SIGHTS OF PORT LUCAYA

March 22, 2012  Dateline: Port Lucaya, Grand Bahama Island Bahamas

I continue to wait for the arrival of Sandra and Patrick, they will get here tomorrow and be here for the week. 

The Port Lucaya Marina is located next to the Port Lucaya Market Place.  The Market Place is an area where there are a large number of shops, restaurants and 2 straw markets. Cruise boat passengers are bused here daily.  Guess what, there is a fair number of jewelry stores and liquor stores selling “duty free” merchandise.  Each day when the cruise ships arrive in Freeport (Freeport is next to Port Lucaya.) there are musicians at Count Basie Square in the Market Place.  The music played is of course local Bahamian music and the musicians are very good.  The Square is named for the jazz musician who lived on Grand Bahama Island.  Tonight the Port Lucaya Junkanoo festival will be held at the Market Place and it should be fun.  The Port Lucaya Marina is crowded and nearly full.  This picture shows the main part of the marina along with the boats in it.

Rich and Carol took my tender out for a ride around the Port Lucaya area.  The area is a series of canal that were developed for houses needing a deep water access to the Caribbean Sea.  They went with Wayne, Francine and Skipper who were riding in their tender.

Along the way they came across this “Ghost” ship (its name is GHOST) tied up at one of the houses.  The ship looks like it is in really sad condition, but the lines appear to be in good condition. However, it is not possible to tell whether they are strong enough to handle the load.

The Port Lucaya Yacht Club is close by the Port Lucaya Marina.  (The Yacht Club recently purchased the Port Lucaya Marina.)  The Yacht Club was built when the economy was strong and it was a large project.  The marina today stands mostly empty.  Perhaps my visit to the islands is early and the large crowds have yet to come but it seems that there is a large investment that is not producing a return.

Upon returning to me Carol took this picture of ME and a 60 foot Sea Ray Sundancer.  The Sundancer is sure a pretty boat