May 25-30 Big Major to Black Point Settlement

Waking up these last few days is an adventure.  Dead sleep suddenly interrupted by this brilliant light.  It takes a few seconds to remember its not an interrogation.  Tropical sun light can be intensely bright!

Speaking of tropical sunshine, we are getting brown out here.  Very tan.  But we're still pale compared to some of the people we've met who stay down here all year long.

By the way, here's a link to a bountiful cruising guide to the Bahamas if further details beckon to you.

The only thing I did this morning was take some old and failing veggies I found in the fridge over to Pig Beach to feed the pigs.  Only big old mother pig was right on the beach came rumbling out in the water to greet me.  She is bigger than our small dinghy  I took this morning.

I was able to get out of the dinghy without her knocking me out and starting feeding here celery and sweet potatoes.  She seemed quite enamored of the sweet potatoes uttering this very non-pig like bellow.  She would open her mouth and tilt it up waiting for me to drop in the food and if I wasn’t fast enough she’d bellow and walk forward, a few times knocking me backwards.

So I tried to hurry the pace.  I was feeding her a smaller slice of sweet potato when she crunched down it and almost my finger.  Ouch!

Once I was out of food I started to walk back to the dinghy but she followed at a trot.  So I picked up the pace.  And so did she.  It was like a race even in the deeper water where she was swimming.

I reached it and pulled it into deeper water up to my chest but the determined pig was swimming right along side me knocking into the dinghy. 

As I said she was bigger than the whole dinghy and I was thinking she could swamp the thing.  So I clamored in as quickly as I could start started the engine which seemed to dampen her enthusiasm a bit. 

And luckily another boat was just coming in which diverted her attention away from me making my escape a bit easier.

Whew!   

When I got back we just sat out on the sundeck watching all the big yachts come and go.  One, Awatea, is a beautiful boat.  If we ever charter something like this, that will be the one!   Yeah, like that's ever going to happen.

We headed over to Pirate Beach in the small dinghy in hopes of finding a cocktail party.  It's rumored to be an almost every night occurrence.  We took the small dinghy simply to avoid me yanking on the starter rope a dozen times.

 I’m hoping to get a picture of us in this thing.  It would be comical especially if there were any swells at all.  Together we're nearing its weight limit and it rides pretty low in the water.   Others have commented that we appear to be just gliding on the water since the dinghy isn't easily spotted.

We got there and pulled the dinghy up and much to our surprise we saw Stay Cation there (Rush and Beth).  They along with David, Richard, Linda and Lorie were also there with all sorts of munchies and alcohol.  What a delightful time!  Richard and Laurie are on a large Hatters and have been living aboard for almost 15 years.  David and Linda are on a catamaran anchored on the other side of Big Majors next to Staniel Cay.

We had great fun with them and plan on returning tomorrow. 

We ended up leaving only after a few hours and had dinner, and pretty much went to bed as the winds began to escalate.  The forecast was correct this time.  20-25 mph winds with gusts to 35. 

But with the winds came cooler air and it was good sleeping!

It was a lazy day today. I’m still waiting to hear back from Rose Point engineering about this chart plotter problem.  And the winds are maintaining a good 25 mph from the east which gives the anchorage a nice chop. 

We read and I, being the antsy one, swam out to check the anchor again just to be able to move around.  The anchor remains unchanged,  the heavy swells are moving the boat gently up and down but the anchor isn’t visible any longer because its buried so deeply in the sand.  And only about 50 feet of the chain along the bottom is moving with the boat.  To say we are fixed on the bottom is putting it mildly.

We were planning on heading over to the beach again tonight but its so bouncy we’re sort of hedging.  We’d have to take the large dinghy which means I have to pull start it which isn’t easy in these swells.   But a good party is hard to pass up.

As it turns out Mary didn’t want to go so I did.   And in the small dinghy and getting soaked in the process.  Another wonderful time with Richard, Laurie, David  and Linda.  And our budding friends, Rush and Beth from Stay-Cation.

We had an additional visitor who’s name I’ve forgotten.  But they are building a house on Staniel Cay and  have a large boat tied up to their dock.  From his description its quite a  refurbishing project made all the more interesting because of the Bahamian practice of un-frantic work.  More like sashaying with a saw and hammer.  In other words not much gets done quickly.   

I headed back after a while and we ate dinner and then headed off to bed

Next morning I put a call into Coastal Explorer about this odd chart plotter problem.   Our main navigation suite is Coastal Explorer.

I Talked with Aaron who was able to remotely connect to our ship computer through the BTC cell phone data connection.  He didn’t find anything a miss so we set up a logging function to record data which I will send them after we arrive at Black Point Settlement south of here.

I guess I didn’t mention we were heading there this morning.  Its only about 10 miles and provides a change of scenery.  Tantalizingly close, lies Farmers Cay where I wanted to spend some time but we have to be back in Florida in 3 weeks so we'll leave that visit for our return trip next year.  We’ll head  back toward Florida after a few days here and find a rendezvous point to hook up with Jeff and Judy along the way.

After  I talked with Coastal Explorer and Aaron the CE engineer, we pulled the anchor and head out.  The anchor was dug so deep it took some maneuvering to yank it up,  The chart plotter was doing its non-updating things again so I had it and my tablet running to be sure we were where we were supposed to be.

It was only a 10 mile journey.  The waves were on the beam which tends to roll us a bit but nothing bad. 

Pulling into Black Point Settlement Anchorage 

When we arrived, we noticed Sandpiper (David and Linda and Stay-Cation, Rush and Beth) and anchored between them.  The anchor hooked just fine but I went out and dove on it to be sure.  The water was its normal tepid 82 degrees.

We stayed aboard most of the afternoon and watched Sandpiper leave with their guests who had flown in to Black Point where David picked them up.  Soon after they pulled anchor and headed back to Big Major.

I should mention a number of the islands here have air strips.  Not airports in the traditional sense, but a runway where planes can land and take off.  And they seemed to be used regularly by mostly private planes, but also a commercial outfit that flies between the islands.

Later Rush and Beth buzzed by saying “”Cocktails on the beach”.  Mary was in the shower so we didn’t leave right away.

Mary, Rush and Bet in the foreground

The beach here is located across an expansive sand flat.  But it was high tide and I refused to yank on the big dinghy starter for such a short trip, so we  took the little dinghy.  And yes I suffered spousal abuse because a few little waves may have splashed us during the 1 mile journey across the sand flats.  It was high tide thankfully.

We met Rush and Beth there and another couple off a Krogen 52.  It’s a boat I lust after.  Unfortunately our finances preclude any hope of procuring one, but still, they are awe inspiring.    I picked the Krogen couples brain a bit about Korgens in general and soon after they left, leaving us with the admonition to try Scorpions for happy hour.  We’ll be here a few days so we will be dong that.

Rush, Mary and Beth

Rush, Beth, Mary and I had the beach to ourselves for a few hours and it was wonderful.  The wind had died down and the seas began to flatten.  And I tried one of Beth’s Margaritas.  Oh my  Very Good!  We will be making a point to see them when we visit Key West again this winter.

After a while Mary was getting antsy so we had to leave. They are planning on heading to Georgetown tomorrow so no more parties for us for a few days I guess.

Always a great sunset

Mussing about the Bahamas, I can say it’s wonderful over here.  Numerous islands, all with anchorages consisting predominantly sandy bottoms make visiting these little spots pretty easy.   Although some of these place can tax your nerve sometimes because of the shallow waters which are sometimes difficult to judge.  The water is so clear, 20 feet appears to be 2 feet.  It takes some practice to discern the differences.    But the island anchorages provide great protection from the prevailing trades winds so the anchorages are generally very calm.  Well, most of the time anyway.

The communities are comprised of maybe a few hundred residents. The stores are really homes with shelves.  The one bakery where we bought our first few loafs of bread was essentially someone’s kitchen, the back door was the entrance.  You had to know where to find it.

Two inter-island supply boats passing behind our neighbors boat

There is an exhilarating factor too in that there are no services here.  No tow boats, mechanics or 911.  It is quite desolate in that regard.

But on some of the islands there is construction,  albeit at the normal Bahamian pace which is glacial, but construction none the less.  In the majority of cases it’s private homes, and people who have bought an entire island and building lavish mansions.  As I've been told, these places are equipped with solar panels, wind generators, diesel generators and RO water makers so they can, and do exist off what minimal grid there is here.

The number of large, mega yachts cruising around between the islands is astounding to me.  They are, by far the dominate style of boats over here.  Our puny 46 foot boat is barely noticeable among all the Goliaths.

That little red wire was pretty much broken off.

On a high note I found the problem which was giving out navigation system fits.   CE was happy to hear it was corrected I think because I sent them almost 5 MB of log data. 

This morning we hung around the boat most of the morning reading and debating whether to use the small dinghy to go into town, or the big dinghy which I’m beginning to loath because the necessity of manually starting the darn thing.

We needed to go ashore to dispose of our trash and visit a food store.  We’ve run out of a few things, namely bread.

We loitered a bit too long because the supply boat came into the government dock.  The supply boats are little coastal freighter type vessels which deliver to each of the inhabited islands a few times each week.  And each island has a government dock which serves as the freighter commercial dock.  The dock also serves as a convenient place for us to tie dinghies so we can access the town.

But anyway we decided to take the big dinghy so I dutifully completed my 15 pulls on the starter rope and we headed into the dock where the island supply boat was still tied up.

Tied up where the mail boat was a few moments before

We circled a bit on each side of the dock and as we were coming around near the supply boat it began moving off the dock leaving a whole lot of room!  Yeah!  A place to tie up which we did right next to an access ladder.  These docks are fixed and wood.  And high.

But someone was yelling at me to get the red onions.  Red Onions?  Huh?

Turns out the supply boat forgot to drop off a bag of things including red onions and they were trying to ask me to drive out the few hundred yards to the supply boat and bring the onions back to the dock.  By the time I finally understood what they were saying one of the small inter-island ferries from Staniel left the dock and went to the supply boat and fetched the bag.

We had tied up by then so they tossed the bag to me up on the dock and I delivered to a guy who was the neighbor of the lady who was anxiously waiting for the red onions.

Mystery and intrigue here at Black Point Settlement

Taking our trash

Complete guide to Black Pont

We tossed our trash in the trash trailer, and left a few dollars in the metal donation box.  The town doesn’t charge for trash hauling but does ask for donations.  It’s not an unusual practice and I did find out the money does go to help the local school here.

We took in the information on the unusual sign by the road and headed up towards the shops and restaurants.

According to the cruising guides and people we talk with, Loraine's is another one of these must visit places to eat.   But first we stopped to checkout Adderley's Friendly Grocery store.  Its a typical Bahamian grocery store and pretty well stocked compared to some we've visited.  But it isn't surprising

Adderley's Friendly Grocery Store

considering Black Point Settlement is the second most populated island here behind Georgetown which is another 30 some miles south.

We decided to go eat lunch before getting groceries so we walked the long block to Lorraine's. Well I sensed it was about block but there are no real delineated blocks here, just a road.  But anyway, it was a short stroll.

Lorraine's

Lorraine's is a little house-like place with a smallish bar and tables inside.  We arrived and Mary bolted right in while I wandered a short distance looking for Mom's bread store/house.

Inside Lorraine's there is the little bar and long tables.  Tables are just that.  Tables where you sit if there's room.   If there isn't room you stand.

Inside Lorraine's

Lorraine herself

We had arrived just as a little tour group from Georgetown arrived too.  They arrived for a sort of cafeteria style lunch while we were here to have a beer and a sandwich.  It seems there were maybe 20 people, all from a go-fast type boat that originated in Georgetown.  The boat stops at various interesting islands and for lunch stops at Lorraine's.  I think part of the reason is that there is a dock behind the place.

By the time I walked in Mary was sitting drinking a beer and had already ordered a hamburger.  I wasn't all that hungry so she got up and ordered me a beer having been schooled in the proper procedure.

Mom's white house behind Lorraine's Restaurant 

While we waited we discovered that Moms Bread store was right behind Lorraine's.  For you really astute types you may have thought there might be a connection between  Mom's and Lorraine's.  Your Jeopardy championship material  if you did.

Mom is Lorraine's mother and they all live in the house behind the restaurant.  The house also serves as the bakery too.    I went over and asked an older man, (Who is this man? Lorraine's Father, Mom's husband) about bread and he pointed and said, "inside".  So we walked into their house.

Mom.  And her loaves of bread!

The kitchen is large and sure enough on the counter were a good dozen loafs of bread.  And mom.  Standing behind the counter.

We bought 2 loaves.  Its reported to be the best ever.  We'll see when we get back aboard.

What delightful people mom, and Lorraine are!

We walked back to the restaurant and after Mary took care of the hamburger  we strolled back to Adderleys for some grocery shopping.  I cant quite recall the name of the owner, and elderly lady who's the mother of ten children!  Very nice conversation with her as she related all kinds of information about all her kids.  Three of he boys are small inter island freighter captains,  while others scattered in the states as engineers or attending college.  Quite a diverse family.

When we walked in she was patiently explaining the harsh lesson of not enough money for all the candy they wanted.  They had  a a single dollar but the bill was $1.75.

So we paid the difference for them and stood there as she instructed the two little guys to say thank you.  Which they did between mouthfuls and gulps.  Pretty funny.

The currency used in the islands is mixed.  Bahamian dollars or us currency so when we get change its a true mix of currency.

Inside Scorpions

After picking up a few items we went back to the boat and then returned to Scorpion for happy hour.  No people,  loud music and no Captain Morgan.  It was rather disappointing.

So we had a beer and then returned to the boat, and made water.  Exciting!

We are trying to draw up a plan to get back to Florida.  Bad weather is forecast for later next week which is when we wanted to cross the Gulf Stream.  But now we thinking of heading at least to Cat Cay or Bimini before Thursday to take advantage of the weather to cross the North West Channel, a stretch of ocean about 30 miles wide between Nassau and the Bahamian Bank.

We again loitered around the boat this morning deciding to stay here at Black Point another day so we could go visit the blow hole and see the beach.  Tomorrow we head to Shroud Cay to anchor before making our way towards west end of Nassau to anchor.  Monday we cross the North West Channel and try to get to Cat Cay.  If we’re lucky we might cross over before the bad weather hits.  

That's us in the middle

We took the small dinghy into the dock and tied up next to our neighbors dinghy, a 15 foot Caribe similar to our big dinghy.  Only theirs was quite a bit bigger.  You could barley see our little dinghy thing tied to the dock.

Blow Hole Lane

Hiking up to the Blow Hole area

This is it!  The Blow Hole.  Impressive, isn't it?

We headed out to find the blow hole and sure enough there was a sign of sorts indicating where it was.  A craggy path led off towards the Sound side of the island.  After passing through a debris strewn rocky flat we were at the blow hole.

It’s rather tiny, maybe 3 feet in diameter but from all accounts, is as regular as old faithful.  Regular that is, when the tide is up which is wasn’t.  So all we could see were some little gurgles when a particularly high wave would wander in.

Sand flats near low tide

After a few minutes we left and continued up the road past the very flat sand flats which are completely exposed at low tide.  Just the other day we were sitting here with cocktail watching the sun go down.

There wasn’t much further up the road except for a house or two and a view north out towards the other islands.

On the way back we met a happy go lucky guy who was off to the reef at Dotham Point for some spear fishing.  That’s about 2 mile walk one way  But he was young.

I stooped and talked to Dave, an old sailor who lives on the island and is planning on moving to Tonga as soon as his wife retires.  He was brought up in the Keys and never experienced snow.  Ever.

We stopped in at Scorpions so Mary could have a beer and then headed back to the dinghy.  I brought it into a little beach by the dock so she could get in and we went back to the boat.

We decided to leave tomorrow for Shroud Cay and spend the night there before moving on to Nassau.  So with that plan in mind we rigged the big dinghy for hoisting, took the engine off the small dinghy and then went out on the bow for cocktails.

Before we grilled I started the generator and we hoisted the big dinghy up on the top deck and I secured it.   We have been keeping the small dinghy inflated and simply haul it into the sundeck. Its light enough and fits fine although I’m pretty sure I can lash it to the swim platform.  Just haven’t been motivated enough to try that yet.

After a late dinner we went to bed with the idea we’d leave around 9AM since its only a 40 mile journey.