It was low tide when we got to the ladder of the dinghy dock. The first rung was slimy from being in the water so much, so I had to reach the second rung on the first step. It was a challenge. Then Bob handed me the laundry and took the dinghy over to the Government dock to tie up. When I got to the laundry, Jean from “Chapter III” was there and shortly after that, Kathy from “Perseverance” showed up. We all decided to meet at Loraine’s for dinner that night.
Blackpoint was one of the islands for which we have books to drop off for the school as part of the “Bahamas Project.” So Bob went and talked with Loraine at the café to find out where the school was. Loraine arranged to have her brother meet Bob at the dock with a golf cart – the main means of transportation on Blackpoint. He went to the Boat with Bob and they got the 10 boxes loaded in the dinghy and delivered them to the school. We still have 5 boxes for Staniel and 20 for George Town. We will get to Staniel shortly.
Dinner was terrific at Loraine’s Cafe as usual. Before we knew it, we had a table for 10, as the folks from Southern Cross and Duet joined us. Loraine made her usual rich mac and cheese, peas and rice (a central dish in the Bahamas), vegetables of broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. Included were a salad and ice cream for dessert. Loraine’s Café is one of the few places here where we can get ice cream. Most boaters don’t carry ice cream due to tight spaces and the difficulty of keeping it cold, so ice cream is a real treat for us.
Dinner at Loraine's Cafe
Loraine has free Internet service for boaters, so Saturday we took the dinghy to the dock and walked up to Loraine’s Cafe. We were able to check email and our weather links for the latest on weather. We then returned to the boat so Bob could change the oil in the generator.
Bob checked the hours on the generator and said he could wait another day, however, he said it was “time to make water.” We had taken on water in Nassau and were getting low. Well in the process of doing that, something when wrong and he now has to fix the generator water pump. So that is today’s task.
Blackpoint is a small island with about 350 to 500 inhabitants, depending on the guidebook you read. There is a small grocery, the Laundromat, a BATELCO Tower, two restaurants and a bar. A mailboat arrives weekly to supply the store and two restaurants with what they need as well as provide a means of transportation for the Bahamians to travel between islands. The school only goes to 8th grade, as it does on most of these out islands. For high school, the children go to Nassau and live with relatives. When I asked last year, “what is they don’t have relatives in Nassau?” I was told “Honey, we all have relatives in Nassau.”
Bob was talking with a Bahamian who said that he traveled to most of the islands in his work. He said he has a “relative” on all the islands, and they all have a spare bed for him to sleep in when he is there. Pretty convenient if you ask me! “Relative,” we’ve come to understand is some kind of connection, however distant. It could be your great aunt’s fifth cousin by marriage – but hey, it’s a connection.
On Sunday, Sea Fox X arrived at Blackpoint and invited us for cocktails. We will be here at Blackpoint while Bob continues to work on the generator. Luckily, we have the backup generator we got last year. He may need to re-build the water pump. I plan on posting this log and going to sketch with Dee on See Fox X today.
Goodnight
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