Our next stop was Farmers Cay; a quick ten-mile sail to the Southeast. They were having their annual Farmers Cay First Friday in February Family Fun Festival and Regatta. I think I added a few extra F’s in there, but the big F was Fun! This island knows how to throw a party.
After anchoring just off shore from the airport runway, we hopped in the dinghy to check out the regatta. I have read stories and saw pictures about the Bahama regatta boats, but it was really cool to see them up close and racing. The Bahama regattas started back in the 1950’s as a way to maintain the traditional boat building skills and sailing of working fishing boats. The boats are no longer used for fishing and transport, but the racing is serious and looks like a lot of fun. These boats have a huge sail area for a small boat. The best part of the racing is watching the teams coordinate the movement of the crew from one side of the boat to the other. A wood plank slides off the side of the boat and multiple crew members crawl out on the board to balance the boat. It is a delicate balance that provides many tense moments. I often found myself squeezing my grip to the dinghy as I watched boats nearly capsize before the crew moved out on the boards a few more inches to save the boat from going over.
The spectator fleet is also engaged in the race. We followed several teams around the course to get a close up view of the action. At one point we parked near a course marker to watch the fleet make the turn. Watching several boats all turning the mark, side by side, with crew out on boards that nearly touch the next boat’s sails is exhilarating. That was until we nearly got run over when our dinghy got a little too close to the action.
After the regatta finished, we pulled up to the beach to check out the party. The beach was packed, great food aroma was coming from the grills, the music got everyone dancing and the bar was serving up great tropical drinks and cold beer. Our crew even got into the dance action.
We left the regatta club to explore the island. The road leads past the airport landing strip and quaint Bahamian homes to the small harbor on the east side of the island. The harbor area had several restaurants and vendors selling handmade Bahamian goods. We bought a few woven handbags to give as gifts to our family back home and had a great time talking with the locals.
Showing off my new handmade purse. John is showing off something else. Check out the awesome wood work on the dock railing.
Farmers Cay harbor
All the locals we met were very friendly and a lot of fun. These ladies setup an awesome bar outside of the Ocean Cabin restaurant which we frequented several times. If you go to any of the small Bahamian islands, shop local, and tip well. This festival is one of their main opportunities to make money for their families. You will definitely feel appreciated and you will get the best service anywhere.
We stopped into the Ocean Cabin restaurant for dinner and sampled some great Bahamian fish, lamb, and curry dishes. We also had some great ice cream cones there for dessert. It all tasted great. We had a blast playing some darts and their Bimini ring toss. The restaurant was empty, but we heard that it was packed wall-to-wall later that night as the regatta party moved around the island.
If you are interested in getting your own Bimini ring game to bring a little bit of the islands into your home, use our link below to get one on Amazon for a great price. We have had one at home for years and it is always a big hit at parties.
For some reason, the night got a little blurry after leaving the Ocean Club. We went back to the boat for a bit, and I decided to stay and take a nap in the cockpit while the rest of the crew went back to shore to check out the late-night parties. We do not have any pictures of the festivities but the crew said the party was so big that it blocked some of the roads. John also attempted to eat all of the BBQ on the island and nearly succeeded.
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