New Years at Rock Sound
AJAYA'S CRUISE
Phil & Nikki Hoskins
Mon 3 Jan 2011 00:00
|
Rock Sound is a large body of water measuring approx 4
miles by 1.5 miles and protected from most wind directions. As we had prevailing
easterlies we anchored just off the settlement of Rock Sound itself
where provisions, fuel etc are available. If a cold front comes through, which
at this time of the year is quite likely, then it's easy to up-anchor
and move somewhere in the Sound where better shelter from the west to
northwest winds exists.
   Remains of the old
dock
dock-side meet-up on New Year's
Day Approaching
Rosie's place
There were just two other cruising boats in
residence in an area in which you could easily accommodate 1000 boats at
anchor. So there was plenty of space for us. We had last seen Mon Amie
in Onsett, Massachusetts in the summer where they were hauling to have a hull
re-paint but heard them often as Mary is a net controller on Cruiseheimers, the
daily SSB net we listen in to. The other boat, Braveheart, we hadn't
previously met but with just the three boats for New Years it wasn't long before
introductions were made over a New Years Eve sundowner on Mon
Amie. The new paint job was fantastic and we were almost afraid to
take our dinghy alongside! Mary and Dave suggested a New Year's Day lunch
at Rosie's about a mile walk on the ocean side of the island - we couldn't think
of a nicer way of kicking off 2011. After drinks we
returned onboard for dinner of Veggie Bangers and Mash before settling down
with a glass of wine or three to watch our DVD's of Jools Holland's Millennium
Hootenanny. There were no local celebrations or fireworks that we could hear or
see as this is a small community with few resources although the
beachside bar in front of us had some New Year's revellers.
Rosies proved an excellent choice - typically
Bahamian fare of conch, fish, peas & rice and 'mac' & cheese
garnished with coleslaw. The walk to her restaurant was straight
across the island on tarmac roads passing sparsely populated dwellings. We
received friendly waves from the residents and a close encounter with
an excitable pack of 'potcakes', the local breed of Bahamian dog, so named
because they were reared on little other than the solid cake-like
remains from the cooking pot. Generally a friendly, endearing and
clever breed as pets but excitable and slightly intimidating in a
pack. This was a small pack and as the men from our party had walked
slightly ahead of the ladies along the road we looked back concerned to see if
they were OK. They were. The excited barking was as much as we
suffered.
  Waiting to be seated at
Rosie's
with stunning views over the ocean
reefs
  Rosie's dining
room
Where else would an old ball-cock feature outside a
restaurant!
  Off to explore the
beach
This was just the cutest crab we've seen
We had a great lunch with good company and beautiful
views over the ocean beach on which we walked after the meal. Rosie is a
wonderful hostess, along with her well proportioned but protective Golden
Labrador Teddy. She greets and seats everyone front of house, prepares
the meal, clears the plates then engages in conversation with her guests. Teddy,
meanwhile walks from table to table looking for any morsels on
offer. Afterwards Rosie appeared from the kitchen with a 'doggy
bag' for each boat as a thank you and farewell gesture. We trooped off
along the road with the men dutifully carrying their respective plates of food
wrapped in a plastic bag. The potcake pack were still sunning themselves by
the roadside and with the smell of freshly cooked food wafting towards them
we felt somewhat vulnerable to their inevitable hunger pangs. We kept
together in our own pack although should push come to shove we had
visions of leaving the food in the road and fleeing as quickly as
possible should their excitement turn to aggression. It didn't and we
enjoyed the remains of the lunch later on in the day. Last stop on the
way back was to the Ocean Hole, a well known feature on Rock Sound. A
roughly circular hole about 200 yards diameter which local
folklore deems as bottomless and linked to the ocean by some
geographic subterranean tunnel. No less a person than Jacques Cousteau has
explored this deep hole and could find no obvious passage out to the sea.
However, the level changes with the tide which must surely prove that link
exists. The area around the hole has been tidied with picnic tables and a small
play area for the local children although that is sadly in
disrepair.
    Rock
Sound architecture ...........
The next day Braveheart played hosts at cocktail
hour - being like minded we never ran short of conversation!
We were anchored about two hundred yards off the beach where a
large beach bar has been opened catering for bussed-in parties from the cruise
ships that stop at the south end of Eleuthera. Here they are treated to a lively
demonstration of Junkanoo music where the staff double up their duties doing a
quick change into colourful costumes and dancing to the typical sounds of
Junkanoo. The visitors are encouraged to taste freshly prepared
conch (pronounced conk) fritters prior to being given a live demonstration
on the art of prising the wily mollusc out of it's shell. This is not a
procedure to undertake lightly as they are pretty stubborn characters and
don't take too kindly to outsiders messing around with their homes. If the
person undertaking the preparation isn't quick enough in severing the main
attachment, usually by means of a sharp instrument in a specific spot on the
shell, then the conch expels a large quantity of horrible slime.
Having witnessed this rather stomach churning process this was possibly
one of the reasons the bar toilets became blocked the following day resulting in
us, anchored directly downwind, being engulfed in the smell of raw sewage
for a short while as it was directly pumped into the clear blue water
before the next bus load of cruise ship passengers arrived for their own conch
and Junkanoo demonstration. Needs must as they say.
  Plenty of room at Rock
Sound
The 'Admiral' props up another palm tree
After getting back from Braveheart we settled in
for a quiet evening which was suddenly interrupted by the arrival
in the saloon of a Bat Moth. In fact, at first we thought it was a bat - it
was flappy and very excitable which is what we became as we struggled to
see what had flown into our home. When it finally settled we could clearly see
that it was a moth - quite the largest we have ever seen outside of captivity
boasting a five inch wingspan - a magnificent specimen, beautifully
patterned and with large reflective eyes. The problem was how to remove this
beautiful creature from the saloon without damaging it in anyway, especially as
we are now fully fledged mass murderers of brown stink bugs which continue
to appear from all over the boat in the warm weather. After a photo call
which the bat moth patiently sat through we set about shooshing it out,
eventually achieved after a short chase, before shutting the saloon door for the
rest of the evening to avoid any unwanted night time flying activities inside
the boat. As we both retired for the night it could still be heard outside
flapping around and flying straight at the door until we doused all lights -
presumably at which time it looked around for another bright light to aim
for.
  The grandfather of all
moths
sits very obligingly whilst we make some
measurements
Our final evening at Rock Sound saw us providing the venue for
the last sundowner meet-up between the three 'resident' yachts. We had
thoroughly enjoyed their company over the New Year's period but next
morning before the sun had risen we slowly motored out of Rock Sound heading for
Warderick Wells and the Exuma Land and Sea Park which we had enjoyed visiting
last spring. In the distance behind us we could make out Mon Amie who
were heading down the outer chain of islands whilst Braveheart stayed
over another day.
  A peacefully quiet dawn
scene
and the tranquil Cape Eleuthera Marina
After a brief stop to take on fuel at Cape Eleuthera Marina -
generally a watering hole and fuel stop for larger private yachts, verified
by the alarming flow rate of the diesel nozzle which had a kick like a mule when
squeezing the trigger and which wouldn't even fit into our tank filler
pipe - it was off on a forty-nine mile motoring trip across Exuma
Sound then through Warderick Cut onto the banks and hopefully onto an
available mooring in the north mooring field of the park. The promise of
catching a good fish brought out the fishing lines as we were just about to
motor off the banks and into deep water. But the lures were deployed too soon
(naughty Skip) and within minutes we had the unwanted capture of a 3 foot
long Barracuda. It's typical, when you want fish to drop off the line they don't
- and this was no exception, being firmly attached meaning a confrontation with
a mean looking fish with even meaner looking teeth! It was all we caught the
whole trip!
  Our unwelcome
catch
Hook extraction can be a rather tricky process
We arrived at Warderick Wells, but with no free moorings in
the north field we opted to anchor for the night off Emerald Rock on the west
side of the island. With an approaching cold front this was not the place to be
in a day or so's time so we made arrangements to find a more suitable location
to sit out the pending storm.
|