By Kevin

Cruisers don’t have the time to sit and wait for weekly mailboat deliveries unless the needed part or item is very important. So, they have to rely on the local general stores. Most are simple storefronts at the front of the proprietor’s home. They’ll stock some frozen meats, some canned and boxed goods. And, on good days, a few tomatoes, cabbage heads, bananas, or oranges.

A well-stocked store might also have some boat items, such as bilge pumps, lightbulbs, resins, and rope.

Isles General has all of the above and also will refill propane: they’re one of only a few propane stations in the Exumas.

Isles General clearly runs on Bahama Time. Their hours are limited and inconsistent. Sometimes they are open, sometimes not. We visited several times and eventually had to camp out at the doorstep for hours before we were able to get in and make purchases. But, while waiting for a store to open in paradise, sometimes you find treasures, such as beautiful starfish.

Life is good in The Exumas for the locals. They eat conch. They go to church. They love and laugh. Work and commerce are not so important in this culture. If you make a windfall profit, what will you do, go on vacation? You already live in paradise. So, you might aspire to buy a faster and more reliable Yamaha outboard. You might upgrade your pickup truck. But, really, what is the motivation for more wealth?

That means that when a store like Isles General has success, they seem to reduce their hours. If they make more money per hour, they work fewer hours. Equilibrium is maintained.

Hence, Bahama Time is born. Work the minimum you must to sustain your lifestyle. And who are we to tell them they have it wrong–as we flock to their resorts to sample what they have in plenty, but for only a week or two each year.