Black Point

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After leaving Staniel we sailed all of 5 miles to Black Point, a wonderful little settlement on Great Guana Cay. Before we got a chance to drop our anchor in this protected bay we heard on the vhf radio, “Rum Runner, Rum Runner, this is Enee Marie. Is that you guys coming into the anchorage?” It was our good friends Scott and Sue who were anchored out at Black Point. So we made plans to meet up with them for lunch at Lorraine’s Café later in the day.

Lorraine’s Café is in the heart of town and is quite the cruisers hangout. We have never been to a place like it before- we loved it! First off Lorraine is one of the sweetest people we have ever met, with a heart of gold. She welcomes you into her house and tells you to make yourself comfortable. She knows that we are all far from our homes, and wants her place to be a home away from home. She has a cooler with soda and beer as well as a small bar area set up which she says help yourself. She will cook you a great meal and her mom’s coconut bread is the best in the islands. Sometimes she has to run off for an hour or so and she leaves the place open for all of us cruisers to enjoy. At the end of your stay you tally up how many Kaliks you have taken out of the cooler and calculate your own bill. And on our last night there she cooked a giant feast, a buffet of island cuisine including chicken and ribs and fish and conch and all the fixins’. It was one of the best meals we have ever had. And at the end of the night she gave us all parting gifts- we got a sailing trophy for being the slowest boat. Our motto certainly has become, “Sail Fast, Live Slow”. We are so fortunate to have the time to stay in each of these little islands, getting to know the locals, and enjoying the culture.

Receiving the sailing trophy that night was kind of a big deal. The locals in this area race class c sailboats in many different regattas throughout the islands and are known to be some of the best sailors in the Bahamas. The biggest regatta in the Exumas is the Family Regatta in Georgetown which happens at the end of April (we hope to be there to experience it). And across the street from Lorraine’s Café was the brand new hull of a race boat, which a couple of men were building and hoped would be finished in time for the regatta- very cool! This wood boat was beautifully constructed, and it was neat to see it before it got painted. We thought for sure it would be fast and will definitely cheer for them at the regatta.

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Photos

Sailboat
One of the class c sailboats, being built for the regatta.

Lorraine's Cafe
A home away from home.

Comments

[Victoria Rogers]

Black Point Regatta 2007
Hello - was looking for info on the regatta and saw your post. We were at Compass Cay (with Tucker and the Sharks) but made time to go over to the regatta and we at at Lorraine's Cafe - small world. I'm writing an article about the regatta and saw your great photo of the boat in progress. Wondered if I might be able to use it, if I can get the article published. I have some great shots of the boats racing that I would gladly exchange if you had an interest.

[Allen Mowery]

Black Point--Truly Heaven on Earth
When I was a child, my family and I lived on Black Point for several years. My first and fondest memories are of life on that island, swimming, eating Coco plums, walking through the bush on our way to North Side, the looooong mailboat ride to Nassau, and many more! Lorraine is a personal friend of the family, and when she was just getting into business my father (known to the locals as "Brudda' Steve") would take my mom (commonly referred to as "Sista' Joy") on dates to her cafe. I love the islands, Black Point in particular, and would move back in a fraction of a heartbeat.