Safe and sound...Rock Sound 2/22 - 2/26

Weather notes...After a while it just doesn’t matter 

I listen to the weather briefing but as soon as it’s mostly done we are moving through the chop on the west side of Norman’s Cay ready to make our way across Exuma sounds 4800 foot depths back to   Rock Sound Eleuthera. Following two catamarans and a trawler from the anchorage on a path sketched on our electronics. From the coral fields we go in three different directions. Soon the current is carrying Steadfast through the cut and onto the sound. There are places along the Exumas to hide out from the much touted blow but we’re comfortable with the Harbor at Rock Sound and happy to return. The crossing is mostly good but as the morning winds on we find ourselves changing course to avoid the scattered showers but there is no running from what’s next.

We were supposed to have till mid afternoon but by lunch Friday this prefrontal boundary was on the doorstep and we were shortening the jib in so we were ready when the 25+ winds blew the rain in. When the enclosure is buttoned up in anticipation of a squall there is no anxiety. We follow the course for Powell Point, into the Davis Channel and then on to the anchorage.
We are glad to find old friends on Blackthorn and Carie May already anchored there and when I pass Blackthorn I give him a razz over having too much scope on his anchor and the spelling of his boat name but he is unfazed as he gives it right back...perhaps I am loosing my touch. Once we are secure on the hook the winds start to pick up and we settle in as Steadfast swings back and forth.

We awoke Saturday to 30 boats scattered about enjoying the safety of this large anchorage. Mid morning we were greeted by Jim from Blackthorn catching us up on the past 10 days since we left them at Governor’s Harbor. They are content to enjoy Eleuthera and spend more than a week in each place they stop. After lunch it’s off to the grocery store and to find a place to buy diesel with a charge card. We find the Shell station in front of the grocery store will accept a charge card. Returning a couple of hours later after filtering the two 5 gallon containers into the tanks we are trying to put two containers onto our small hand cart without success. I carry the 35lb jug the 1/2 of a mile and Sheri wheels the 2nd on the handcart. Back on board with everything put away we settle in for the windy evening to watch a couple of episodes of Poldark.

The essential handcart 

Map shows long walk across Eleuthera 

Sunday as we are reviewing things to do we decided the first thing would be church. The local Methodist Church starts at 11 and being untypically early we stroll about before settling for the service. The man who runs the gas station and hardware store is playing the base and fills in to preach. He speaks about moments in life that are thresholds. We all have these moments that change our life for the good and bad. He related it to the apostles who joined Jesus on the mountain where they met Moses and Elijah. That was a threshold moment for the apostles to begin to understand who Jesus was. Again we were welcomed and our names mentioned during announcements. We met another cruising couple at church and later that day made plans to meet them ashore for lunch Monday. We return to the boat for lunch followed by a 5 mile round trip to the Eastern shore to see the surf, a pink beach, the restaurant Rose owns and get exercise. 

Look carefully for my angel ahead

Roses restaurant...someday I’ll eat there

The hillside was cut away for the road and a crumbling  old house reveals the same material in its walls

As we were headed back to the dinghy we met David and Shelly on, Marshelle, a catamaran from Roanoke Tx. After a few minutes we hit it off and make plans to meet up Monday late to review weather and route planning for the trip to Little San Salvador and Cat Island. We spent a little time at Bob and Maria’s Morgan 51 and then headed home for a nice soup dinner.

Monday at 12:30 we met up with Nancy and George Marvin on Trumpeter (they made it clear it was nothing to do with Trump) at Louis Delights. It was like old home week with 6 others we have come to know at different tables. We had good conversation with George and Nancy Marvin. We learned of his commanding ships in the Navy and being airlifted off this island 2 years ago with a leg injury. The 55.00 annual DAN Insurance covered the full 12,000 cost. We now have that insurance as well! After lunch we filled our two 5 gallon containers with RO water at a local restaurant. I even had a discussion with another boater about testing the water quality. By late afternoon we were joining David and Shelley on their boat (where David corrected a bad idle on my outboard) and we’re joined by Chris and Allison from their boat Purrfect. We laughed till too late about many silly topics and made plans to move to Poison Point Wednesday to stage for a Thursday departure to Little San Salvador.

Cruisers university class

Tuesday was more chores of laundry and wheeling ten more gallons of diesel to the boat. This time I made two trips wheeling the tanks rather than dislocating my shoulder carrying them. The afternoon was spent laughing with Jim and Sue and trying to fulfill a request to play dominos with Bob and Maria but his late afternoon went in a different direction so we bid him well and headed for Steadfast and a good nights sleep. 

It is always good to have dinghy access

 Wednesday found us bobbing in a long southerly fetch so after a few details were sorted, we, followed by Marshelle and Purrfect, headed for the lee shore of Poison Point. As I closed into the anchorage I spoke to another boat already there to check his anchor position and then settled for a spot to his port. The two other boats were soon settled behind us and I went off to meet my neighbor. Some folks are warm and others, well make things interesting. These folks had been cruising for 20 something years and are not fond of crowds. I was anchored 200 + yards away and when I said their generator would not bother me the Mrs said that I was anchored a bit close. My offer to move was declined but I heard the next boat that came in and anchored to their starboard was not so kindly received. I spent the afternoon snorkeling with Dave and Chris then went to s/vPurrfect after dinner to review weather and departure plans for tomorrow. There was a large swath of rain and thunderstorms proceeding the front in Florida and we weren’t sure what would hold together as the front came towards us. We decided to make the final call after reviewing the details in the morning.