Blackpoint, Guana Cay, Bahamas

Saturday, January 8
Distance Traveled:  22 nm
Total Distance:  2356.88 nm

taking hook out of Barracuda

This morning we woke, listened to the weather and kept to our original plans of leaving Warderwick Wells and going to Blackpoint, a town/village on Guana Cay.  Since the winds were NNW 16-20 knots, we decided to go on the Exuma Sound as we were next to a wide cut and would be going in Cothum Cut, which is also a wide cut (but you could fool me) and hope that we could sail.  We started out in the Exuma Park which is a no fishing zone so waited until we were past Cambridge Cay before we put out the fishing line on our cuban reel.  We kept the motor running the first hour to charge the batteries, and then were able to sail most of the rest of the way.  After a couple hours, I went down a took a short nap.  Shortly after I woke, I noticed that the fishing line was out of the clamp and we pulled in a small barracuda, which aren't good eating and also may have this poison from eating the fish in coral reefs.  Too bad!! 
We did put out the fishing line again hoping we'd catch something else as we went through Cothrum Cut, but didn't work.  By 1pm we were anchored and had started to send out Spot GPS message.

Cothum Cut on GPS

Cothum Cut 

We weren't the only ones who thought it was a good day to come to Blackpoint.  Camelot II, whom we had met in Nassau, also came along S/V Pepe II, S/V Hera, that we met later in Lorraine's Cafe.

Lorraine's Cafe Boat cards wall

Diane, her husband from S/V Hera, Suzanne

Phil, S/V Pepp II and Gord

The anchorage was very rocky - 2-3' waves and Lorraine couldn't wait to get off the boat as she was getting seasick so Phil put the dinghy as quickly as he could and in we went.  The winds were to clock to the North and decrease more from the 10-13kts they currently were.  We hoped that by the time we got some water, checked out the laudromat and visited Lorraine's Cafe, that the anchorage would improve. We had a nice cheese burger and french fries for lunch and visited while the others waited for their food to be cooked.  We went back to the boat to get ready to go to Camelott II to play cards (Canasta) with Gord and Suzanne.  The waves had not calmed down, so Lorraine took a Marezine and shortly went to play cards.  We had a great time and by the end of the evening, the guys won one match and the ladies one the other.  We got back to the boat about 930pm and Lorraine fixed a fried egg sandwich and then popcorn.  We got to bed about 1030pm.


Sunday, January 9
Blackpoint, Bahamas

Last night was the best sleep I've had in a while.  We woke about 630am and I jumped up thinking that I was going to miss Chris Parker's weather, but then Phil reminded me that he wasn't on as it's Sunday.  The anchorage was glassy this morning, which was great from the waves we had yesterday.    We started off the day heating up water to wash up.  I washed up while Phil went for a swim to wash the bottom and then he also washed up.  We had breakfast of cereal and then we decided to tackle the job of bedding the stern rail on the port side.  I emptied the quarter berth and then we did the most forward deck flange first using Dolphinite to bed the flange to the deck.

Stern rail connections we bedded with Dolfinite

Phil is the position to reach arm inside

Then we took a look at the flanges on the stern and finding them loose we also worked on bedding those too.  Two hours later we were done.  Phil made sandwiches using the bread that we bought ($5/loaf) from Grandma (Lorraine's Mom).  She sells coconut bread, white bread and whole wheat bread (which wasn't available yesterday).  It was very good and I'm sure that we'll get another loaf before we leave.

In the middle of the above project, s/V Last Tango came into the anchorage from Staniel Cay and swam over to say Hi.  We haven't seen them since we met them in Annapolis.  We had a nice chat and hope to see them later at Lorraine's Cafe today.

I got out my Sailrite sewing machine to start working on making a vinyl cube to store my clothes in on the port shelf.  That was involved as we attached the binder attachment and then I put on the bendable LED light.  This machine really doesn't like the lightweight sewing thread and the double fold binding tape was too narrow even with the needle in the right position.  Looks like I'll have to use the Viking sewing machine, but I was too aggravated so put the machine away for another day.

About 2 pm we went to town first filling our water jerry jugs and then going to Lorraine's Cafe to watch the Baltimore Colts vs the Kansas City Chiefs - Baltimore won to our dismay (remember Art Model took the Cleveland Browns to Baltimore?) and use the internet.  We are planning on having dinner here.  We were the only ones here when we arrived but by 330pm Gord and Suzanne and the folks from M/V Tortola had arrived.   I wouldn't be surprised if more come later.

Tomorrow we plan to wash clothes.  It's $3.50/load to wash and about $4 to dry.  We plan to save some money by hanging out a lot of clothes on the boat and dry the sheets and towel in the dryers.  I'm sure there are plenty who also have that same idea so we hope to beat the rush and get there early.  There is to be a weak cold front coming through, but the winds are to be NE 15-20 knots and we are in a good anchorage for those winds.

fish Ian from S/V Stormy Weather gave us.