Black Point

Saturday morning we got up early and headed over to a little cove just South of Black Point. We had opted to anchor here for the night just to check out some of these beaches and this cove was just calling my name!

We loaded up the mutt and dinghied in to the cove and were not disappointed. The water was crystal clear and it was perfect for an early morning swim. There was a large storm passing just West of us and we waited until we were sure it wasn't headed in the same direction we were before we headed back to the mothership.

We upped anchor at 10am and jib sailed the short (5m) to Black Point where we found a perfect anchor spot close to town. We got the hook down and headed into town. There was an event going on at the local school - food, music and games - to raise money for the kids. The food smelled delicious and we couldn't help but give in and support the kids. It was some of the best local bahamaian fare we have had since being here!

The music blared from town all through the day, the sky was cloudless and the water was clear and inviting. So, after soaking in some rays, we decided to jump in for a cool down. Brad got motivated and started scrubbing the bottom....as you can see, I just monitored his progress and took lots of pictures. Hey, someone has to be the photog!!

We capped off the evening with a few rousing games of Battleship at sunset and then a movie to end the day. It was a perfect Exuma day!! Tomorrow we head up to Staniel Cay to rendevous with old friends!


Waiting for this nasty storm to pass us by:

This definitely qualifies as a blue job!

Georgetown Take 2

Well, here we are back in Georgetown. Even though we never thought we would end up back here, we have made the best of it and only stayed for a few days before heading farther North up the Exumas.

We did get to meet up with some friends that were still lingering around town (most of the cruisers start heading back to the States by now) and we sailed into town just in time for a poker night. I decided I would join Brad up at St. Francis for dinner since they make my favorite cracked conch (seriously...just like crack).

We made time to do a few repairs to the boat, stock up on food and water and refill our fuel jerry jugs. Then we relaxed and enjoyed some serious beach time with the mutt and hiked around Stocking Island a bit, including a trip up to the Monument, which looks out across the whole harbour.

Unfortunately, while we were there, the local straw market, which was a building housing about ten women's goods for sale, went up in flames. It was a devastating blow to this community, as so many of the local families rely on that business. We could see the flames from across the harbour - all the straw (including a thatched roof) made for quite a blaze. We went in to town the next day and walked past the remains - devastating. But, by 4pm that afternoon, all the rubble had been cleared and it seemed that the town was banding together to get it rebuilt post haste. We couldn't stick around to see the final product, but hope they get it done quickly, as the Family Island Regatta is right around the corner.

We left Georgetown at first light on Friday morning and headed out into open seas. We threw out a fishing line in hopes of luring in a mahi, but it was to no avail. We had a good sail in calm seas and were happy to make it to the Exuma Sound well before dark and get the hook down in time to go for a quick dip and enjoy a spectacular sunset.

All In is the first Sailboat on the left....so close to the beach we would swim ashore to take Koa swimming!

The day that never ends

We left Long Island yesterday and have a beautiful downwind sail back to Georgetown. We made great time and had the hook down by 3pm. It reaffirmed our love of sailing and also our decision to go with the winds instead of against.

Unfortunately, as soon as we got the hook down there was work that needed to be done. Usually, we set the hook and toast the anchor gods with a rum drink while enjoying the rest of a lazy evening. Not today!

We had gotten some bad water in Long Island and so we had to empty the tanks and put some bleach through the lines and then re-empty them. We had to do the same with our water jerry jugs, so it was a bit of a task. And, on top of that, our fresh water pump went up and we had to replace that as well. (We = Brad = Blue job). No rest for the weary.

So, as Brad was elbow deep replacing the water pump, I was handling the jerry jugs and cleaning the boat when Koa picked that moment to upchuck his breakfast. He always hides his head in the corner and so got not only the salon cushions, but down the side of the couch, into the area where we store all of our bags (bookbags, grocery sacks, etc) and all over the carpet. Fabulous.

So, after all the cleaning, cleansing the water and replacing of the water pump, we had to run into town to get enough water to last us through the night before we could finally settle down for the night. We were both exhausted and barely made it through dinner before crashing.

Needless to say, we will be taking the next couple of days to relax, reprovision, catch up with friends and have lots of lazy beach time. Can't wait....

Sushi!!!

After listening to the weather for five days and hearing Chris Parker say that this was a terrible time to go South, we finally agreed and decided to turn tail for the homeland. We are going to enjoy the Exumas on the way home, but then will head up the East Coast. We were thrilled we got out to see Conception again this year, as it is always a favorite stop. And we had the added bonus of meeting a few new boating friends who will also be heading our way.

We headed out early Friday morning; squalls in this area seem to pick up around noon and we wanted to be in the lee of Long Island by that time. The winds were heavier than we had expected and therefore the waves were also more than we had anticipated, but the wind was on the beam and we were making a solid 7 knots (great for our boat!) so we pressed on.

We had thrown out two fishing lines off the stern and I was hopeful we would catch a mahi as this was a great cruising speed for trolling. We had Koa laying peacefully on the side seat and Moo squeezed in beside me in the companionway seat, when suddenly we heard....zzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZeeeeee!!! It was the sound of BOTH rods hitting at the exact same time! We all jerked up and everyone was still for half a second as if we couldn't believe that had just happened, and then - utter mayhem.

I jumped for one rod and Brad jumped for the other, while still keeping one hand on the helm. Koa jumped up and was barking furiously and jumping all around the cockpit and Moo was screaming because he didn't know what was going on! We managed to get control over both of the rods and then took a second to figure out the logistics of this fiasco. It was decided that I would hold one rod and take the helm while Brad reeled in one of the fish. I was sure at this point that there was no way we were going to be able to land both of these fish.

Brad began reeling his fish in and I kept the boat pointed downwind and also would occasionally try to reel in a bit of my line. We got the first fish to the back of the boat and saw it was a tuna! Yay!! Sushi!! At this point we realized we needed to get our barking maniacal dog downstairs so we didn't accidentally gaff him! So Brad took both poles and the helm while I scooted the pets downstairs and got all the things on the cockpit sole out of the way so we could throw the fish there. Then, I returned to the helm and took the poles (now holding two poles and the helm) while Brad grabbed the gaff and brought the fish on board.

Then, he reeled in the second fish while I manned the helm. This fish put up more of a fight and took a bit longer to get in. When we finally got him to the back of the boat, he was flopping around so much it took Brad quite awhile to get the gaff in him. But, we did it!! We brought both fish into the cockpit, dumped (cheap) vodka down their gills and then rejoiced in our good luck!!

Of course the cockpit and us were covered in fish blood and scales, but we had sushi for days!! We were close to being in the calmer water of the lee of Long Island, so let the fish and blood sit until we could move about the boat without fear of falling over.

We finally reached Salt Pond at 4 pm, after a long day of sailing and motor bashing and couldn't have been happier to get the hook down and cook up our fresh fish! Let the feast begin!!


We aren't the cleanest fishermen, that's for sure...

Sushi!!!!

Conception Island

Well, after yet another unsuccessful windward sail, we ended up in Conception Island...not such a bad place to be stuck.

We left early this morning, knowing we were heading to windward and would have to tack a few times to make the 30 mile run to Rum Cay. We started out doing great - we were having a decent sail, although a bit more exciting than we prefer, but we were able to tack once and point in the general correct direction. We were making good time when we spotted a squall approaching from the SouthEast, so we opted to tack back North early to try to avoid it.

Unfortunately, this was the beginning of the end. Once we tacked back North, the wind shifted around the squall and we couldn't get close to our previous SouthEast direction. We tacked back and forth seven times before we realized that there was no way we were making it to Rum Cay before dark (if at all) and we opted instead for the more Northerly Conception Island. With another tack, we made it in before dark, exhausted and down trodden.


After listening to Chris Parker the following morning - the omniscient weather guru that all the cruisers listen to on their SSBs first thing in the morning - we realized that the wind was going to be strong out of the East for the next couple days. So, we decided to enjoy Conception for a few days (who wants to venture back out immediately after being so tossed around anyway?!) and hope that the weather broke soon!


Reefs for days!

Koa wanted to sail this raft to Cuba....we told him no.

Beach was beautiful and water was breathtakingly clear!!

Watching the turtles with some friends:

Beautiful reefs and the elusive elkhorn coral this island is known for:

Say Uncle

Do you remember when you were a kid and someone would come up behind you and twist your arm up and behind your back until the pain was unbearable and you would call "Uncle"? Well, that pretty much sums up how we are feeling about heading South. After more than a few sails due windward in wind that was less than friendly, we have been considerably beaten up and disheartened. We sailed for 9 hours the other day, doing 8 different tacks and only made it 18 miles (from Long Island to Conception) by the grace of God....and we still weren't at our intended destination (Rum Cay). So, with many many mixed emotions about this decision, we have decided that sailing to windward isn't for us and that a trip down island is just not in the cards for us at this point. We have decided to keep the fun and enjoyment in sailing and head back North, along the East Coast where we can choose our winds or choose to go through the ICW if winds are not where we can use them to our benefit.

This has not been an easy decision, especially for me as I really had my heart set on making it down there to meet up with old friends. I have been less than dignified about accepting defeat, but even I have to admit that sailing downwind today was so much more enjoyable that our previous sails.

After speaking with several other boaters who were in the same predicament or who knew people who were having lots of trouble heading South this year, it did make us feel a bit better. It seems the winds are just very Easterly this year and are causing trouble for many sailors who want to travel down island.

Of course, as always, our plans are written in the sand at low tide. If a window opens up while we are sitting here licking our wounds, we may give it another go. But for now, we are happy to be in a safe anchorage and to travel with the winds instead of against them.