Bahamian Sloops

In summer the Bahamains hold their regattas. The one in Georgetown is in April, and they go on through the summer. These regattas draw boats from all over the islands. The Bahamian boats carry a lot of canvas and at least one class has hiking boards that remind me of the log canoes in the Chesapeake. We talked with one a man building a smaller sloop in his yard in Black Point ,Exuma. The wood is sawn , not steamed and then the hull is strip planked. It is interesting to see the design, which has almost no cut away in the bow or stern. There is almost as much keel as waterline. It seems that these boats still can routinely sink during a race , probably because they carry so much sail . The masts are huge and the boom extends further than any catboat we've ever sailed. The post race parties last well into the morning hours. Some things about sailors are universal I guess.