Keeping Our Eyes Peeled

Black Point to Big Majors |  1.5 Hours  |  8 Miles 

We had a rolly night in Black Point as the wind and waves continued to fight each other. Neither one of us slept well. We were anxious to move on and by mid-morning our anchor was up and we were heading a short distance to Big Majors/Staniel Cay. As we made the turn north we fell in behind Bright Ayes. Wayne, Betty, and guests were moving right along on the power of their massive headsail, with a little assistance from a whisker pole. They continued on as we made the turn east into the anchorage. This area is a magnet for megayachts and we had more than a few pieces of eye candy to check out as we cruised in. The Royal Bahamian Defense Force was here. The familiar silhouette of a Selene-53, (today it was SaltyMare) appeared tiny next to its triple-decker neighbor. Home would indeed be a nice place to spend my days.      

Then I caught sight of two white lights up against the dark of the land. As we studied the lights, they continued to come closer until we realized they were attached to a sea plane departing Pig Beach and quickly climbing above us. We refocused on finding a good spot to anchor knowing that afternoon squalls would bring a 180-degree shift in wind direction. While finishing up the anchoring process, I spotted a large dark spot off the bow. When it moved, I knew we had company. A large shark circled Crossroads for 10 minutes before giving up on us becoming his lunch. The first squall clouds appeared from the west, but passed by with only a few gusts. 

After that both man and beast returned to the water, darting about from boat to boat. The sun came out and I moved to Fiberglass Beach to enjoy a book along with the view. The big squall arrived around 5:00. Dramatic clouds provided a prelude for the arrival of the rain and clocking winds. In a span of 30 minutes, we had indeed clocked around 180 degrees. Crossroads also received a much needed bath before darkness settled over us. We're looking forward to dropping the dinghy tomorrow and heading to shore.