24:11.4N 76:27.4W Life at Pirate’s Beach

 

We stumbled on Pirate’s Beach, shortly after arriving in the Staniel Cay area.  This little beach has become a home from home – a place to meet other cruisers, hang out, suntan, play games, eat, drink and be merry. Situated on the north end of Big Majors, facing south west, with trees for shade, and some great beach furniture, it is the perfect place to get away from the wind.

 

Some of the yachts here, come every year and have established a small core of the community. Laurie, from Forever Young, is the closest thing to the mayor. She is a great social being, who has organised exercise classes, pot lucks, games, drinks and her and husband Richard, have organised more than a few dinners on their yacht. David and Linda on Sandpiper are also regulars here. Then there are all the other yachts that pass through quicker or slower than ourselves, most coming to at least one sundowner session.  So many people to meet. One of the highlights here for me, was to meet the Gifford family on Totem, whom I had last seen at our local yacht club in Simon’s Town.

 

Mike has also had great success fishing for dorado (mahi) and has been one of the fish providers (with Forever Young) for the Pot Luck cruiser’s dinners. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

   

 

David (Sandpiper) making dinner                                                    I need to get a S.U.P – loving this

 

 

 

 

 

One important thing we did do while we were here, was replace the membranes on the watermaker. The quality of the reverse osmosis water that we make on board was deteriorating, and action was needed. Sourcing the membranes, was a fairly straightforward, albeit expensive process done on the phone.  We ordered the parts from the supplier in Ft Lauderdale on a Friday, who couriered them to the offices of a small airline at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport. The airline/ freight company then completed all the import documentation on Monday, and on Tuesday afternoon we picked it up at the Staniel Cay yacht club. It arrived on a golf cart and was handed over without any signature, proof of order or any other documentation – I like their style of honesty here!

 

Mike then worked his magic (“Maintenance in exotic places”) and we have fantastic water again.