Black Point 2.0

It's no secret--Black Point is one of our family's favorite settlements to visit in the Exumas. When we visited last year we found the people and island to be absolutely welcoming and beautiful, and we had a fantastic time with friends. This year was the same, yet different! What hasn't changed? Trash and water are cheap and easy, Lorraine's Cafe still has the best dang conch fritters, Lorraine's mom is still making some of the most amazing bread in all of the Bahamas, Scorpio's 2-for-1 rum punch will still make you forget half the people you met there, groceries are available if you aren't too picky, the laundromat has the best view of any I've ever visited, everyone is really friendly, and the holding is good!

Clockwise: Picking up bread at Peermon’s kitchen; a round at Scorpio’s with friends; 2-for-1 at Scorpio’s can be dangerous; local fisherman; the grocer; view from the laundromat 

But this year...this year was the year of KIDS! We were thrilled to have Kolohe and Arethusa continue on to Black Point shortly after us, and while we were there we met Pleiades. The result? Eight kids ranging in age from 11 to 16 hopping between boats and all over Black Point, only occasionally with a mix of parents sprinkled in. There were also other cruising boats we'd met along the way, making this stop a real treat. The kids hiked and swam together, our families visited the Blow Hole together, there were video game and swim dates, and a bunch of cruisers got together at Lorraine's for her famous BBQ buffet. So this year's trip to Black Point was just as memorable as last year's, but with the added joy of tons of kids. 

The crews of Lehe Paine, Kolohe, Pleiades, and Arethusa made fast friends in Black Point.

Visiting the Blow Hole and the White Horses

While we were here, my friend Ava on S/V Kolohe published a perfectly-timed blog about cruising with kids that I absolutely LOVE called "Cockpit Chaos Contentment." The decision to embark on this lifestyle can be full of different emotions and Ava's writing takes you along for the ride. You can follow their journey at https://www.sailingkolohe.com or on Instagram @sailingkolohe. 

✌🏼❤️⛵️

Rocky Dundas...revisited

With the blow over we weighed anchor and had a sweet sail north to Fowl Cay, just outside the souther border of the Exuma Land & Sea Park. Last time we came to this area we took a mooring inside the park, but we decided to give Fowl Cay a try as the forecast winds looked like they would work well for that spot and it would put us in close reach of a few of our favorite sites--Rocky Dundas, Rachel's Bubblebath, and Tom's Elkhorn Garden. We joined three other boats in the anchorage, set the hook, and had a quick lunch. 

We started with a trip to Rocky Dundas. The kids (and adults) LOVE these caves--they are ranked above Thunderball Grotto for us--and while the tide was rising and the surge was a little strong, we managed to get in just fine. We hit the large, north cave first. The surge was really making a washing-machine effect inside the cave and we didn't stick around too long. We left, snorkeled a bit on the coral heads outside the caves, but the current was strong so we headed for the southern cave, which is actually our favorite. The entrance to this cave is smaller and there is less "in water" area, but you can clamber up onto a shelf and walk and climb all over inside. Each time we've gone conditions have been a little different, but there is always some sort of timing a wave involved in getting in and getting up on the ledge! We spent about a half hour in there climbing and watching the waves. Somehow our visit was right between two other groups and we had the caves all to ourselves. 

Entering the north cave

Fun inside and outside the caves

While the kids wrapped up school on the boat, the adults hunted for conch (got nothing) and snorkeled the reef at the NW corner of Fowl Cay. As the afternoon wore on our neighbors all left and we were alone in the anchorage. With high tide approaching in last afternoon, we headed for Rachel's Bubblebath on the north end of Compass Cay. This site is "best" at mid-to-high tide with east winds. We didn't have much wind, so we went closer to high tide--it's the water rushing over the rocks that creates the effervescent bubbles. We didn't have perfect conditions, but we still enjoyed our bath!

While we had initially planned to go to the Elkhorn Garden the next day at slack tide, a rolly anchorage and friends arriving in Staniel Cay caused us to abandon that plan. Is it a great snorkeling spot? Yes. Are boat friends the best? YES! And so we left.

Shortly after dropping the hook at Big Major Cay the kids reconnected with their friends on Kolohe. Then to my delight, I FINALLY got to meet the crew of Arethusa in person after months of chatting online and cruising the east coast near each other! Our three crews met up at the beach so everyone could meet and we chatted until the sun set. I really enjoy meeting other cruising families and hearing their stories and seeing their kids experience this life, too. I think we are all happy to share more anchorages with these boats in the future!

Boat kids doing their thing

Finally reconnecting with friends!

We had a "normal" cruising night! With the blow behind us lots of folks converged on Cruisers Beach on Big Major Cay for a dessert pot-luck with kid boats. While it was way more people that I'm used to being around these days, we were all still able to spread out on the beach and safely enjoy each other's company. We reconnected with friends form last season, met friends we'd previously only "met" via the internet, and the kids met quite a few other teens. It felt good!

The teen hangout

The adult hangout

A great end to the day

More shade

While our dinghy woes had us hanging around the boat I decided to tackle a sewing project—more shade! Last season I knocked out a set of deck shades while we were at a dock on New Providence Island. That project left me with big, triangle-shaped scraps that I just couldn’t bring myself to send to a landfill. More than a year later, the scraps have been painstakingly  stitched together (5, perfectly symmetrical panels 😩) to make our new stern shade! This one will be awesome as the sun sets and we swing in the prevailing easterlies. Bring on the sundowners!

Sailrite tools:

- Ultrafeed LS-1

- Edge hot-knife

- Pres-n-snap tool

- Parasol (steel gray) fabric

- thread, snaps, grommets 

One windy night leads to a windy day

Well, the forecast held and well before sunset we were turned into the north winds. The anchorage is pretty packed, but well-spaced and we chatted with a few of the boats around us about scope so we would all be cozy as we moved about. Lines were secured, snubber chafe guards adjusted, anchor checked, and Luci lights illuminated at the bow and stern so boats around us could see our full extent.

I decided to sleep on deck. Why? I honestly love sleeping on deck, but also just to be able to peek around easily as I rolled about in the night. Considering the strong winds and sound of waves, I actually slept really well! I sleep on a super cozy Klymat inflatable mattress when I’m up there. The only real bugger was the rain that came at 0500 which was accompanied by a jump in the wind. I tucked into the companionway and watched the grey, gloomy sun rise.

We are staying here for the day, knocking out some school, reading, and playing some games. It’s kind of a nice way to spend a Sunday!

Back in business!

Our dinghy engine is fixed!!! How did we do it? Not to over-simplify the process, but we ordered the part to ship to Maker’s Air in Florida, filled out a ton of forms, chose how quickly (and expensively) we wanted it shipped, and awaited the flight! As our dinghy was just not able to get into town we were very fortunate to have multiple cruising friends offer assistance. The part was due to arrive Friday and as the crew of S/V Tortuga was heading into town for errands, they offered to grab the propeller for us! Even as the flight got delayed, they lingered in town...so awesome! The cruising community is wonderful! 

This is a good time to mention some “new” provisions I added to the bilge this year—cans of wine! We don’t carry bottles but I wanted to be able to thank anyone that helped us along the way (because boaters are always helping each other)...cans of wine to the rescue! I know, I know, the wine snobs are cringing at this (and my boxed wine), but you can get some decent wines in a can! Kim Crawford and Dark Horse come to mind...and a can of wine is like half a bottle, so we can give two cans of wine (and even mix a white and a red) instead of a bottle of wine to say “thanks!” We got to test this out Friday when we accepted our propeller from Tortuga and handed off two cans of wine—no broken bottles and smiles all around!

Of course, the dink was fixed just in time for a big, 2-day blow. We managed to squeeze in a little snorkeling and dinner at the yacht club before the winds really kicked up, but we will be boat-bound for a bit longer...just for weather now!

Back in Staniel Cay for fuel, fun, and now...parts!

We made it to Staniel Cay! The first order of business was getting our propane tank filled—that’s our cooking fuel. I just have this fear of having no way to cook and after the leak I was nervous! The dinghy motor struggled at low idle the whole way there and back, but it started up just fine after a bit. Carb issue? Maybe it got jostled too hard in our transit?

Once the tank was dropped off we shifted to fun mode and loaded up the dinghy to head to Thunderball Grotto! We really like snorkeling there. Low tide is late in the day right now so we went a little earlier than would have been perfect, but we all still had fun!

Thunderball Grotto

On the way back, the dinghy engine all but died. It’s like the prop was spinning, but not much. We limped back to the boat at idle speed...a little research revealed that it was likely a blown propeller hub. Grrr...one of the only spares we don’t have onboard! The next day, we moved the big boat over closer to town so we could retrieve the filled tank and work to find a prop. With none to be found, we placed our order and will stay here to receive one via Maker’s Air. One of the local guys at the yacht club also said he’d look for one for us. 

There are worse places to be in this predicament. There are daily flights to Staniel and Maker’s Air does this stuff all the time. We have food, a protected anchorage, and clear water all around! The kids and I had some fun and even met a new friend!

Fun at anchor 

This morning we got a call from Chubby at the yacht club—he had a prop we could try! Frank set off on the long, slow journey only to have the hub fail even more so he busted out the oars. It’s a LONG haul from the anchorage! Luckily a mega yacht tender took mercy on him and towed him in. Unfortunately, the prop didn’t work so he started rowing back. This time, a local named Larry in a flat bottom boat towed him in. We happily passed him some cash for fuel and have resigned ourselves to hanging right around the boat until the part makes it to the island. At that point, we may try to hitch a ride in—even with moving the big boat we can’t get super close to town (draft) without being at the mercy of currents. For now, we wait. Kalik! Kalik!

Thank you, Larry!

A new mooring technique?

Tried something new last night!

The fairleads on the bow of this boat are really far forward. When we are on a mooring, no matter how long I make the tie-off lines, they will whack the anchor at some point. It’s awesome when you’re sleeping in the forward cabin. Sometimes I’ll run the lines outside of the stanchions and straight to the cleats (skipping the fairleads), and while it sort of works, it’s not perfect...it doesn’t look as tidy as using the fairleads. 

Last night, I went a whole different route—I flipped the anchor! With the blade pointed to the sky it couldn’t get hung up on the mooring lines, right? Flipping a 45lb anchor in a choppy sea was a good fitness test, but I got it! We had a VERY rocky, rolly, windy night on this mooring, but the one sound that I never heard? The anchor clanging around in the bow roller! 

Is it perfect? No. Would I do it again, especially if we were going to be on a mooring for several nights? Absolutely.

And after yesterday’s epic sail we are now motoring and pounding into seas to get south. Yep, that’s blue water over the bow!

Sweet Sailing!

Confessions of the 1st Mate—I’ve lived on this boat for 10 years and I’m still not a huge fan of how it feels when we heel over 10 degrees. Gusty conditions are the worst as I feel like there’s a moment where you lose control (we don’t, but my mind doesn’t always know that!). Today was a big day for me! We had winds on the nose, but this deep-draft boat can point into the wind quite well. We went ahead and sailed close-hauled in 11-15 knots of wind, making 5-6 knots over ground with just the genoa. It took me a few minutes, but I found a cozy spot on the windward side where I didn’t feel like I would fall over and just truly enjoyed the sail!

Sweet sailing!

Our epic sail landed us on a mooring at Shroud Cay. I decided to power into the wind on a SUP to this little lagoon which I ended up having all to myself. Ahhh...

We are going to press on to Staniel Cay to top off our propane and get some fresh food before coming back into the Land & Sea Park. But for now, I’m enjoying a glass of wine and celebrating my little win over my brain today. 

Hello, Exumas!! Highbourne Cay area

In the spirit of trying new things this season (and with a desire to avoid New Providence Island for extra COVID caution), we took the route around the east side of New Providence Island with a stop at the Rose Island anchorage en route to the Exumas. To make this work we had an early departure from Rose Island to cross the skinny part of White/Yellow Bank with as much water under the keel as possible. Every “new” route has some degree of stress, but...SUCCESS! We dropped the hook off Highbourne Cay and were immediately treated to the joy of the Exumas—great snorkeling in crystal clear waters!

Up with the sun to catch the tide.

Some great snorkeling!

Highbourne is a private island with a marina and pricey restaurants—nothing we really need. We skipped it last year but enjoyed the snorkeling around Highbourne Rocks this year. We also lingered to visit with cruising friends on Kismet and Kolohe. Kolohe is another kid boat we met in Great Harbour Cay and as our kids had fun hanging out, it was worth making it work again!

Fun with friends

With winds shifting to have a more southerly component the anchorage got pretty rolly and we decided to move along...a whopping 4nm south! We dropped the hook in what is now near the top of my “best anchorages” list, Oyster Cay. We were simply alone. Holding was good and we were tucked into a little nook of the cay. We had some surge at high tide, but were otherwise quite comfortable. There was even good snorkeling nearby and we managed to spear our first lobster of the season. Not a bad way to start our time in the Exumas!

Ahhh...

Dinner!

Hoffman’s Cay—a quick, action-packed stop!

We gave the seas the morning to settle before making the quick, 7nm run down to Hoffman’s Cay. We really wanted to return as last year only the kids and I went to the blue hole while Frank stayed with the boat. We had anchored in a strong current and were still adjusting to Bahamas anchorages at the time. This time, with light winds and a flood current, we came in the inlet to find the anchorage at White Cay (which is good for our draft and still close to the blue hole) was completely empty! We set the hook as another boat came in the inlet, but they went farther in to another anchorage. We were alone alongside a powdery beach!

After a quick lunch we set up the solar oven to heat up our Super Bowl Sunday dinner of queso and bean dip and took off in the dink to hit the blue hole. The kids quickly found the trail and within minutes we were overlooking the 600-foot wide hole from a cliff 20 feet up. And we were the only ones there! It was so quiet. The only sounds were our feet on the rocks and a few birds. But enough peace...it was time to jump! Trent kicked things off, followed by Frank, Katreina, and finally me! That first jump was kind of scary, but the water felt great and I went back a few more times. Love it there!

We returned to the boat, gathered our snorkeling gear, and headed over to the beach on White Cay to snorkel some nearby coral heads and reefs. It was pretty sweet! The water was fairly warm and we saw a blacktip reef shark, a stingray, lots of small fish, and quite a bit of healthy coral. 

We cleaned up, poured cocktails, watched the sun set, and enjoyed our simple dinner. The Buccaneers are looking like they are going to win the Super Bowl and with very light winds in the forecast we have decided to start our move towards the Exumas tomorrow morning. Another great day of cruising!

Our first visit to Soldier Cay

Several boats left Great Harbour Cay Thursday heading the same direction as we did. While some headed to the Hoffman’s Cay area, we opted for Soldier Cay. We had never been, it looked neat, and we could possibly stay through the next round of southerly winds.

I’m just going to say it—Thursday was an epic cruiser day! We fished the ledge on our way over and caught a nice blackfin tuna (and a cero mackerel that we released). It wasn’t massive, but could have been 3-4 good meals for the two of us that eat fish. Instead we opted for two big, fresh meals! Five boats were already in the anchorage when we arrived and we struggled to find good bottom to set the hook, but we saw lots of turtles during the evolution and finally did find some suitable sand after dropping the dinghy to recon the field. Then to top it all off we had a beach bonfire at sunset and watched the sky change from fiery red to pitch black and glittering with stars. It was just our little family on the beach and it was a beautiful evening.

Friday we decided to hunt for some snorkeling spots. The water was a little chilly and the swells coming in the cuts made for sloppy conditions so we headed to the beach for some low-key snorkeling. Some neighbors had been spearing some coral heads out in the middle of the channel into the anchorage, but we just didn’t feel like getting tossed around and we had some nice tuna ready for dinner! At this point we had also decided to stay put for the weekend’s southerly winds.

Today we hiked over and around the island, played and relaxed on the beach, met another cruising family, then hunkered down for gusty winds. We are getting rocked around a little, but the protection is good enough and the anchor is holding!

We could see making this stop again. It may not be a place with a popular tourist site, but the ease of navigation and peaceful, pristine beach are enough for this crew.

Two weeks into the season...what’s broken?

Cruise long enough and you’ll find that there is always a project on a boat. After all, it’s just like a house but in a much harsher environment! If you’re lucky, they are projects of your choosing, both in extent and timing. If you’re not...you’re scrounging for parts and solutions in a foreign land to fix a critical system. 

We’ve been in the Bahamas for two whole weeks...what’s broken? And how bad is it?

1. The water heater. I mentioned this in a previous post, but we traced a leak to the water heater. We rarely use it down here anyway (only heat water via the engine when we are motoring) so we decided to just secure the water pump at night to limit how much water makes it to the bilge and routinely dewater the bilge when I am pulling stores each week. We can just replace the unit when we are back in the States. UPDATE! Somehow our jostling and investigating seems to have curiously stopped the leak! It’s an enclosed unit so impossible to see what the heck is going on, but the bilge has stayed dry and the pump doesn’t run at odd times. We will take it!

2. The propane system. After fixing a leak while we were in St. Augustine we really though this was behind us. Then one morning while we were in Great Harbour Cay I went to make coffee and got nothing. Tanks run out, but we had used the oven the night before with no signs of running out and now I didn’t even get the littlest amount of gas. Sure enough, one bottle was completely gone. Frank hooked up the other and immediately got a hissing sound. FFFFFFF! This is bad for plenty of reasons bust most of all because getting propane filled in the Bahamas is not straightforward. He located two leaks, repaired them, and we are back in business with one tank. As they don’t fill propane locally in the Berry’s (it’s a week-long mailboat process) and we do not want to stop at New Providence Island, we need to last on our remaining tank until the Exumas where we can either ship the bottle off on a mailboat to get filled or find a local fill. In the meantime we are turning the tank valve on only when we need it just in case there are small leaks in the lines. We are also strictly sticking to propane use only for coffee/breakfast and dinner—cold lunches for the crew! And while I normally look for opportunities to use the solar oven or pressure cooker to conserve fuel, it’s a much higher priority until we get a back-up bottle filled. We don’t have a microwave or any electric cooking appliance so this one is stressing me out a bit.

3. The dinghy. Our dinghy isn’t pretty—she’s old, beat up, and can’t get on plane with all four of us, but she’s been dependable...until now! We felt like we were having to pump it up more frequently and sure enough we found a small leak in the forward air chamber. Not a serious issue yet, but it sure has me looking at the budget for a replacement in a few months (with a beefier outboard!). 

4. Shoes. This is crazy, but a whole bunch of our shoes are falling apart after their first few trips into the water and onto the rough shore. Looks like we will have an arts and crafts day with contact cement in the near future.

And while not broken, my provisioning has met challenges in the form of my children. Seriously, I have a kid that NEVER eats breakfast. But get to the Bahamas and suddenly she’s on a granola kick...every single day. So “my” granola is now gone (thank goodness I like eggs!) and can only be replaced here at about $10 a bag. The boy is, well, a 13yo boy and therefore is always hungry!  And don’t get me started on the fact that one reported they were out of graph paper at the one-week point...

Challenges for sure, but so far we are able to mitigate the problems. Hoping I didn’t jinx us by writing that! 😬