We spent March 13th and 14th at Compass Cay, sitting out a cold front that featured strong northerly winds. When things moderated a bit we sailed south to Blackpoint Settlement.
Blackpoint is located on a beautiful bay. Nearly all cruisers stop here because they have the best laundromat in the Exumas. The laundry is a common gathering spot for boaters. Not only can you do your laundry, you can access free wifi, buy hardware, trade books, take a shower, get something to eat (including great carrot cake) and even get your hair cut. It is a one person operation, so if you are getting a haircut and someone else wants change for the machines, or wants a piece of cake, you have to sit and wait until the owner comes back and continues clipping.
While we were in town, Laurie did laundry and Dan hauled our water jugs to the town faucet. He was assisted in this task by a cute four year old girl named Shereal Jamaica Rolle. She lives with her Grammy in a small house near the water faucet. On each of Dan's four trips with his two 6 gallon jugs, Shereal would be there, on her purple bike to help him remove the caps and get the jugs filled without spilling, then replace the caps. She told Dan that he needed to be careful "because sometimes the white people break the spout." She then accompanied Dan on her her bike as he carried the jugs to the dinghy dock and ferried them back to Glory Days. On each return, Shereal would be waiting to help and to chat Dan up about life at Blackpoint.
Like a lot of the settlements we have visited, Blackpoint has suffered some hard times with hurricanes and the economy, but the people remain helpful and friendly.
The police station.
The health clinic.
The school.
This man was refurbishing a class C racing boat.
After completing our chores and stocking up, we moved south to Rudder Cut Cay. On the way we passed Musha Cay which is owned by the magician, David Copperfield. At Rudder Cut Cay, we snorkeled on the "piano and mermaid." This is a full sized, stainless steel grand piano adorned by a mermaid that was placed on a slab of concrete in 12 feet of water, by "David Copperfield's people." It was something to see.
After two nights at Rudder, we took the "shallow draft route" to East Pimlico Cay. This was a spot that was tricky to get to because of the shallow water, but we were rewarded with two nights and days in nearly complete seclusion. It seemed like a spot that almost no one visits.
From there it was a short sail to Leaf Cay where we got to hike the beach and snorkel.
Oh yeah, back to Survivor Man. After weeks of trying and hours in the water, Dan finally succeeded in spearing another lobster and a couple of Grouper!
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Location:Leaf Cay, Exumas
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