2024 Exumas Bahamas: Black Point Long Beach Activities

 15 March 2024

Clark and I volunteered to help with setup today for the games at Long Beach in Black Point. We were told to be there at 8:00. Clark was anxious to be on time, but I told him to "chill". I was still eating breakfast, and if last night's dinner was any indication, it would be well after 8:00 before things started to happen. 

We landed at the High Tide Café dinghy dock and saw no other volunteers in sight. I did not know what we were supposed to do there, but Clark found some locals and learned we had to take down the tents from last night's buffet before we could set them up at Long Beach for todays festivities. We jumped in to help disassembling tents and soon some other volunteers joined us.

When everything was ready, we were given a ride to the venue on the back of a pickup truck. The truck was so full of things and people, that I sat on the tailgate with my legs hanging off the back. Reminded me of backroad rides in Pennsylvania as a kid growing up.

Me on the tailgate. Clark behind me. Trip to Long Beach is short thankfully.

The team had a devil of a time setting up the main tent over the bar as the wind was wicked strong and the ground was wicked hard. The metal tent pegs bent in half as the workers tried to hammer them into rock-hard ground. We had some sandbags to hold down the anchor lines but not enough, so folks gathered rocks to place around the stakes to hold them in. 

Getting ready to set up tent over bar

Yay! We got the job done!

For a while I took a break and took some pictures of the area. I found two cement blocks piled on top of each other to use as a bench while I rested and avoided direct sun for a bit of a rest.

Views of the beach before everything was assembled there.

After spending a few hours in the sun setting up tents, chairs, umbrellas, and even a volleyball net, it was time to return to the boat for lunch. We walked back to the dinghy. We could see the water was low and would get even lower later.

As we strolled along, Clark grabbed a picture of the water spigot where folks can fill water jugs and the steps down to the water where they can pull up for the water in their dinghies.

Town water spigot

We got water here in 2016 after tying our dinghy to the government dock. Clark used a hand truck to bring the water back to the dinghy while I watched the sharks swimming in the area. The 5-gallon containers get real heavy when filled with water. After getting some water this way, we decided it was better to stop at Staniel Cay and pay for it!

Steps down to beach New since we visited in 2016 (hand truck would not have helped here)

At 2:00 the Long Beach games were scheduled to begin. At this point we have already learned that nothing starts on time, so we did not hurry ourselves along too much. Clark asked how we should get there 1) kayaks, 2) new dinghy with no engine, or 3) fast dinghy to dock and walk to Long Beach. I suggested we go with option 2. 

We dropped the small dinghy down into the water and got going, but it was a slow, hard row against the wind. Clark was working real hard and making slow progress with a long way to go when another boater in a powered dinghy offered us a ride. He said, "I know you are doing it for the exercise, but would you like a tow?" I had already indicated our need for a lift with my hitch-hiking thumb out, and we jumped at the offer. He took us in as far as he could and then we had to jump out and wade the rest of the way in. We could see anchored dinghies near shore as we approached.

By the time we got to the beach, many folks had arrived but we found a place to plant our chairs that we brought and watch the fun. The local kids all showed up to participate after school let out. They got a lot of enjoyment playing with paddle boards, frisbees, and such.

Clark said he wanted to go see the Blow Hole to see if it was spouting any higher today than yesterday. I jumped up to join him for the walk out there for a look. It was no better, probably worse than yesterday. We should have walked out in the morning when the wind was way up, but we were busy assembling tents.

Clark walked around taking pictures of the venue when we returned from our short hike.

Beached dinghies

The food tent we helped construct

Cookers going strong

Servers at the food tent

Rum punch anyone?

Mermaid at party

Mermaid and Pirate Husband from Boat: "Wanderer"

When we left the activities, we had a long slog through the water to a place where we could get the dinghy to float with us in it. I had on hiking shoes which made my feet feel like they weighed ten pounds each. It was a tough walk to where we could finally float. With the wind pushing us, Clark rowed back to Sunset Delight without difficulty.

I was spent from the day's activities, but Clark went on his own to see the "Electric Mermaid" perform some songs at the café. 

He left just before sunset and came back reasonably early not realizing I had turned on the anchor light, so he could have stayed longer.

Sunset at Black Point