoid the BVI's, they are becoming to full of self-righteous, judgemental, elitis out for a vacation.


. .

[Auspicious]

Where is the pump-out discharging?

It will be interesting to see what the boat count is after a year of charging people to sit on their own tackle. Whoever "the people in charge" may be I think they have throttled the economy of Georgetown. There are lots of other places to go.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by osirissail

I
- - How about a web-link to a government press release or planning document or to some official proclamation?

Let me google that for you

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by Auspicious

Where is the pump-out discharging?

o.

The pumpout boat is supposed to go to Emerald Bay to discharge. Many wonder how it will get there when it's blowing a bit in the sound. The response to this is that the effluent will then be trucked to Emerald Bay. They claim the Emerald Bay sewage facility will be able to handle it even though there will be a lot of salt water mixed in.

Last year the pumpout boat's record was spotty to say the least. Some days it kept to the schedule, other days no pumpout boat.

There has been much discussion in GT and the cruisers were invited to participate at one meeting but the decision re placement of moorings was made before the views of the cruisers was made known. The meeting with cruisers had no effect in modifying the plan. There were many complaints about the report by a consultant (not a Bahamian but hired by the powers that be) who has a relationship with a major property owner who has mooring facilities and cottages on Stocking Island. Many felt that she had a major conflict of interest. The study recommended moorings in the holes but not in Kidd Cove.

It will be interesting to see how things evolve in GT.