Log of the Natie M

2/10/09 Departed early this morning for the first northerly run up to Black Point on Guana Cay. I had bypassed it earlier so as to assure a good anchorage and beat the rush to Little Farmers Cay and the regatta. As it turned out the high winds and cool weather (actually had to break out the long pants and fleece again!) meant for a lean turnout both in cruisers and race boats. Black point was a settlement set up for freed slaves and I was told is a genuine Bahamian village. Having heard that before, I was a little skeptical, the taint of wealthy retired white Americans in their yachts no doubt having made their mark there as elsewhere in the Bahamas. My negative notion was disproved though on my visit. I turned the point into the harbor to the visage of hundreds of vessels in the anchorage. The numerous masts almost forming a haze of sticks that blocked the horizon. I noted a small little harbor just inside the point called Regatta point with only two boats. The depth was a little iffy but recognizing one of the boats as a fellow solo cruiser that I had got to know back at Exumas Park, I stuck my nose in to check it out. Roger called over that this was a good little anchorage with decent shelter from the east wind that was blowing at 20+ kts, so I probed further towards the public park and dock and beach there. I was able to get as close as 150 feet from the shore and still had 8 feet under me. I set the anchor in good sand and got the dinghy deployed. From the boat it was an ideal anchorage, just outside of town and out of the tightly packed sardine can that was the main anchorage. The first thing that needed to be addressed was the very low water supply that I had been dealing with. My main tank was dry and I was living on the occasional refilling of gallon water jugs from municipal hydrants at Farmers for quite awhile. I hauled in some jugs and was able to find a town hydrant, which is basically a yard hydrant attached to schedule 40 pipe coming out of the ground or running along the road at the surface. With all the rock and stone on the cays it must be murder to lay pipe. Anyway, after walking a few minutes down the road, some mothers busy weaving palm fronds directed me to the hydrant and I filled 4 gallons and hauled them back to the boat. I did this 4 more times and was able to build my water supply up to 14 gallons or so. I spent the rest of the day walking the town and visiting with old cruiser friends that I was able to get reacquainted. I noted walking through town the boat yard that H20 was built and talked with several friendly locals. It is a town that, though geared towards servicing visiting cruisers, still had the Bahamian flair. I had been told that it was the center of local fishing in the area, and that many of the poachers that plague the Exumas Park come from this settlement. I assume they look at it as many of the waterman I met on the Chesapeake, that it's their livelihood and that all fish are theirs by birthright. Nevertheless, everyone was extremely friendly whether a vendor or talking with someone along a remote side road. Ended the day at the Scorpio Bar and Restaurant who had a good happy hour with free Wi-Fi. 2/10/09 - Rudder Cay 1500 N23 52.45' W76 14.55' Early up and away, heading once again southwards to Rudder Cay to anchor in a shallow bay at 3 in the afternoon for some snorkeling and hopefully some fresh seafood. Unfortunately all the big fish, and not that many, had other ideas. I took the dinghy over to a nearby cave (pictures on blog) and swam around a bit. Some fish but it was pretty obvious that others had been here before me. My intention is that in the morning I would take the tide out into the Exumas sound to the east and make the 30 or so miles for Elizabeth Harbor on Great Exumas. Nice anchorage with moon light I could make out the starfish that littered the sand below. 2/12/09 With the first light I made for Rudder Cut which would lead me out of the banks and into Exumas Sound. It was very scenic with white cliffs along the numerous small Cays and rock. The boat yawed with the strong tidal current and I kept my hand on the helm while taking numerous bearings on the reefs and rocks that lined the passage. As I have related before, the combination of the narrow cuts with the tides and winds can make for some very dicey passages as you wind your way around the countless obstacles. By 1000 I was out and approaching ledge where the sea bottom in a matter of seconds drops from 60 or so feet down to 2000 plus feet. You can tell by the color from the light turquoise to the deep blue of the deep. Again my attempts at providing protein for myself were in vain. I dragged the trolling line astern for 20 miles and not a nibble unless you count the bushel basket of Sargasso weed I hauled in (anyone know a recipe?). I did have an exciting encounter with a school of Mahi Mahi that where violently broaching the surface apparently tearing into a school of small fish. They would zig zag, leaving wakes of foam and spray and moving at incredible speed. I altered course so as to offer them my lure but as the Natie M. would approach the school, they would sound and then reappear off my beam. I could easily make out the large foreheads of these speed demons of the deep as they cleared the surface. It was very dramatic. Alas not one of them seemed to be interested in my invitation to dinner. It was a close reaches most of the way down with light winds. I was able to supplement my progress with some motoring but barely burned 2 gallons the whole way. By 17:30 I was entering the north passage into Elizabeth harbor. As it was getting dark I anchored over by Stocking Cay, the barrier island for the harbor and soon made contact with another cruiser friend who invited me over for dinner and catch up. Long day, but to end it with drinks and a good meal in a calm harbor is the best medicine. 2/13/09 I motored over to Kidde Harbor which is right on Georgetown, the main town of Great Exumas. Docking initially at the marina there I took on water and gasoline and set the anchor just off town in the harbor. 2/18/09 N23 30.241' W75 45.880' Kidde Harbor, Georgetown, Great Exumas Have been anchored here since the 13th. I've been keeping busy with boat chores and exploration of the island while I wait for some parts for the ULI board and mail from my brother in Florida. On two separate days I loaded the road bike into the dinghy for a ride to the south end of the island on the first day and to the north end two days later. Both bike rides were fun, though I'm a bit out of shape. I had planned on the first south run, a Saturday, to rely on the local stores for fluids. This is always a good way to meet people and learn the local info that makes a foray into the hinterland interesting. I was getting a little dehydrated as every store was closed or shuttered. Maybe it was a holiday. Finally found a place at a small settlement that although closed had a sign which I thought said in essence, go in and if there is something you want, go across the road to the green house. Picking out a much needed cold Gatorade out of the fridge I alternately strolled and gulped my way to the green house across and up a small hill. Arriving just as I finished off the artificial sustenance, I knocked on the door and encountered a rather put out older woman who asked if the sign said help yourself and that she was just about to call the police. I, at first thinking she had to be joking, quickly apologized. It took her a while to realize that I had not looted the store and that my intention was to pay. She was very stern but soon warmed. I noticed that upon observing some passing young girls who had stopped to pick up a stray coconut in her yard, she scolded them for not asking. The girls, having obviously known this grand and powerful woman, quickly and courteously asked for permission. I had to stifle a smile to see the girls so apologetic and polite to their neighbor. One thing I must note is that I have never encountered a child in the Bahamas that was not the most polite and obedient to their parents or other adults, no matter what age. It is deeply ingrained into their culture and much to their credit. The second bike ride was more interesting as I took the queen's highway to the north end and the settlement of Barraterre where several of the boats in the regatta had their homeport and where a noted boat builder was. It was a long ride hot but very scenic. I passed some interesting settlements and several farms. I also passed several of the large resorts complete with golf courses and even lawns. Grass is not something grows easily here. I wondered how they made that much water. Most water supplies on the islands, either private or municipal are Reverse Osmosis based systems. In other words desalinization plants which makes water an extremely valuable and expensive resource. When you consider a distribution system based mostly on plastic pipe, there must be a significant loss to leakage. I don't know for sure but it must be very subsidized by the government. The farms were small and mostly from what I could see, papaya, banana and coconuts. I could see the farmers moving through what seemed to be random plantings with their machetes. After 3 or so hours I made it to Barraterre. It took all of half hour to ride the town and unfortunately once again most everything was closed. I did locate the boatyard and walked around a bit accompanied by the local dog who did not take well to my visit. The local bar and convenience store too was unoccupied as was the Bonefish lodge. Finally I was able get some water from a man's yard who graciously offered after I knocked on his door first. The ride back was long and hot and it was a sore sailor that made it back to the boat at 3 pm. The rest of the time here has been spent on boat chores and provisioning. The later of which has been made especially pleasant with numerous visits to the famous Exumas Markets. This is a small grocery store that caters to the cruiser with the best selection I've seen in awhile. Almost every time I go into port I stop there to browse and always end up purchasing another item or two. On my last visit I pleasantly discovered that my package from the state arrived. Just in time as I had pretty much used up most of the sightseeing options for the island, that is if you exclude eating and drinking which I had pretty much explored to a sufficient extent, much to the detriment of my cruising budget. With the arrival of the parts I can now start monitoring the weather for a window to the next destination, either the Jimentos cays or Long Island. Either destination is remote so may not be in touch for awhile. Mark