2022-03-27 Black Rock to Fowl Cay to Pipe Creek to Marina Channel to Big Majors

 Lots of moving this week - all due to weather.

We had a good time at Black Rock Settlement and due to Kris's back injury, stayed and just hung out on the boat for 3 more days.  After a couple of days of not moving much, Kris felt good enough to walk into town.  We checked out the blow hole, which had a lot more water this time, and had a nice lunch out.  The local friendly cat kept us company throughout lunch, as well as  2nd grade student who was on lunch break from the local school.  Made for a good lunch out.

Charm at anchor at Black Point

  

2022-03-20 Black Point on Great Guana Cay -- Lots of Manta Catamarans

 We had a nice sail from Cat Island, back to the Exuma Chain, and anchored at Black Point Settlement on Great Guana Cay.

Our friends on Bedouin are here, so we went in and had a good Cheeseburger dinner with them at Lorraine's cafe.  It is nice to splurge once and a while, and Lorraine's has good food, at a good price so doesn't feel like wasted money.  Lorraine's was here last time we were in the Bahamas 8 years ago, so it was nice to see that some things hadn't changed that much.  Her cafe is much larger and has been updated, so also nice to see she is successful and prospering.

Lorraine is hosting a SSCA get together in the next few days.  The SSCA which is the Seven Seas Cruising Association is a neat group - we are not members, because you have to pay $75/year and we are cheap.  However, this get together was open to all, so we were able to participate in the activities.

We enjoyed a happy hour with free snacks, and did a early morning walk to a blowhole and back.

View of anchorage 

Lorraines Cafe

Some of the group that walked to the blowhole

The blowhole was not impressive, as the seas were calm, so not a lot of action.  We have seen it when it is blowing, and it is fairly impressive.

We passed on a more expensive dinner on St. Patricks Day, and would have done a beach party, but Kris managed to hurt her back, so did not do that (more on that later)

One nice thing, is that there were also 6 other Manta catamarans here as well.  Tiki Hej, Breathe, Our Time, Hahalua, Galileo, Bilancia and us.  Had a great time seeing other boats and getting to know the other Manta owners.        

Thanks to Jason on "Breathe", as I copied this photo he posted on the Manta site.   Some of us Manta owners enjoying the evening at Lorraine's Cafe.

Unfortunately, picture taking always seems to take  back seat when we get busy, so not much to view for this week.

Very pretty rooster, but he would not stand still for the photo

Several cats on this island that are friendly.  

We also did laundry onshore for the first time since leaving dock last February, so a full year.  It is very nice to have a washer on board, but I wanted to give the comforter and mattress pad  a wash in a machine with a little more room.

We also worked on a small boat project.  We wanted to add a new electrical line for some of the navigation supplemental instruments, so we ran the wire, and then while Kris was organizing some wires in the cabinet behind the TV, she reached a bit far, and the folding stool (not fully locked - her fault), slid out from under her, and down she went.  Only fell about a foot, but cracked her side just below and on ribs on the way down.  That was Friday, and now Sunday, and pain is fading a bit, but it will be a couple more days before she can move around, so we will most likely hang out here until that happens.  So for now the electrical project is just kind of going slow, and the boat will stay a bit torn apart for a while.

Torn apart cabinet awaiting the project finish.

2022-03-13 Cat Island, private anchorage, North winds, The Hermitage

 

Have had a good week in our very private anchorage.  There are other boats here, but we are anchored off on our own.  The beach is beautiful, and the water clear.  Taken some long beach walks, and Kris went kayaking up Joe Sound into the mangroves.

Great Sailing Day

Left Long Island, Thompson Bay, headed for the north end of Long Island, Calabash Bay.  You know the spot that Columbus stopped at on his voyage to find North America.  Well the winds were great, 15 to 20 from the ESE and the waves were gentle so we decided to go further, Cat Island.  We had planned on going to Cat the next day so this would just make it happen sooner.

Continued with great winds, the seas built a little but for the day we were in the zone.  Eight hours of sailing and averaged 7.5 knots for the trip.  It is only 65 miles and in a car that would be an hour but for us it was a bit longer.  Got into Cat Island, Joe Sound Anchorage at 5pm.  No pictures but a great sailing day.

Today's trip

2022-03-06 Thompson Bay, Long Island Bahamas

 It has been a fairly uneventful week for us.  Not much going on.   Decided to take advantage of a weather window and sail from George Town, Exuma, to Thompson Bay, Long Island.   We knew another strong wind front was coming through, so needed to move and then we new we would have to sit for 3 to 4 days while the strong winds were present.

Nice sunset in George Town at our anchorage.