Long Island Revisited – February 17 to 28, 2012

Joe’s Sound on Long Island has become one of our favorite stops and was our destination after a short stay in Georgetown. About six hours after leaving Georgetown we had crossed Exuma Sound via the Middle Rocks and North Channel Rocks waypoints and were anchored in the narrow channel that is Joe’s Sound.

 Not long after the anchor was down the strong current swung us towards the shore and our starboard rudder was on the bottom.

We put out a stern anchor and used it to hold us in the deeper water. After reviewing the predicted weather pattern for the next few days Tom decided that it would be better to turn around in order to have the bows pointed north where the stronger winds were expected from. It was a tricky manoeuver to get the two anchors back up and down again with the current pulling us along the channel and the wind off our beam pushing us into the shallow water. Let it be said that we should have been using the marriage-saver headsets for that exercise.

After working on the ever present job list for a while we took the dinghy out to explore the channels that are defined at low tide.

We ran out of enough water for the dinghy twice and had to turn around without reaching the other side of the sound.

The water was clean and warm and I walked/swam back to the boat. By the time I did the short swim across the deep channel the current from the incoming tide was quite strong. I had to swim at an angle away from the boat and the current pushed me upstream to the stern. Knowing my limitations as a swimmer, Tom stood by with the dinghy in case I needed rescuing.

A sunset wiener roast on the beach was organized for dinner. The fire was built with a perfect view of the sunset over Galliot Cay. We landed the dinghies on the small rocky beach next to the ruins of the Galliot Cay Yacht Club. Our bannock encrusted hot dogs (in lieu of hot dog buns) were a hit, even with the kids who claimed not to like hot dogs.

The Cape Santa Maria Resort is a dinghy ride away from the anchorage at Joe’s Sound but is open to Exuma Sound and unless you have a much bigger dinghy than ours you will probably get wet.

A stop at the Stella Maris Marina and Resort were also on our Long Island itinerary. We needed to do laundry, use the internet and clean the salt off the decks. Polar Pacer had not had a fresh water bath since marsh Harbour about seven weeks earlier.

We needed slack tide before we could tackle bringing up the anchors in the narrow channel. With headsets in place Tom pulled in the slack on the stern anchor as I let out more rode on the bow. We used a bit of engine to keep us off the shoals. Once the stern anchor was off the bottom and up on the back deck, Tom pulled up the bow anchor while I took the engine controls and followed his directions. Twenty minutes later we were freed and making our way out of Joe’s Sound. No yelling. No miss-communication.

We had a patch of coral to cross on the way to the marina. With the sun directly in front of us and scattered clouds above it was difficult to spot the dark patches in the water and then make the differentiation between a cloud shadow and a dangerous hard bit.

The channel marking system in to Stella Maris Marina was still intact after being subjected to the forces of Hurricane Irene in 2011.

 Polar Pacer in Stella Maris Marina.

A young manatee made a rare appearance in the marina, attracting a lot of attention. Manatees are not common anywhere in the Bahamas and there was considerable speculation as to how this one came to be there.

It is doubtful that it would have been strong enough to have come across the Gulf Stream from Florida but possible that it could have travelled north from Cuba or the Caribbean.

The Speed Queen Laundry near the marina was still functional after being flooded by Irene with a foot of salt water. The proprietor’s attached home was flooded as well and there was damage to the building’s roof. The only government support that was available to help Cynthia recover from the damage was some cleaning supplies. She was on her own for the rest. I was glad that Cynthia’s postage stamp collection was intact and I was able to make some contributions to it.

With the laundry done and a few boat jobs taken care of we were free to go and play at the resort for an afternoon. The resort shuttle picked us up as well as a snorkeling group that had been dropped off a few miles down island earlier in the day.

The other pick up location was the site of the former Millarton All Ages School that was abandoned with the introduction of a school bus that transports students to a larger, newer school where each grade has its own teacher and classroom.

My archeological observations revealed that the facility was last used for instruction in straw weaving.

Someone’s hard work, left behind.

The view from the Moonshine Beach Bar at the Stella Maris Resort..

Thompson Bay was our last Long Island stop and the last place we could provision before heading for Cuba. We spoke to boats who had just returned from Cuba and heard about their trips as well as others who were potential travelling companions for our upcoming passage.

A fishing fleet returning to Thompson Bay.

5F Aftermath

5F Aftermath – February 5 to 16, 2012

We woke to rolling waves coming around the end of the island and hitting on our starboard beam making Seahorse bump against Polar Pacer uncomfortably. We got the dinghy in place and prepared to leave after our morning coffee. We kept Seahorse rafted to us as we made our way through the anchorage. We did not want to take a chance of getting tangled up with the other boats. When we were out in open water Tom released the stern line and let out the towing bridle that he had set up. Seahorse was not about to cooperate. The sloop was content to travel off our starboard side and was not interested in following behind.

At times it even tried to pass us. We settled for the aft starboard position rather than trying to fight nature.

Superbowl and southeast winds sent many cruising boats back to Black Point in the aftermath of the 5F weekend. The anchorage was busy and the local bars and restaurants had full houses for their football parties. We went to Scorpio’s for the game but only lasted through Madonna’s half time show and 1, 2, 3, floor rum punches.

The aftermath of 5F also included repairs to Smashie. Tom and Harry repaired the mast in the backyard while Van was away at work on Sampson Cay.

 The sails were spread out in the sun to dry.

We said good bye to Sunday’s Child at Black Point. They were reluctantly heading north and back to employment commitments in the US. It had been great spending time with them and we hope to see them on the water again sometime. They are proof that you can take a boat to the Bahamas without all of the latest electronic gadgets and creature comforts like refrigeration and have a wonderful time.

The four lines we had out on our fishing trip south to Georgetown from Black Point were not as productive as we had hoped. The first mahi Tom landed was determined not to be caught. After being soundly thumped on the head a couple of times with a heavy winch handle it still had enough self-preservation to squirm out of Tom’s hands and back into the water over the side deck. The next one was carefully reeled in and being small enough was quickly trapped in the cooler with me sitting on the lid to prevent escape until it could be sufficiently subdued with a dose of isopropyl alcohol in its gills.

 No need for expensive fishing gear. A Cuban yo-yo will do the job.

It was a bit of culture shock being back in Georgetown. Too many boats, too many people, too much chatter on the radio. Just too much activity.

We noticed a few places getting fresh coats of paint. The gentleman applying a new shade of green to the customs building explained that they are getting ready for the big regatta in the spring. He was also eager to tell us that the Long Island contingent of sloop racers were threatening to boycott the regatta in Georgetown because the boats in Staniel Cay had boycotted their regatta for fear of retaliation last year’s race. The Breeze, a local newspaper, quoted an apparent verbal warning from a disgruntled Long

Island crew to Tida Wave that they were going “to bust her and sink her in Salt Pond.” Whatever happened to the t-shirt slogan “We all friends on land.”?

This one is for Sanuk – in case you eventually make to Georgetown and need to know how to get home.

There were a number of boats in Georgetown that expressed an interest in hearing about our experiences in Cuba the previous year. Tom made an announcement on the cruisers net that he would be willing to do a presentation on the beach if there was enough interest. Thirty people showed up at the first session representing about fifty boats. He did a second session for those who could not attend due to previous commitments.

There was much interest in our collection of charts and guide books covering Cuba. Toilet paper is also a major necessity.

Sometime during a trip to shore one of our hand held VHF radios went missing. With little hope of finding it Tom retraced his steps in town to see if anyone had found it. No luck at the liquor store across from Jonas’s Bikini Bottom take out or the Exuma Market grocery. The library was closed. The lady at the Top to Bottom hardware suggested that he check with the police station where they took down the information and skeptically suggested that we check back with them before we left town. We pulled up anchor and were on our way out of Kidd Cove when we heard a call on the VHF. “Polar Pacer. Polar Pacer. This is Barefootin’.“Someone by the name of Les had just been on the radio saying that he had found the radio. Barefootin’ knew that we were missing one and suggested that we give Les a call. Tom hailed Les who confirmed that he had found a radio that matched the description of ours. Down with the anchor, launch the dinghy and make a quick trip back in to Lake Victoria to meet Les at the Bikini Bottom where he works. Even with an extensive description of the radio which had no unique identifying characteristics, he was reluctant to turn the errant radio over to Tom until he was sure that he had the rightful owner. All of our hand held radios are now embellished with our boat name in white permanent marker.

This outboard will be easy to identify if it goes walkabout.

The busy dinghy dock in Lake Victoria.

One thing that was new in Georgetown that not nearly enough cruisers were making use of is the pump out boat operated by Elvis in an attempt to clean up the water in Elizabeth Harbour. With as many as 500 boats at anchor during the high point in the season and most of those boats emptying their holding tanks in the confines of the harbour, going for a swim is not very appealing. The tidal current that flows through can only flush so much out to sea. The $10 cost is very reasonable and we should all do our part to keep the area clean.

First Friday at Farmers

It's long past time to update this blog. Here's a start.

First Friday at Farmers Cay – February 1 to 4, 2012

We took on the responsibility of getting Seahorse to Farmer’s Cay for the upcoming 5F regatta. Knowing that towing the sloop would slow us down, we left a day early to ensure our arrival in time for the festivities.

  Manoeuvering Seahorse to our stern to attach the towing line.

Underway to Little Farmers

We anchored at White Point en route to Little Farmers where What If introduced us to the trivia board game called The Sailors’ Game. Similar to Trivial Pursuit, The Sailors’ Game has questions from various sailing categories such as Navigation, Boats and Equipment and Advanced Seamanship. The board simulates a race around the world where your boat must avoid storms, tack and observe a few basic racing rules. While a little outdated, it is quite appropriate to have on board a cruising boat and an enjoyable way to pick up sailing knowledge that might come in useful someday.

We had time to stroll the town before the official start of the festival and see if anything had changed since our last visit.

This ingenious tomato patch was new.

 The local public facilities. Not new.

 How many conch salads were made from these shells?

We stopped at Tasha’s grocery store on the lookout for fresh fruits and vegetables. We were told that they would arrive on the Captain C around 8AM the next morning when he arrived with a load of sloops for the regatta. Considering an unknown adjustment that is usually required for “island time” I was surprised to see the ship on the horizon off our port quarter at 7:30. By 8:00 he was passing by the anchored boats to the south of us and headed around the south end of the cay.

By the time I got back to the store cruisers were snapping up produce as fast as it came in from the Captain C. I managed to snag half a dozen apples, a hand full of tomatoes and a nice chunk of cheddar cheese.

Several sloops were already sitting on the start line when I came back from shopping. I wondered why so many of the racing boats were still anchored on the beach. A couple of hours later all 14 had made it to the start line and the distance race began. All in good time I guess.

The distance race passes through the spectator fleet.

 Tom was on Seahorse with Bo, Otis and the rest of the crew.

 That’s Tom with the white hat.

The wind was brisk making for a fast race with the turning mark not far off our starboard beam. I witnessed a T-bone collision just a few feet away from Polar Pacer preceded by repeated shouts of “STARBOARD!” The first boat was able to tack away but the second one was either unwilling or unable to change course.

Heading back to the start line for the next race.

The fleet.

Seahorse did not fare well on the first day of racing. A few repairs were required.

 A splintered boom was shortened requiring a smaller sail.

The discarded sail was stored on Polar Pacer’s back deck.

 One pry snapped sending two of the crew into the water.

They had to be careful with the second pry as it was also cracked. Rather than taking a chance on doing more damage to themselves or the boat, they withdrew from the race. At least they did not sink like Thunderbird.

 Seahorse is not watertight and did not yet have a bilge pump installed. The water that accumulated overnight had to be bailed manually.

The second day’s results were better even though they lost time on the 3^rd race when they could not pick their anchor up at the start line and had to cut it loose and leave it on the bottom At least they didn’t sink like Golden Girl.

As the afternoon progressed the activities on shore got more intense. When the races were over we went ashore for the awards ceremony. In true Bahamian style there was a long list of dignitaries to be acknowledged before the trophies were distributed.

 The trophy presentation was broadcast live over Nassau radio via telephone held to the loudspeaker. 

 The whole event was filmed for a television show called Island Pulse.

One of the dignitaries appropriately dressed for the occasion.

At the after party we had a couple of drinks and shared a serving of traditional BBQ ribs. Tom was pretty wiped after two days of racing and ready for some rest. With the hatches battened down tightly we could still hear the music on shore until the wee hours of the morning. Seahorse was rafted up to us ready for the return trip to Black Point.

Back to Black (Point)

Back to Black (Point) – January 19 to 31, 2012

From Warderick Wells we made our way back to Black Point settlement via the Exuma Banks with a short stop at Staniel Cay. From a distance we could see evidence of changes in the area. I hesitate to call it progress as it is changing the character of the islands and not necessarily for the better. A large marina is under construction on Bell Island with major re-shaping of the island under way.

 Overyonder Cay has put up a small wind farm that has changed the appearance of the landscape.

We spent a few days anchored at Big Majors Spot (home of the swimming pigs) where we met up with old friends and made more new ones. We went snorkelling at Thunderball grotto where we were swarmed by sergeant majors looking for handouts. They obviously get fed a lot and will actually take bits of bread from your hand.

Camouflage beach dog hangin’ out at the Taste and Sea, a new waterfront restaurant on the beach at Staniel Cay.

The road that leads up from the government dock in Staniel sports a sign declaring the island to be the “Home of the Grand Master”.” Grand Master of what?” we pondered.

 We should have known it would be sailing. This man was working on a retrofit to the mast of the LadyMuriel, one of the Bahamian racing sloops. His t-shirt commemorated Rolly Gray and referred to him as the Grand Master. Rolly Gray was a renowned sloop racer who died in 2008.

 Wild cotton in bloom on Staniel Cay.

Our arrival in Black Point coincided with the launch of one of Van Ferguson’s new racing sloops, Seahorse. Seahorse was built for his son, Bo, and was named after a sloop owned by his grandfather.

Q: How many cruisers does it take to launch a heavy wooden boat? 

A: As many as are willing and able.

 Loading the lead, one ingot at a time.

The trial run was a match race between father and son.

That’s Tom in the white hat.

After the match race Seahorse required some fine tuning before the first serious competition. While Van and Bo went to work, Otis was left in charge to work with Tom to make adjustments to the rigging. The rake of the mast needed to be changed and a support added at the stern for the tiller handle. Otis usually works with the construction crew at Bell Island. One of his duties is diving to relocate any conch that might be impacted by the marina construction. Bell Island is a privately owned island within the boundary of the Exuma Land and Sea Park. They are allowed to develop the island but are responsible for protecting the sea life.

 The sloop was rafted to Polar Pacer’s starboard side for easy access to power tools and our on board inverter. We would later tow seahorse to the regatta at Little Farmers.

The longer you stay in one place the more opportunity you have to observe the day to day life of the locals.

New construction at Black Point. We were impressed with how quickly this place went up.

Many residents of Black Point earn a living from the hand woven straw that is used to make baskets, bags and other merchandise that is marketed to tourists.

The woven strips are dried and stockpiled until orders are received from the manufacturers in Nassau.

Cruisers’ luck that the supply boat captains have the skills to manoeuver through the crowded anchorage without playing bumper boats.

Ida’s Laundromat is a cruisers destination where you can get your hair cut too.

 Van and Agnes invited us to their home for dinner. Agnes makes her peas ‘n rices with these fresh pigeon peas from her backyard garden.

Beautifully patterned shore birds.

This castle was built by American ‘second homers’.

The garden tools located nearby were evidence that this was a tended crop.

Staying in one place for a few days also gave us time to get some chores done. The mildew growth on the curtains was getting heavier by the day. I didn’t want to use bleach on them for fear of damaging the material. To my surprise vinegar applied with a discarded toothbrush did the job very well.

 Before vinegar application.

 After vinegar application.

 Tom was able to modify the mounting apparatus for the rear solar panel and dinghy davits in order to make better use of the swivel brackets that enable us to tilt the panel. Now we can get the maximum power generating benefit from the suns rays.

The down side of staying in one place too long is that you will run out of fresh produce. Adderley’s Store was down to celery, tomatoes, sweet potatoes and onions that could barely be still referred to as fresh. The Captain C, already operating on reduced service of three time per month, would be bypassing Black Point this trip as it was too full with supplies and racing sloops destined for the 5F festival.