In the previous article about sailing Exumas, we stopped at four awesome anchorages and discovered a submerged plane, an adventure dinghy ride in the mangroves, swam with the pigs and dove the famous James Bond’s Thunderball cave. After all this exhilarating activity, we needed some rest. We got plenty of it when we arrived to Black Point, a quiet Bahamian settlement in the Central Exumas.
Island 5 – Great Guana Cay / Black Point.
During our Exuma sailing, we didn’t want to hurry. We tried to explore and learn about the islands at a slow pace, so we dedicated plenty of time to each stop. When we arrived to Black Point, it became very clear that we were running out of time to go all the way to Georgetown. So we decided to make it our final destination and stay for at least two weeks – the longest we stayed anywhere so far! We loved every minute.
What is Black Point?
Black Point is a Bahamian settlement, located on Great Guana Cay in the Central Exumas. It is only a couple of miles south of the busy Staniel Cay. If you use a powerboat and go straight through, you can be at Staniel at no time. However, on a sailboat you have to go around the shoals, which makes the trip about 5 miles long.
There are nearly 250 people living in Black Point and pretty much all of them are busy in the tourist industry. Some of them work at Staniel Cay, where they take a small boat every morning, but many work locally.
Staniel Cay or Black Point?
I found Black Point people to be really the most hospitable in the islands. The biggest difference from Staniel Cay is that you won’t see any mega yachts with noisy and often arrogant passengers. It’s a lot quieter. There are some beautiful cottages for rent in the northern part of the island and those tenants are pretty much the only land tourists (if interested, ask at the Rockside Laundry). The majority of visitors are liveaboard cruisers. So, after a while, when you get to meet a lot of locals and fellow sailors, it starts feeling like a big family. Staying in Black Point was like being “home”.
How to get to Black Point?
Tourists can fly in by one of the local airlines, for example, Flamingo Air. A lot of people travel to Staniel Cay, but the aircraft will also stop in Black Point if someone is going. There is a paved airstrip in the middle of the island.
People like us, who come by a sailboat, can enjoy a large bay, protected from north, east and south. The protection from the westerlies is poor, as everywhere in the Exumas, but at least these winds are relatively rare. There are neither mooring buoys, nor marinas, but the bay offers an excellent spacious anchorage with good holding in about 10 feet of water.
You will find another anchorage along the southern end of the island called Little Bay. It has no amenities, and many people go there for a while to enjoy privacy and a beautiful beach. However, the majority of social life happens in Black Point.
Where to land the dinghy in Black Point:
There are three main dinghy docks in Black Point: Lorraine’s Café Dinghy Dock, Rockside Laundry Dinghy Dock and the big Government Dock that has a smaller extension for the dinghies. When you dock at the Government Dock, make sure you stay clear of the slip which accommodates the mailboat and other supply vessels.
There is another dinghy dock at the southern point of the bay at the Emerald Sunset View restaurant, but we never got to use it, because it was simply too far from everything. It is mainly used by powerboats, which bring tourists for lunch at the restaurant.
The dinghy dockage is free. Besides, you can always pull your dinghy out of water at any beach.
What are the amenities for cruisers at Black Point?
Garbage: There is a disposal bin at the Government Dock. Even though it is free, there is a donation box. Be grateful that the Black Point residents offer you to use their beautiful island, and leave a couple of dollars every now and then.
Fresh Water: All the water on the island is RO (Reverse Osmosis). You will find several faucets along main roads, where you can fill your jugs. One of them is just across the road from the Government Dock. The island residents ask you to not fill your tanks with this water, but use it only for drinking. The water is free, but there are donation boxes next to the faucets as well.
Without a watermaker, we were forced to ration fresh water in our tanks. The best way to do it is to take your bath straight in the ocean. It means, you need shampoo, conditioner and a body wash that you can use in salt water. For this purpose, I discovered Sailor Soap – a biodegradable organic product. It is perfect for use in salt water, it smells fantastic and leaves you clean and fresh – you feel like you’ve just taken a shower.
Read more about Sailor Soap on Amazon:
Fuel: there is no fuel in Black Point. The closest fuel is at Staniel Cay.
Banks and ATM: there is none, but all the restaurants and the laundry accept credit cards. Grocery stores are cash only.
Are there shops and restaurants in Black Point?
There are several grocery stores:
- Adderley’s Friendly Store
- J&D Convenience Store (adjacent to DeShamon)
- Darlene’s Supermarket
The grocery stores get their supplies from what the mailboat brings. It usually comes every 7-10 days and the locals know if it shows up at Staniel, it can be expected in Black Point soon after. So everyone gathers at the Government Dock in anticipation. There is a lot of activity going on when the mailboat arrives: palettes with vegetables, giant bags of conch and other seafood, people running around with packages…
The mailboat arrival is the signal for you: it is time to go grocery shopping!
Restaurants:
- Lorraine’s Café: Ask for the famous coconut bread that Lorraine’s Mom, Peermon, makes. It’s utterly delicious, and you will not regret!
- DeShamon Restaurant: It is known for the lunch buffet every day where you can taste all the Bahamian specialties.
- Emerald Sunset View: It is famous for its large deck with the best sunset view on the island.
- Scorpio Restaurant and Bar: This is the place where everyone gets together for the Cruiser’s Happy Hour every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from about 4:30 to 6:30 (double check in case there are any changes). The drinks are 2 for 1, and the absolute best is their signature Rum Punch (2 for $7). It is made out of several types of rum, including a Myers float, with just a little bit of punch. Drink responsibly, those things will kick your butt, but you will surely have tons of fun!
Besides, there are several small neighborhood bars.
Liquor Stores:
You can buy liquor from Lorraine’s or Scorpio.
Laundry:
Rockside Laundry is much more than a place where you can wash your clothes. It’s where you can meet your fellow cruisers and gather in an adjacent gazebo for a chat. Besides washers and dryers, you will find a general store, where you can even get some basic marine supplies. Additionally, haircuts, braiding and hot showers for rent are offered.
Three churches:
- Bible Mission Church.
- Gethsemene Baptist.
- St. Luke’s Baptist.
Black Point School:
Elementary / Middle school on the island always needs school supplies, so if you want to contribute, bring some from home, the islanders will be happy and grateful!
What to do in Black Point?
Spend time at a beach.
The main activity, as everywhere in the Bahamas, is swimming, snorkeling and staying at the beach. There are plenty of small beaches around if you just hop in your dinghy and do a little exploration. We often went just to the end of the bay. The beach there is kind of unusual: it is a wide shoal that is covered with water during high tide and gets extremely shallow or completely dry at low tide. We didn’t want to be stranded on the beach with the dinghy, so we simply anchored it waist-deep and moved back as the water receded. We often brought our paddle board, which, besides its true purpose, served as a tanning bed and a “sand bar”.
Another beach, which we favored during our stay, had no name (or at least that I know of). We called it the Hidden Beach, because we would never have found it without a recommendation from another cruising couple. We rode our dinghy around the southern tip of the bay and along the shore, passed several alcoves and finally found a short strip of sand, surrounded by rocks and vegetation. Every time we visited the beach, we were completely alone and saw only a boat or two pass by. Talk about privacy and romance!
Explore the island on land
The island offers several opportunities to walk and hike. Venture into the center of the island by foot, by bicycles or even golf carts! (you can rent both from Lorraine or at the Laundry). Get lost in the narrow paths, winding between intricate limestone formations and even discover a castle! It is not a middle-age castle, it was built in modern times and serves as a private house, but it is still amusing to discover something like this in the middle of a tropical island.
Marvel at the Blowhole
One of the coolest attractions of the Atlantic side of the island is the blowhole. Blowholes are natural marine geysers: incoming waves get trapped in sea caves, which results in hydraulic compression and the water is pushed hard through the opening in the cave ceiling.
The best time to enjoy the Black Point Blowhole is at high tide and strong East or North-East wind. It’s really freaky to stand next to it and be truly overwhelmed by the power of water. With every strong wave the ground shakes like an earthquake, and the tension finally releases in a fountain of water, shooting high up in the sky through a hole in the rocks. It is a truly magical experience, which leaves you in awe for a long time.
Additionally, you can fish and catch lobster (during season). You can rent a jet-ski or a small powerboat (talk to Ida at the Laundry or to Lorraine). You can hang out and party with your friends and enjoy marvelous sunsets.
Everything that the island has, it will share with you. Just be courteous, considerate and don’t forget to give back!
Michael’s Birthday at Black Point
Our fantastic stay in Black Point couldn’t happen at a better time: we got a chance to experience even more hospitality while celebrating Michael’s Birthday. At that point we had completely run out of beer (reminder: stock up, stock up, stock up!! :), so I decided to buy him a case of Kalik (at $70, it totally qualified as a full-sized birthday gift :).
I prepaid the beer with DJ (one of the bartenders at Scorpio and an actual island DJ), and asked him to bring it out during the Birthday Happy Hour a couple of days later. When the day arrived and cruisers gathered, they already knew it was Michael’s birthday and kept buying us rum punches.
At some point DJ broke out his masterful DJ gear, which even impressed Michael as to the elaborate sound rig he had available for musical productions. It was a surprise even for me: he kicked into a totally produced five-minute Happy Birthday sequence, with all of the DJ tricks and treats.
All of this energized the already spirited crowd to get up and party! Just at the right time the owner of the place, Zhivago, produced a parade with the case of beer I had bought earlier. Michael was totally floored by the atmosphere of festivity that both the locals and the cruisers had created.
After the party, as we walked down the main drag towards the dinghy dock, all the locals seemed to know about Michael’s Birthday as well. As we passed by, they greeted him and shouted out Happy Birthday wishes in a true island manner. We never felt more welcome. Michael beamed with joy. Later he told me that it had possibly been the best birthday celebration of his life.
It was the perfect good-bye. Two days later we left this hospitable island and embarked on our trip back North.
One of our big stops on the way back was Warderick Wells, the headquarters of the beautiful Exuma Land and Sea Park. Why I consider it a perfect postcard for the Bahamas, you can discover in the next article.
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Detailed charts, waypoints, latest depth soundings, loads of local information and advice. Staying at Black Point, we consulted the Explorer Charts for all the local phone numbers as well. Really, this is a must-have for anyone who is sailing Bahamas.
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