Black Point to George Town | 7.9 Hours | 53 Miles
The alarm went off at 6:00 am which gave me just enough time to gather my senses and head upstairs. The almost-full moon was preparing to set over the open water to our west. I grabbed the camera and made it to the upper deck in time to capture the image. Not National Geographic quality, but it definitely captures the memory. Last night before falling off to sleep we had decided to move further south and take advantage of a few more hours of favorable travel weather. We hoisted the dinghy back on the roof, raised the anchor, and were on our way before the sun even made it over the cloud bank. Both the water and wind were very still. A heavy dew had settled on Crossroads which gave me the opportunity to wipe off some of the accumulated salt spray. We headed a short distance north then received a swift yet easy push through Dotham Cut at 9.4 knots. Once in Exuma Sound the waypoint was set for Conch Cay Cut and we settled in for a six hour trip. I caught up on some chores and all was good.
We heard the pleasant sound of familiar voices over the radio and we're looking forward to catching up with several boats very soon. At 10:30 I went out on the bow to do some reading in the sun. By 11:00 I was chased in by increasing spray over the bow as the wind and waves were increasing. We took a few really good splashes to the windshield and turned on our wipers for a few cycles to clear the water. So much for wiping the salt spray off earlier in the morning. The sun was still shining brightly and Barry was pleased that our new solar panels were generating 1kw of power. The solar panels have allowed us to run our freezer while underway and without the generator, which has been a game changer. We're able to maintain a steadier and much lower temperature than in previous years. As we approached the waypoint, we joined a large group of boats converging on the sparkling blue water of the harbor entrance. We all played nice and executed the alternate merge drill, forming a single file parade. Most boats, including our friends in front of us aboard No Limits, pulled off north of Monument Beach.
We continued south and found what we consider to be a good spot between Chat N Chill Beach and Peace & Plenty Beach, among hundreds of other boats. This spot is also almost straight across from the entrance to Lake Victoria and George Town. Our anchor was down at 2:45 and by 3:00 we had lowered the dinghy and were headed to the "tunnel" that leads to town. While underway today, Barry found that the Aliv store was open until 5:00, giving us plenty of time to get ashore and pick up his data card. The banner hanging from a telephone pole as we walked up the street seemed to tease us. Thankfully, Barry walked right in and was able to get everything worked out. He's Aliv! (sorry, couldn't resist) We are now connected and have a big data plan and can get back into our normal internet habits. Whew!
While Barry was inside taking care of internet issues, I sat outside in the sun and admired the church and bougainvillea across the street. On our way back to the dinghy, we walked over to The Historic St. Andrew's Parish Church (Anglican/Episcopal, established December 25, 1802) and walked around its beautiful property overlooking the lake. Each window has a pane of stained glass above it. For me, I was captivated by the bougainvillea and plumeria blossoms. We walked around town for a few more minutes, then headed back to Crossroads before it started to get dark.
The sunset was dramatic around the descending sphere with rays shooting high into the sky. Off to the north, the leading edge of a towering cloud formation glowed brightly. Coinciding with the sun setting, the full moon was rising. Darkness settled in over the harbor and the glow of anchor lights filled the sky like stars.
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