Suliere's Blog

The wind would not play ball and would have been on the nose to the Exumas so we diverted to Spanish Wells instead.  The wind was varying between 30 degrees and 45 degrees so we had to have an engine on at low revs to stop the speed falling too low when the variable wind swung in tight and dropped. We had reserved the one and only mooring that could take our boat but as moorings are often just taken without being approved on VHF we had to make sure we made it as early as possible.

We made it and snatched the mooring – a bit of a new procedure for us with the bowsprit out and the bowsprit/reefing lines for the Screacher also out. Lesley had a close shave with two fingers almost being trapped as she was dropping the mooring loop over the cleat and the boat was moving back in the wind but she escaped with just some sore bruising.

Stunning View towards Eleuthera from the bow

View over Spanish Wells from the stern

Then, in order to take her mind of those sore fingers, I offered to take her out for a meal so we put Slurpy in the water and motored 150 yards to a nearby dock …. it was about 5.30  pm and the place was deserted. All the shops shut up. We walked on until a passing chap on a golf cart (the preferred mode of transport here) advised us of a place called Norma’s and we walked on in the he hope of finding it…. and walked on until another chap in a passing golf cart in giving us to find it offered to give us a lift there … which we accepted.

‘Fine dining’ at Norma’s made great memories.

Normas turned out not to be a restaurant but a take-a-way. There was nowhere else and so we ordered chicken and sides and set about waiting.There is just one person taking the orders and doing all the cooking – a sort of one women operation for everything. Whilst waiting 4 very nice Canadian tourists turned up in their golf cart and also ordered. Frankly., I do not know how long we waited but it was a long time as all the food was cooked from scratch. We found a table around the back of the take-a-way and settled down to eat our food there. After we had finished the Canadians were still waiting so we said cheerio and started the long 2 mile walk home with rain being threatened. After about 15 minutes walk the Canadians drove up and offered us a lift back to the boat which we accepted……… so a lift both ways and a pleasant memory.

Breathe in Slurpy!

Woke up thus morning to find the entire stern view blocked by the bow of a large oil carrying ship some 2 feet from Slurpy sitting peacefully slurping away behind Suliere. They had just squeezed in a turn and managed to do so with an incredibly low tolerance ….. Otherwise a very nice and safe mooring – being on a cat the passing traffic is hardly noticed.

We have done so much motoring with the trip to Nassau and to here in Spanish Wells that we really should top up with fuel before heading down island. So we plan to fill up with fuel here before departing in a few days.

Mooring supplied by ‘Bandit’ on VHF 16. We phoned ahead on 1-242-333-4695 to make a reservation.