2003 Scuttlebutt Photo Contest

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by Roger Strube

This photo was during the Family Out Island Regatta in Farmer's Cay, Exumas, Bahamas. These are all Bahamian work boats, locally built in the islands by the old masters. All Bahamian materials, wooden spars and sails made from that old standby miracle fiber, cotton. At the start all boats anchor and form a line. At the whistle, one crew pulls the anchor propelling the boat upwind and another crew raises the main. The boats then sail the weather leg. The crews balance the over-canvased boats using "pries" (planks that are shifted from side to side). In the old days in light air, one or more members of the crew would jump overboard to lighten ship, to be picked up later after the race. This is now against the few rules they have but I did see one boat tie an oar to several ballast pigs, throw them overboard and signal their "chase vessel" to pick them up. Easy in crystal clear 8 foot deep Bahamian waters. These are high stakes races (for the Bahamas) as the owners each having $5K on the line. The regattas all have cash prizes shared by the owner, skipper and crew. Pictured is the Family Island Regatta held at Farmer's Cay every February during their "5 Fs Festival (First Friday in February Farmer's Festival).