Blackpoint, Exuma

After five weeks in Georgetown, we weighed anchor on Tuesday, March 23, 2009. We came straight to Georgetown from Fort Lauderdale (with one stop in Nassau to check in), so as we listened to other cruisers talking about the great places in the Exumas that they had visited on their way down to Georgetown, we were very much looking forward to working our way slowing up the cays. Once out of Elizabeth Harbor and through Conch Cay Cut, we sailed northeast in the Sound with light southeast wind and moderate seas.

Our first destination was Cave Cay, a distance of 37 nautical miles. The narrow, deep Cave Cay Cut current was strong, but the light wind became a light breeze and we were at mid high tide, so we left the main up and motored easily through the cut. Once inside the cut and on the Bank side, we could see that the sandy bottom twelve feet below had many two to three foot rocks. With three other boats already anchored and not wanting to anchor on a rock, we took longer than usual to pick a good spot. At the same time, Flight, a Valiant 40, was anchoring close by. While at a Sundowner gathering on Hamburger Beach in Georgetown, we met Jeff on Déjà Vu. He had told us to be on the the lookout for Don and Kathy on Flight as they were on their way down the Exumas. After chatting with them on the VHF, we put Lit’l Lap in the water, picked up Don and Kathy on Flight, and dingied into the narrow entrance to Safe Harbor Marina. The Marina is open though no boats were docked. The owners have installed wind turbines for power and are building rental cottages. The small, nearly round harbor provides protection in bad weather. We hope this newly developed harbor is successful. We ended the evening on Flight, having a Kalik and a good visit with Don and Kathy. They are from Aransas Pass, Texas. Jeff is from Austin, but spends much time in Aransas Pass. So we all have lots in common.

The next morning, the dingy went back on the davits and the motor on the rail. Our next stop was Blackpoint, a slightly less than fifteen mile trip. We sailed in the shallow waters of the Exuma Bank, following the dead-on routes from the Explorer Charts. We put up the sails, but before we got the engine turned off, it died. We had plenty of wind to sail, but a boat engine ‘dying’ on its own causes great concern. About the same time, the chart plotter would 'just' add a waypoint and start following it AND Mr. Auto Pilot would not function. So, I sailed while Larry went below to see what was going on. He found a burst fresh hot water hose that was spewing water on the engine and on boat wiring located close to the engine. He was able to cut off the hose and clamp it. So that was fixed, but we were sure we still had problems. As we approached Blackpoint, we tried to start the engine, and, of course, it didn’t. We made a decision to turn into a small bay just before the point that marks the turn into the main anchorage bay. Since we were under sail only, we thought an empty bay was preferable. After making sure our anchor was secure, we lowered the dingy and went to the main harbor and settlement of Blackpoint. In Lorraine’s café, we unexpectedly met up with our friends Jim and Nancy from Solitaire. So, of course, we joined them and their friends, Jeff and Tessa from Inamorata, for dinner. Lorraine’s prepares delicious native food. Our group’s choices included fresh grilled grouper, conch fritters, and chicken. Dinner was served late, and we had a long ride back to Lapidus on a very dark night. Thankfully, we had turned our anchor light on and had a flash light in our dingy.

Back to our engine –We would try to start the engine the next morning. Then the plan was to follow the trouble shooting Westerbeake guide plus try other ideas we had been given. When Larry pushed the starter button, the engine did start, though it took it much longer than usual. Apparently, all the wiring had to dry. We then moved our boat into the main anchorage, so we could more easily fill our water jugs. The next day, both Jim and Nancy and we moved back to the smaller bay. The forecast called for several days of strong northeast wind. By anchoring as close as possible to the beach, we were much better protected in the small bay.

Mike and Kathy on Sapphire and Jeff and Tessa are anchored here as well, so we’re having a great time getting together for cocktails, snacks, and games. The area has great snorkeling and pretty good spear fishing. From this side, we can easily walk to the Sound and Blackpoint is about a mile. The non-touristy settlement is neat and brightly painted. A modern laundry, three restaurants and grocery are the main businersses.

Internet is available at two of the restaurants. Connectivity is limited and always slow. But, I will post an update as often as I can.

Fun Everywhere

In addition to the numerous activities that are available daily, even more activities and events are added during the two weeks of the Georgetown Cruisers' Regatta. Special volleyball, golf, Texas Hold 'Em, Trivial Pursuit, Bridge, and Botche tournaments, plus Red Hot Night No-Talent (with tons of talent) Show, Coconut Race, Scavenger Hunt, Arts and Crafts, Sand Sculpture and Variety Show give everyone a chance to participate. Featured races are the 'Around the Island' race and 'In the Harbor' race.

We teamed with Wayne and Isabelle for the Coconut Race. Using flippers only in a dingy, teams try to load floating coconuts into the dingy. Much like an Easter Egg Hunt, with less precise rules and lots of buckets of water thrown on opponents. Then, back on land, we paired up and placed a coconut belly to belly for a short walk without dropping the coconut; then the coconut was butt to butt for the next short trip. Too much fun!

We were also in the Scavenger Hunt with two other couples. They had kids in the children's division and both kids and parents were both competetive and creative. While some items were easily located, other items were bizarre, including red high heels, red shoelaces, red bowtie, etc. Teams could find items on their boats, ask other cruisers for the items, or even go to town. But, the hunt was on Sunday, so most of the small number of stores are closed on Sunday. Our team tied for third, thanks to our teammates' creativity and red markers!

We've played Texas Hold 'Em twice, with Larry winning the pot the first night we played and making it to the final table the next time. All of these events draw 60 and up participants. So, when you sign up, you're probably in for several hours.

The weather this week has mellowed: less wind and warmer temps. This is the weather everyone says we should have been having all along. We're not complaining; 70 degrees in the daytime is great, especially if you're used to Oklahoma winters. We do enjoy less wind, which means smaller waves and less chop in the Harbor; staying dry and keeping our items dry while we're running around in Lit'l Lap is much more pleasant than arriving soaked.

All items in this pic are Bahamian. We purchased the straw bag and the basket from the lovely ladies who wove them. The lobsters were bought from a local diver. The bread is from a local baker, Mom's Bakery. The papayas, bananas, plantains, coconuts, tomatoes, lima beans (known here as green beans), sweet potatoes, and squash are from the Exuma or Barraterre (very close by) islands. Not pictured, but delicious and available daily, are eggplant, cabbage, onions, bell peppers, and lots of hot peppers. The limes (all citrus fruit) are grown on a farm in Nassau. Producing citrus trees were destroyed in the 1999 Hurricane. The rum is also produced in Nassau.

The Bahamians are so friendly and gracious. They offer their foods and crafts day after day, always showing their gentle personalities and smiling faces. We love shopping with them, but we also enjoy talking to them about their crafts or their recipes. The large squash shown above looks like it's related to the zucchini, but it's so different. I was told to remove the seeds and peel it; then it would be good fried, stewed, boiled like potatoes, or it could be used in bread or made into soup. I cut it up and simmered it in onion and garlic, then added tomatoes and Italian seasonings with the intention of serving it over pasta. After tasting it, we were pleased with the firmness of the squash and decided to have it as soup with, of course, bread. The lobster were also delish. Larry split them open, added lime juice and olive oil, wrapped them in foil, and grilled them 15-20 minutes. Yummy!

We anchor in Elizabeth Harbor between Elizabeth Island and Georgetown, Great Exuma. A walk and swim off Elizabeth Island is our favorite afternoon activity. Here, we are on the Sound (Ocean) side of the island.

Little Exuma

Arranged by a cruiser for cruisers, an afternoon tour of Little Exuma was fun and educational. The waters are so crystal clear that the tropical fish several meters below the water are viewable and the small 12 square-mile island offers lots of history. The island is now connected to Great Exuma by bridge.

On the road to Little Exuma, we passed the hamlet of Rolle Town. It was once, like Rolleville to the north, owned by Lord Rolle. Today, it is populated with the descendants of his former slaves. This sleepy town has some 100-year-old houses.

Our first stop was the Great Salt Pond. In 1788, Little Exuma produced more than 100,000 bushels of salt and was considered an important, if not the most important, salt producing island. Most of the salt raked was exported to the Colonies on the North American coast. The salt ponds in Exuma comprised 223 acres and continued to produce large quantities of salt into the 1860s. This stone marker was erected to guide ships into the shallow, coral filled waters.

Hermitage, a plantation constructed by Loyalist settlers, is the last surviving example of the many plantations that once stood in the Exumas. Arriving in 1784, the Kendall family established their plantation at Williamstown. Coral and other fossils are present in the limestone used to construct the buildings. With their slaves, the Kendall family began growing cotton. Cotton proved uneconomical, so they, as well as most of the Loyalist settlers, left the Bahamas. In 1838, slavery was officially abolished; many former slaves remained on the land and eventually became land owners themselves. The Bahamas Islands were a colony of the United Kingdom, but much of the government of the country was conducted in the country by local Bahamians in the House of Assembly. The islands became a nation on July 10, 1973, which is the date celebrated as Bahamian Independence Day with an island party not to be missed.

Katherine, our tour arranger and guide, asked a local tour guide and a descendent of slaves to share his knowledge of the family and the area with us. We also visited an old family tomb just down the hill from the plantation. No traces remain to identify the family, but the tomb was most likely owned by a plantation owner.

Our last stop was to the well-known Santana's for a delicious Bahamian dinner.

Our lobster was perfectly prepared and yummy! Santana's is owned and operated by one of Mom's (from Mom's Bakery) daughters. We also

enjoyed perusing the photo album filled with pics taken of local as well as the cast and crew of Pirates of the Caribbean II, filmed in the area.

A lovely day in a paradise.

Bahama Magic

The Bahamas are great tablelands of limestone, coral, and sand. More than 700 small islands (cays) and several large islands sit on top of a plateau covered with shallow water and surrounded on all but one side by dark, sapphire blue deep, deep water. The turquoise banks and white sand beaches along with specks of emerald present a brilliant vista that encourages all onlookers to pause often to take in the splendor. Cruisers trek to this paradise year around, but especially November through May.

A tremendous volume of water enters and exit the large areas of shallow water, named the Little Bahama Bank and the Great Bahama Bank, with each tidal current. This flushing action keeps the waters on the Bahama Banks very clear, adding to the beauty of the area. But, with small islands close together, the tidal water enters and exits through fairly narrow channels, (cuts) between two islands. Cruisers traveling these cays often cross from the Banks (shallow water) to the deep water and from the deep water to the Banks. Each cut, or narrow channel, is different and all require the utmost attention. If wind and current oppose each other, crossing the cut is not advised since a Rage may develop with waves breaking across the entire cut.

After we left Nassau, we crossed the Highborne Cut from the Bank to the deep water Exuma Sound. We had some swells and light wind. Larry steered Lapidus straight through the middle of the cut while both of us watched for rocks and coral close to the surface. We left the beautiful turquoise Bank of shallow water for the deep water Sound. Hours later, we turned toward the first waypoint to Georgetown and were soon entering the wide cut into Elizabeth Harbour and more turqouise water.

We're still in Georgetown, along with about 300 boats. Boats leave to cruise other areas, but are replaced by new boats arriving. There are many anchorages, and, currently, we are off Chat and Chill and Volleyball Beach, though we are quite a way out. Activities are held daily on the the main beaches by the anchorages. Volleyball, painting, swimming, yoga, Texas Hold 'Em - these are just some of the choices available to participate in. Cruisers take their dingy to other beaches to swim, chat, eat, or join an activity. Depending on where a boat anchors, the dingy trip to Georgetown is from one to several miles one way. Also, depending on the wind and boat activity around Georgetown, the dingy ride may be a wet one. Georgetown's friendly merchants offer groceries, water (free), fuel, and the coveted wifi. Exuma Market is very well stocked. Homemade bread and pastries from Mom's and fresh local fruits and vegetables available at the Straw Market add to our dining enjoyment.

A boat parade later today will kick off the annual Regatta. In town for the Regatta, Chris Parker, the weather guru, presented a great weather seminar and has been speaking to small groups.

Meeting other cruisers and being a little active is fun, but we're mainly enjoying the beautiful area and 70 degree weather. Finding a stretch of empty, secluded beach for walking and swimming is easy even with so many cruisers in the area. And reading both for the pleasure of freading or needed knowledge (Chris Parker's weather book, for example) rounds a perfect day.