Exploring Black Point

We've had a couple of exciting days, but then days on Adirondack are almost always exciting. The dinghy has been wandering, though has come back to us. This is really important for your dinghy is a real workhorse when you are cruising. It lets you get into shore for walks and to town for groceries and to other boats for visits.

We keep moving south - we're now farther south than we have ever been on the boat. The Exumas are a chain of islands that are part of the Bahamas and we are working our way down them. The weather determines when and where you go. Every morning we "have coffee with Chris" - listening to the weather report on the single side band receiver (the SSB) coming out of central Florida and reported by Chris Parker. He gives the weather for the whole of the Bahamas at 6:30 then takes calls from boats with transmitters, so you often get good extra information listening for boats near you that are going the same direction. The islands, called "cays" and pronounced "keys," protect you from the prevailing easterly winds, but if a cold front comes through, the winds clock around to the west and you have to look for a protected harbor.

We came to Black Point Settlement yesterday. It is a small town on Great Guana Cay with a lovely big harbor that is filling up with boats today. There's been a wind from the northwest, so the sailboats are moving south. The town is mainly one street long, with three restaurants, a store - "Adderley's Friendly Store" - and a "laundermat" that sells a variety of hardware items, some snacks, straw baskets and haircuts.

We had a great walk today to the north end of the cay and came back to town for conch salad and to pick up a loaf of coconut bread made by Lorraine's mother. Tonight we are going to the weekly buffet at Lorraine's Cafe with a lot of other cruisers. Tomorrow we'll head further down the cay and hope to get to Little Farmers Cay and finally to Lee Stocking Island then head back to meet the boys the middle of March at Staniel Cay. Sally