April 9-10, 2021 Compass Cay to Black Point Settlement

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Some days are just made for sailing. With a perfect wind we headed south from Compass Cay across the flat waters of the Exuma Bank.  The water flashes from turquoise to clear deep blue.  An ocassional rock sticking up from the otherwise sand bottom keeps us paying attention, but otherwise this is very easy and carefree sailing.  

There are four potential destinations for today.  We settle on the community of Black Point.  We are far enough south now to be in a less traveled section of the Exuma Cays, but there are still a dozen yachts in Black Point Settlement harbor. No problem, plenty of room for one more.We recognize boats here that we saw in the secluded sections of the Berry Islands who have made their own transits to the south.

Black Point is one of the largest settements in the Exuma Island chain. 
 The harbor is decently protected from any wind with an eastern component.  We count about  20 modest buildings fringing the harbour.  One of these building houses a laundry described in the guidebook as the best and cheapest ($4.25/load)  laundry in the Exuma Islands.  Every cruiser we talked to said they came here for the laundry or the free drinking water near the town landing.  There is also a small grocery, $2/bag trash disposal  and three restaurants that all seemed to be doing well.  Which makes for an interesting lesson in island economics: a good laundry and willingness to share the water draws cruisers and their money in here instead of other choices nearby.  

April 10
The morning wake up in Black Point Settlement is to a cacaphony of roosters crowing and the cries of gulls.  Loud, but not unpleasant at all.  If you replace the seagulls  with gobbling turkeys it felt like being 7 yrs old waking up at my grandparents' in Southern Illinois.  Except then the bed didn't rock with the waves.

We spent the morning cleaning sand from floors, taking stock and reorganizing thd galley provisions. 3 onions, 2 carrots, 6 potatoes snd a yam are pretty much the fresh veg left, but that's not bad for as long as we've been gone. (We last bought groceries in St Augustine.)  We're still eating well.

Then a big treat! A trip to town for a restaurant meal and a few groceries.  After 2 months at sea, possibly THE BEST meal ever!

Just look at those happy faces!
From our table on the deck we watched the rays and baracuda patrol the waters below, great entertainment.

A stop at Adderly's general store yielded eggs, a cabbage, bananas and a plantain, but no onions.  Not a lot of selection- the mail boat brings supplies on Thursday, we are here on Saturday- but what there was will be much appreciated.

Comments

Edward A Vinson said…
Black Point brings back good memories of speaking and singing in the church there. Our friends, Sharon and Charles Vassalos on “Providenza” taught piano there with the kids and helped build sailing proms for racing.
No restaurant when we were there in the 90s.
April 10, 2021 at 6:40 PM
Lynn and Ed said…
You guys look happy to be there! It’s amazing what a few amenities can do for you after so much time on a boat.
April 11, 2021 at 12:14 PM
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