Black Point is one of the most talked about destinations in The Exumas - we have heard cruisers singing its praises over the VHS radio for the past couple of weeks. What is it that could generate so much excitement?
Black Point has a new laundromat, and believe us, it is past time to check it out. On Friday morning we weighed anchor and sailed the nine miles down to Black Point. This is one of the larger communities in The Exumas, with a population of approximately 300 people, and a very nice anchorage.The laundromat was everything that was promised, and very busy. There were 30 to 40 boats in the anchorage each day, and many of those would visit the laundromat, making it the hub of social activity. People share stories and places to visit, as well as catch up on news and gossip.
Speaking of gossip, Corinne is the focus of much of it. Everywhere we have been, she is inevitably greeted by the question, ‘What did you do to your arm?’
This is always followed by, ‘Oh, you’re the one! We heard about you. How are you doing?’
Another highlight of Black Point was the visit to Lorraine’s restaurant. It is popular and one must make reservations for dinner. We stopped by in the afternoon (between loads of laundry) to confirm our reservation and choice of entrée. People also make reservations by radio and we were curious to meet the always bubbly voice from the restaurant.Our meal of cracked conch and red snapper was fabulous. Most interesting, though, was how the restaurant worked. Lorraine was the only person there, so she was cook, hostess, and bartender. How does she handle this and serve dinner for twenty? With grace and seeming ease. She greets people as they arrive and asks them to help themselves from the cooler or bar, and to mark down at the bar on a piece of paper what they have taken. As the meals were prepared, two or three of the women from cruising sailboats volunteered as servers. Finally, as her eleven-year-old son cleared the tables at the end of the meal Lorraine circulated to chat with her guests and present the bills.
Corinne responded to the call for cruisers who would like to volunteer to tutor for an hour at the end of the school day, and returned with the biggest smile on her face. She spent an hour with Rodnika, a six-year-old sweetheart who was working on phonics and addition facts. As always, the tutor seems to get the most out of this opportunity.
