BLOWIN' IN THE WIND AT BLACKPOINT

            After six straight days of blowing like stink, the wind has finally settled down.  We made our escape from Bimini after waiting three weeks for an opportunity.  Two nights and three days later, we were in the Exumas.  We met Irene and Perry (s/v Tekla Bramble) at Norman’s Cay and along with them worked our way down to Blackpoint.  More about that part of the trip in another post.

            Black Point is a laid back place.  In some respects it’s a look back at the way things were in all the Bahamas not so many years ago.  The settlement is fairly large but there are few services.  Oh sure, there is telephone and internet but the connection is very slow, certainly not the 4G you get elsewhere in the Bahamas.  The mailboat comes once a week and a good part of town comes out to meet it.  It reminds me of the riverboat on the Niger.

 The grocery store carries only the most common items and sells out of produce within a few days of receiving it on the mailboat.  There is no butter or cream and they don’t have that wonderful cheddar available most other places.  There is no liquor store although you can buy ice and a limited selection of alcohol at Scorpio’s, the local bar and grill and place for 2 for 1 happy hour.  Amazingly, and to our great disappointment, there is no gasoline even though there are many gas hungry cars and trucks and outboard motors.  All gas is brought in jerry jugs from Staniel where they were out of gas for 10 days. 

            At any rate, Blackpoint is a friendly place and a favorite among cruisers.  We anchored along with more than 60 other boats who ducked in to escape the blow.   

And blow it did, 20-30 knots all week long.  We rented a golf cart along with Irene and Perry and toured the island.  We encountered an amazing blow hole on the East, Exuma Sound side of the island.  It sprays water into the air almost with the regularity of “Old Faithful.” 

 It’s a hole through the rock down to the sea.  When the surf comes in, seawater is forced up through the hole   The island is covered by low scrub, small palmettos and shrubs with leathery leaves.  Some of the growth assumes tortured shapes in the wind that sweeps the island.  

Their skeletons take on many shapes often resembling animals or faces or parts of the body.  The stoney soil is filled with sculptures.

             Blackpoint is populated by a very industrious people.  There are several biusinesses that are based on visits from the boating community and tourism.  The citizens know this and provide many services to boaters not available elsewhere--free trash disposal, free drinking water, a wonderful laundromat and help with just about any problem.  Like everywhere else in the Bahamas, school kids wear uniforms and they never fail to say "good morning" or "good afternoon."

Most of the houses and streets are well kept and neat though not at the same level as , say, Spanish Wells.  As elsewhere, there are abandoned buildings which are quaint in their own way.

             We were stuck at Blackpoint for 12 days.  Not that we couldn't leave or that "being stuck" is a bad thing.  In fact, some people make it the base of operations during the boating season.  However, when we crossed from West Bay on New Providence Island, the autopilot died.  Our frined Al took care of getting a replacement for us and sent it from Ft Lauderdale.  We had to wait for it.  It was worth the wait.  What a beauty!  It took less than two hours to install.  And completely silent.