Captain Ron's

Sailing and Cruising Pages

How to be an Ugly American in the Bahamas

Capt Ron

Don’t take this the wrong way. I’m hoping to improve our collective cruising behavior just a little by pointing out some subtle and some not so subtle behaviors that impact the impression we leave with local Bahamians. If I come off sounding like an old curmudgeon, well, …. I am an old _______ at least. I hope some readers will take this to heart and think about it … there must be 50 ways we can irritate local folks with our behavior and given just a little thought here, a little courtesy there, we can make a much better impression.

Log on to “Free” WiFi networks … If you find a “free” wireless internet connection in the Bahamas, it’s probably one of the government sponsored and subsidized nets put there for the benefit of schools, government functions and local businesses. It's also possible that a local set-up a net without security. Either way, if you use one of these nets you are stealing resources and if it's a government net you're stealing from school kids. I can’t tell you how many times we walked by the park benches in front of the government offices and next to the elementary school in Georgetown and saw cruisers, blatantly sitting under the trees with their laptop out no doubt downloading the latest internet porn. Just because you can do it doesn’t mean you should … this probably annoys at least the knowledgeable locals when they see a “rich” cruiser stealing internet services instead of supporting a local business by paying for the connection. Doing from your boat is no better, it's still stealing. In the US it's different, some municipalities, and businesses have set-up "free" hotspots ... NOT in the Bahamas.

Go to Beach Church … I don’t want to offend anyone here but why do the cruisers need “beach church” when there are at least 5 churches within walking distance of the Exuma Markets dinghy dock? Don’t you think that putting a $5 bill in the local church collection plate would be more appreciated? Nuff said.

Share airport taxis … Every morning on the GT cruiser net they have a special segment called “taxi share” where cruisers can get together and conspire to cheat taxi drivers out of their living. Some folks want to share the cab to the airport so they can save a few bucks … hey … you’re a rich North Americano … pay the man;

Change your oil and leave the old oil behind… There’s no place in the out islands to dispose of used motor oil and Nassau, Freeport and Marsh Harbor have very questionable facilities for such. If you must change your oil in Georgetown, take the old stuff home with you or find another solution besides leaving it in milk jugs alongside the dumpsters at Exuma Markets. My engine takes 11.5 qts to change the oil so I’ve invested in a filter system that allows me to go 400 hours plus between changes … that’s once a year folks if we motor a lot. I don’t even have room on my boat for 3 gallon jugs of new oil let alone the used stuff.

Wash down your boat with fresh water … I see it time after time at marinas in the Bahamas. Folks washing down their precious boats, like a little salt is really that big a deal. If you’ve noticed the cars in Nassau and GT and other places, you’ll notice that they seldom get washed. That’s because water is scarce and fairly expensive by our standards. Those lucky enough to be on the city R/O water supply don’t waste it washing cars and a big American yacht in the marina getting the dew hosed off every morning, probably irritates at least a little. I know, I know, you’ve paid for it with your marina fees but once again it’s an ostentatious display of your wealth that you can just hose down your boat. Wash your boat the next time it rains.

Don’t smile or greet locals on the street … Cruisers get a reputation as being unfriendly because so many of us just don’t practice common courtesy or the little niceties especially when we meet and deal with locals. I seldom see cruisers smiling a good morning to locals they meet on the street for example. How hard is it to wave, smile and say “good morning” … I never fail to get a smile in return and usually a return greeting even from the guy that looks like a thug. By the way, they may look like they just fought their way out of a Brooklyn alley, but they haven’t and they are always nice if you give them a chance. People you might avoid in Miami are just folks down here. Try being friendly. There is a lady that works as a cashier at Exuma Markets that is always dressed to the nines… a cashier mind you. Make-up, hair done, nice dress, and jewelry … the whole shot… like it’s Sunday go-to-meetin’. She seems very business like and even gruff. However, I always get a big smile and a thank-you when I compliment her style.

Just jump right in to your needs … Along the same lines, many cruisers don’t understand how business is done in other countries. Our culture is different, we just bust in and demand service … that’s how it is in the states, we expect good customer service and we don’t fool around with the little niceties. In the islands and other places, it is customary to exchange greetings first before engaging in business. “good morning, how are you today”, “weather’s gorgeous again isn’t it?” etc. yada, yada, yada … then talk your business. To forget the greeting and small chitchat is to invite abrupt, discourteous service.

Ignore Island Time … Island time is island time, mon … you can’t speed it up with complaints or fussing at the help. Cool it, slow down, chat up the person you expect service from, establish a little rapport … then ease into your crisis. Whatever it is it can wait for the socializing … it’s not going to get done sooner if you protest. If you ignore the socializing you will pay the price. If you’re patient, wait your turn, smile, relax and be a little sociable, things will go much smoother. There were many examples of people having problems last year with Forbes Enterprises over the propane tank filling early in the season. I never had an issue and my tank always got filled that day. Other folks came back days later to find their tank still empty. I could tell them why.

This is by no means a comprehensive list of all the petty insults we cruisers can inflict on Bahamian locals but it gives you an idea of how easy it is to offend folks just by doing things the way we’re used to. Do it their way and you’ll enjoy your trip more.