Black Point to Hopetown

Black Point North

Sunday, April 5, 2015. Easter.  We spent Sunday afternoon looking for another conch shell which could be made into a horn.  Greenstone has 4 on board – a bass, a baritone, a tenor and a soprano (sound based on the size of the horn).  We found a nice one, but it will have to be really cleaned.  Dinner at Scorpios’s with Down Time – hamburgers – been a while since we had one of these.  There is supposed to be a gospel concert at the school across from Scorpio’s, but it is late starting and it is looking like rain, so we head be to the boats.

Lady Francis (the “mail” boat) came in and has been here all week-end.  Someone said the captain came home for Easter.

Monday, April 6, 2015.  Rain overnight and the wind gusting from the south.  Pretty comfortable on the anchor where we are.  8am, rain squalls continue, wind S @ 15-20.  9:30 am, squalls pass to the north and the sun is out.  Anchor up, PC, 75 degrees.  Wind SE @ 15.  We are headed to Cambridge Key – sailing – making 6+ knots with just the head sail.

11am another rain squall.  The wind hits 25 knots and we are moving along at 7-8 knots.  We decide to go around the north side of Bell Island to Cambridge Key.  There is on part of the passage that is very narrow, but otherwise it is OK.  There is quite a complex on Bell Island.  It is owned by Aga Kahn, a Pakistani religious leader.  There is a hotel, 3 large houses, and a support complex that looks like 3 large buildings that look like airplane hangers, and a large dock, water processing plant, sewage plant and power station.  Lade Francis is there as we pass by unloading supplies.

2pm we anchor at the south end of Cambridge Key. Greenstone, Saber Tooth and Liesel are here. Rain squalls are still moving through.  At 7pm, we go over to Greenstone for a “movie night” James Bond Sky Fall.  Good James Bond flick.  10pm, we are back at the boat, and it rains again overnight.

Tuesday, April 7, 2015.  We want to dingy across the “cut” to the north end of Compass Cay to Rachel’s Bubble Bath (a pool where the surge from the waves comes up through the porus rocks like a bubble bath) and to Rocky Dundas (where there are caves to explore).  The wind and waves from these high winds make crossing the cut problematic so we may skip those adventures – save them for another trip.  The squalls are still moving through and the wind looks like it will hang around at least another couple of days.

Lisa went snorkeling this morning with Greenstone and Saber Tooth.  In the afternoon, we walk across the south end of Cambridge Cay to Honeymoon Beach with John and Nora (Saber Tooth).  The Coral Gardens are here, which are excellent for snorkeling. However, today it is much too rough.  As we start back across the island, a squall catches us and we are all soaked by the time we get back to the dingys and then back to the boats.  Dinner on board this evening.

Wednesday, April 8, 2015.  We lift the anchor at 8:55am.  Saber Tooth and Greenstone have already departed heading to Warderick Wells.  We follow.  It is sunny, wind SE 10-15.  It is 2 hours before high tide and there is 9 feet of water at Kiss Rock – the shallow spot in the channel at the south entrance to Cambridge Key anchorage.  It is called Kiss Rock because the shallow spot is right next to a small rocky island and many boats “kiss” the bottom here.

We are sailing with the head sail only, making 6+ knots all the way to Warderick.

At 11:10am we are on mooring E14 in the south mooring field.  Down Time, Saber Tooth and Greenstone are already here.  Lots of boats here today.  Lots of charter boats with lots of people on board – all on the beach or walking around Warderick – looks like South Beach, Miami.  After checking in at the Ranger Station, we dingy over to say hello to Greenstone and Saber Tooth and then head to the south end of the island to walk over to the “Pirates Lair”.  There is another anchorage on the east side of the island called Hogs Cay.  It is narrow and almost invisible from  Exuma Sound.  Pirates used to hide in here and wait on ships coming out of the cut to ambush them.  Someone even marked the pirate camp with a large black “X” in the beach. It is actually a beautiful spot, secluded, safe and has a beautiful beach.  Maybe next time we will stay here instead of on the other side of the island.

We found a conch horn in the surf that someone had started, but not finished.  It is about the same size as the one Roger (Down Time) made for Lisa, so we will finish it and add it to the collection.

Dinner on Board with Saber Tooth,  Down Time came over for dessert (Lisa made rice pudding and Nora made her cookies) – and then a game of Mexican Train.

We heard Kachina today on the radio, and then they called on the phone, which surprise, surprise, actually connected.  Phone and internet service are almost non-existent in Exuma Park.  Everywhere else in the Bahamas, we have ,so far, had at least some minimal service.  Kachina is at Norman’s Cay heading to Nassau, and then over to the Abacos overnight on Saturday.  Hopefully, we will catch up with them again.

Thursday, April 9, 2015.  Dropped the mooring at 9:40am.  Partly Cloudy, wind SE @ 10-15.  1:30pm we pick up a mooring at Shroud Cay.  We managed to sail the whole way. Great!  I don’t know why 150 motor yachts want to be on a mooring designed for a 65 foot boat, but many do.  We just watched one pick up the mooring with the crewman hanging upside down from the bow railing with a boat hook to reach it.  Fun to watch!  Non-sense.

Lisa and I went for a dingy ride.  The guide book says only try to do the mangrove creeks at high tide.  The whole center of the island is mangroves.  Now we know why.  I am sure it is very shallow in the mangroves, but even outside as we toured around the island, there are many places that are not passable at low tide.  We went around the north end of the island to an un-named beach.  It was a beautiful spot – limestone rock about 10 feet high bordering a beautiful beach.  One of the prettiest we have seen.  Back to the boat for sunset and dinner on board.

Friday, April 10, 2015. We dingy across the island through the north river.  We started at 10am, mid-tide.  The “river” comes out on the east side of the island at a lovely little beach.  We then climbed the hill to “Camp Driftwood”, which is not a camp, but was at one time.  Lovely spot where you can see both sides of the island.  As we came out of the “river” on the west side of the island, we noticed a large power boat headed up the “creek” nearest Rhiannon.  The guide book says no motorized vessels except in the most northern “river”, but when we motored over, there is a sign saying 3mph speed limit and no jet skis.  Sure enough we are passed by 2 jet skis going full throttle.  This creek actually runs into the “river”, but also ends on the east side of the island at a “cul-de-sac” where you can walk over to yet another beach – nice.  We finally get back to Rhiannon at 2 pm.  Too much sun!  Saber Tooth and Greenstone are here and soon we see then coming from the north “river” in their dingys.  We get to visit with them for a bit.

Saturday, April 11, 2015.  7:40am, we drop the mooring.  Wind SE 10-15, but it was much stronger overnight.  Sunny, 75 degrees.  Saber Tooth and Greenstone have already departed for Cape Eleuthera and we can see them in the distance.  We are headed for Current Cut on the NW corner of Eleuthera.  8am fore sail out – making 6 knots.

Kachina is in Nassau. Down Time has decided to stay in the Exumas for a while.  Adagio is in Black Point and is meeting Jen’s parents in Staniel Cay on the 21^st for her birthday and Joellen’s.

2:30pm.  The wind dies and we motor sail.  The tack of the main is loose (again), so we tie it down.  We are going to have to come up with a better solution. Somewhere about where we are now, we leave the Exumas and are back in Eleuthera.

4pm, we furl the main.  Motoring, no wind, sunny 85 degrees.  The seas here at the top end of Exuma Sound are rolly.

5pm, we turn into Current Cut.  The tide is with us, so an easy transit.  This is a bit like Wood’s Hole, rocky, lots of current, and you don’t want to go through against the current if you don’t absolutely have to.

5:15pm, we are anchored at North Beach on the west side of Current Cut.  Calm here, no current either. 

To our west is a catamaran that is low in the water and being towed toward Spanish Wells.  Not good.

58NM, 70SM today. 25°24.75’N  076°47.37’W

Rain clouds gathering at sunset.

Sunday April 12, 2015. Showers overnight.  Anchorage is calm.  We are on the west side of Current Cut Settlement and there are some nice houses here along the beach.  We have breakfast and the anchor is up at 10am.  Sunny 80 degrees, wind SE @ 5-10.  Noon, Partly Cloudy, some look like they contain rain.  As we are entering Spanish Wells, we see the catamaran again, still being towed and very low in the water.  It looks like it is being towed to shallow water. 

At 1:30pm we meet Treadwell (Dockmaster) on the dock at Spanish Wells Yacht Haven.  The cruising guide says the marina is being re-constructed, but what is being built is a restaurant and some hotel units, which look like they will be very nice when completed – sort of like those at Staniel Cay.  15NM, 18SM today.  25°32.46’N  076°45.37’W.

It is Sunday and everything except the marinas and the restaurants are closed. We have a late lunch at the Shipyard, a new restaurant at the far east end of the island, very nice.  The food and the view were good. We rented a golf cart and toured the island, as well as Russell Island, which is connected by a bridge.  Spanish Wells is a pretty town.  Russell Island is more rural.

We had dessert for dinner at Anchor Snacks – excellent apple pie ala mode.

Monday April 13, 2015. We made use of the golf cart to run errands – The Ponderosa Shell Shop (Delroy Sweeting) – third generation – bought a beautiful conch horn that his grandfather still makes.  Delroy collects license plates from all over the Bahamas, so if you are somewhere and find one, he will appreciate it.  Pinders Marine and Hardware for epoxy, a plug for the dingy and other stuff they didn’t have.  Allisha was very helpful.  Dave’s Dive Shop for charcoal for the head vent – none, but they did have fresh eggs.  Then the bank, grocery (a good one here), propane, gas, diesel, water.  We had lunch at Buddha’s 9no conch salad – have to come back after 2pm.  Used to be a small “snack shack” in a converted school bus, and then he managed to get a license to sell liquor and open a bar (Spanish Wells used to be dry).  His business now takes up what used to be his whole back yard.  The availability of liquor on the island spawned the Shipyard restaurant and the one being built at Spanish Wells Yacht Haven.  We went back for dinner and Lisa got her conch salad.  Our waitress was Allisha (from Pinders Marine).

The people at the Spanish Wells Yacht Haven have been very helpful.  Treadwell is the dockmaster as went out of his way for whatever we needed.  Angie is the secretary, shes about 80, and has been friendly and spent time telling Lisa a bit of the island.

The catamaran that was having issues actually went aground on the east side of Current Island.  They had anchored overnight there (on the lee shore), their anchor drug, and they went aground stern first onto the rocks.  The couple was rescued by the mail boat.  The Catamaran is now sitting on the “lift” at R&B Marine.  The rudders and props and shafts are gone.  There are now big patches in both hulls.  While at dinner at Buddhas, we saw a couple at the next table we recognized from Lorraine’s in Black Point.  Turns out it is their catamaran!  They have not seen the boat since they were rescued.  They said it was seriously taking on water when they left the boat.

Tuesday, April 14, 2015.  We are off the dock at 7:30am with the assistance of Dennis for the next slip.  He and Alli are care taking a Bahamian Smack that has been completely re-done.  Beautiful!  No issues getting out of the convoluted channel heading north. Sunny, 75 degrees, the wind is East at 15-20 and there are big rollers (Kachina warned us) – we are crossing a stretch of the North Atlantic and the water here is 9000 feet deep!

10am - wind has lessened, not as rough, but still those big ocean rollers.

3pm – the tachometer has stopped working.  We were warned that this might happen with the solar panels, as the batteries can get “over-charged”, causing the alternator to shut down.  The tachometer actually runs off alternator.

3:30pm – the engine is stalling.  The last time this happened, we finally had to have the fuel “polished” and the fuel tank cleaned. 

4:14pm – we are through Little Harbor Cut and the anchor is down at Lynyard Cay.  Sunny, 85 degrees, wind E@10-15.

55 NM, 66SM today.  26°21.81’N 076°59.12’W

Wednesday, April 15, 2015.  Tax Day.  Sunny, wind SSE 15+.  Rain clouds to the west of us.Boat chores this morning.  Now that the batteries have been used all night, the tachometer is again working, as the alternator is putting out electricity.  We do have a spre alternator on board, if needed.  We changed the primary fuel filter (Racor) and the secondary (on the engine).  Hopefully, that will “cure” the engine stalling. We also cleaned out the A/C water strainer, as the A/C is complaining.  The generator now won’t start, and we find a lead to the fuel pump that has disconnected itself.  Rough seas causing all this?

We raise the anchor at 12:50pm and head over to Tilloo Pond.  Adagio has told us there are lots of sea turtles there.  We arrive at 2pm, and get an anchor down.  It is a bit choppy, and we decide to wait for the morning to go snorkeling.  We can still see heavy rain to the west, but it doesn't get here.

Thursday, April 16, 2015.  Cloudy at sunrise, but the clouds are dissipating.  Wind SSE@10.  This morning we went snorkeling at Tilloo Pond.  On the way in to the pond, we saw four sea turtles.  Once inside the pond, we “dingy drift”  (hang on to the dingy and snorkel) the entire length of the pond and did not see one turtle.  The water in the pond is murky. Once back to the boat, we showered on the stern and worked on getting this blog updated.

At 2pm, we lift the anchor and head toward Hopetown.  The water is very skinny there and we plan to get through that water at mid-tide with the tide rising.  It is now sunny, 80 degrees, the wind SE@5.  We can see rain in the distance and it looks like we are sailing straight toward it.  It is a convoluted course to get there, around a couple of large sand banks, and as we go, the rain seems to be passing to our north.  We get a couple of sprinkles, but that’s all.  At 4:30, the skies have cleared and as we approach Hopetown, we see Majestic Phoenix anchored.  We call on the VHF and find out they just arrived from Nassau.  Once inside the harbor, we see Kachina on a mooring.  There is no place to anchor here, but lots of moorings and we find one.  Capt. Jack (owns a restaurant of the same name) was going to hold one of his for us, but none came available.  11NM 13.2SM today.  26°32.25’N  076°57.52’W

Hopetown is a beautiful spot.  It reminds one of New England, small quaint wood houses like you would see in Oak Bluffs on the Vineyard.  We meet Phil and Joanne from Majestic Phoenix and Kachina at Capt. Jacks for dinner.  Very nice time.  Trivia night.  Some of the questions were very obscure.  Afterward, we went to Munchies for ice cream.  The whole town closes up at 7pm, except for the restaurants, and even those are clearing out.

Friday, April 17, 2015.  We walk over to the beach (about 150 feet from the dingy dock) and spend some time walking the beautiful beach.  Benny found another sea bean (a sea heart) and gave it to Johanne.  If you have one on your boat, it is supposed to keep it from sinking - one more boat safe!  Then it's on the Capt. Jack's for refreshment. At 4:30, we all met at the light house to climb the 102 steps to the top, then back to the boat to prepare for tonight's pot luck dinner on-board Kachina.

Click this link for more info on Hopetown and the Lighthouse.

Lisa made her carrot, cucumber and onion salad with Chinese sauce - mmmm good.  The dinner was nice, but the rains came, so everyone headed home relatively early.

Saturday, April 18, 2015. This morning, our cockpit is full of people and there are 6 dingys tied to our stern.  Outbound (Steve and Deb) have arrived.  Phil (Majestic Phoenix) stops by to see if we want to rent a golf cart and go exploring, Mike and Fran (October Moon, who we met in Vero Beach 2 years ago) stop by, Child's Play (Dan and Judy, Marshfield, MA) also stop by too.  So does Kachina (on their way to rent bicycles).

Later, around noon, we rented a golf cart with Majestic Phoenix (Phil, Johanne and Cricket) and drove to the south end of the island to Tahiti Beach.  Some beautiful scenery and homes along the way, but the beach was just OK.  The rains came again and we drove the golf cart under one of the newly constructed houses to wait it out.  Then on to On Da Beach for liquid refreshment.  We managed to get back to the boat before the rain started again.  Dinner was with Outbound (Steve and Deb) and October Moon (Mike and Fran), at the Hopetown Inn and Marina. Very nice evening.  We are moored just across the channel from the Harbor Edge Restaurant.  Tonight they have a live band.  Music is good.

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