We are back at Black Point after leaving Georgetown and two days of excellent sailing with an overnight at Rudder Cay, then to "The Bubble Bath". Rudder Cay is owned by the Magician David Copperfield. He commissioned a replica Steinway Piano and Mermaid statue and sunk it in thirteen feet of water in a small cove next to the anchorage.
The bubble bath is a lagoon fed from the west by a creek which we, along with our friends Lee and Wendy from SV Further, walked along from the anchorage, then by seawater surging over the rocks from the west. When the water surges over the rocks, it foams and bubbles. When not surging over the rocks, the logoon is a calm pool with a sandy bottom and rocks all around the edges. The lagoon has many small fish swimming around. The fish are very interested in us as we swim and wade in the lagoon. Some of them will even nibble at our feet and legs and Allen got a real thrill from that. A fish pedicure!
Our friends, Lee and Wendy from SV Further having a bubble bath.
The Laundry: After the Bubble Bath, we made our way back to Black Point, where the cruisers festival had been some weeks before. Norma's main goal was to get some laundry done. The wind had been blowing from the south, and the anchorage was a bit rough but we got the dingy launched, had a wet ride to the Rockside Laundry dock and risked our lives clambering up the ladder (missing a bottom rung) from the surging water at low tide. The laundry was open, but the little store where the tokens were sold was locked up tight. No worries, a sign on the wall said that the grocery store down the street has tokens. Norma went there, but the lady told her she had been asking for tokens for the last three days but had not been given any. Some local ladies were sitting on the porch by the restaurant across the street so Norma decided to ask them if they knew anything about the tokens. To little avail, they did not know where the laundry manager was, but they contacted a worker there and after 20 minutes they were able to relay a message to him. By this time, I was in tears.
Laundry at this time was urgent. Allen and I both had a contagious rash and we needed to sanitize ourselves and our clothes and bedwear. Eventually, an hour later he came, and Allen purchased the needed tokens. I could not face him since I was so upset, so I went next door and bought some real good coconut bread freshly baked. Our rash has healed btw.
That night, we treated ourselves, along with Lee and Wendy, to dinner at Lorraine's restaurant / Hight Tide bar. The special was sushi. Several of the folks we had met along the Exumas were there also and we had a really nice time. Norma has Conch Sushi, which took a long time to prepare, but was the best! Allen had a couple cups of sky juice and was feeling good. He went and said goodbye to Lorrai and thanked her for all that she does for cruisers.
We left Black Point the next day and went back to Staniel Cay and the Thunderball Grotto again. This time we got some photos!
On Easter Sunday, we went over to the cruiser beach around the corner at Big Majors Spot. Allen got on the radio and got a couple of musicians to meet on the beach after sundown for a "bonfire". In actuality, there was very little firewood to be found, just some kindling and dry palm fronds. The goal was to try to attract some more folks with the fire, and it worked. In all about 9 folks came to the beach and had a nice time while Allen played harmonica with a guitarist and Rodrigo on the Brazilian Tambor.
We next headed over to Warderick Wells, this being a nice reprise of our trip south. Still in company with SV Further. They got some nice photos of us, Thanks Lee!
The day after our hike up to Boo Boo Hill, we went on a very special kind of snorkeling trip, which turns out to be Norma's favorite, It was a Drift Dive. At one end of Warderick Wells is an underwater Reef. The current was running so we started at the upstream end, got into the water with our masks and fins, then holding onto the painter of the dingy, let the current carry us across the reef. At the end, we got back into the dingy, drove back up current, then did it again, in all three times. We saw many fish including a school of yellowtail, we saw a turtle and a huge beautiful Eagle Ray. Norma also saw a big Grouper down there. Norma's enthusiasm was contagious, Lee and Wendy loved it!
Sadly, it is now time to bid SV Further adieu. I am tearing as I write this. We are headed back to Fort Lauderdale soon (actually already there by the time this is posted but we have some catching up to do) Further is going up to Eleuthra, then on to join the Salty Dawg Homeward Bound Rally from Marsh Harbor. Lee and Wendy have been our best friends this entire year. We met them, so long ago it seems, at the Salty Dawg Rendezvous in Essex, CT. This was on our way UP to Maine last June. Over the year we came across them time and again as we worked our way back south to Annapolis, then down the ICW. How fortunate we feel to have been able to spend so much time with these wonderful people. Our boating soul mates. We truly hope in our heart of hearts that we meet again. Fair Winds, Further.
