Monday, April 7, 2014

Black Point – Pigs Beach – Rock Sound

Saturday in Black Point was all about laundry and internet.  Sunday we went to worship service at the Mission Bible Church in Black Point.  Ida’s husband, Terrance, taught the Bible lesson and preached the sermon.  Ida was most stunning in her red dress and red hat.  Both Kathy (Nancy Lu) and I mentioned we would like to get a hat or two to wear to church in the Bahamas.  It is simply what the ladies do here.

After church we headed over to Pigs Beach for a play date with Camila and Matias (and Ernesto and Natalia!) on Tiai.  They were coming from the north and we from the south, we arrived at our anchorage at very nearly the same time.  The kids jumped into the water and swam over to our boat!  We immediately set out in our dinghies to dive the grotto.  Myron and I were shocked as we drove up to it (kids in our dinghy) and noticed that the rock in front had fallen down across the opening.  It was past high tide and the current was really beginning to flow.  Not something we wanted to put the kids into, so we drove around the other side of the grotto and snorkeled in the coral and fed some fish for the kids to watch.  They got cold and were soon back in their own dinghy.  We drove between the Majors so Ernesto could see where they were going to hide from the passage of the cold front.  Then we stopped by the swimming pigs, plenty of squeals to go around.  We had dinner on board Tiai (with flan for dessert!)  and suddenly this morning, it was time for us to depart.  Myron was torn about leaving them so soon.  We almost dropped our plans of sailing across the Sound.

Eventually we held to the plans, pulled up anchor, circled Tiai for more goodbyes, then pulled up the main and prepared to go out the cut at Staniel Cay and sail across the Exuma Sound to Rock Sound, Eleuthera.  Winds were about 15-20 knots on the beam, a nice reach.  The forecast was for one to two foot seas, but they were three to four and a bit sharp.  After exiting the cut, we sailed all but the last five miles with 20 knots on the nose going into Rock Sound. 

Even though the seas were up, we were still determined to fish, but could only put one pole out.  When it is rough like that, the lures are likely to tangle and make a “reel” mess of things.  We were four to five miles offshore when we got a bit hit.  It ran (took the line) for some time.  Since we were sailing as opposed to motoring, I had quite a time getting the boat slowed down for a fight with a fish.  We did the best we could to turn Hold Fast into the wind without rolling ourselves off the boat.  Finally we were down to about 3.5 knots, 40 degrees off course, with both of us on the aft deck anxious to see what we would reel in.  The way it was pulling, it had to be big.  At first I saw a flash of silver and thought it was a bull mahi, then I got a closer look and realized it was a large wahoo.  I gaffed it through the gill and head but was afraid to pull it aboard while it was still flopping so hard.  Myron pulled it up while I secured the tail with a rope and on board it came.  We both sat down on the aft deck completely fish slimmed.  It measured 55 inches, only 9 inches shorter than me!!  According to the Farmer’s Almanac, the weight of a fat bodied fish (bass, salmon) can be estimated with the following formula: (length x girth x girth) / 800.  Based upon that, and our wahoo’s girth of about 24 inches, our haul up the freeboard and over the lifelines was estimated at 39.6 pounds.  No small challenge when it is wiggling about.  It dressed out into 18 large steaks, a shoulder (behind the head), and two fillets off the tail section.  Praise God, our fish locker is full! 

We plan to stay around Rock Sound until this, yet another, cold front passes by.  I really thought that since March came in like a lion, April weather would be mild.  Apparently that was just wishful thinking.  Winter is not over.  For now, with southeast winds, we are at the southern end of Rock Sound.  We will move further north and off the town tomorrow afternoon as the winds increase and turn SW to W to N and then NE.

We scrubbed the boat down, Myron recharged our fish refrigerator, we got our showers, BBQ’d two wahoo steaks and are soon headed to bed for some needed rest.

Love to all,
Dena

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