Rock Sound
After Governor’s Harbor, we headed to Rock Sound, our last Eleutheran port. From there, we would make the jump to the Exumas. This harbor has a reputation as an up and coming cruising destination,with many services and excellent provisioning available.
We set out from Governor’s and had a beautiful sail all the way until we needed to make our turn to Rock Sound. The wind seemed to curl around to accommodate exactly the course we needed. It was sweet!
When we got into the harbor, we were certainly able to see why cruisers like it. It is a large open anchorage with plenty of space and great protection. We had no problem getting the anchor set, and I hopped into the water to check it, as always. From above, the water was a beautiful turquoise, but once I was in it, I realized how milky it was. We were in less than 10′ of water, and I had to dive down to follow the chain and see the anchor. Very strange, and I never did figure out why it was that way.
We went into town the next day on the promise of a great grocery store, and we were not disappointed. We dinghied over to the dock at Wild Orchid restaurant, and took a short walk from there. Rose, the owner of Nort’ Side restaurant, stopped and gave us a ride. Apparently, if you buy a lot of groceries,the store will give you a lift back to the dock, too. This is a very modern and well-stocked grocery store just north of town. We had one huge surprise there, though. Distilled water,which we had not been able to find elsewhere, was over $13.00 a gallon. Wow! We decided against that purchase. Add that to your provision list if coming to the Bahamas.
In the evening, Alan saw some guys out catching and cracking conch. Never shy, he yelled to them to come and show him how to do that. Eventually, they did. One fellow asked if I knew how to make conch salad, and I said no, and the next thing you know, I was getting a lesson! Very fortunately, I had all the ingredients needed to add to the freshest, sweetest conch you could ever want, and our new friend made it boatside! We gave him and his crew beers for their time and effort, and once our cold ones were gone (tiny refrigerator…) they went to get more. I didn’t know if they would come back, but they did, and we managed to talk them into coming on board to share the curry I made for dinner. It was a fun evening!
The next day we went into town to visit the Ocean Hole, which is a deep salt water “lake” connected to the ocean through underwater caves. It is full of fish, and they are anxious to be fed. We took some stale bread and were glad we did. The fish jump right out of the water to snap up the crumbs.
I had also read about some caves south of town, but the directions were vague. We stopped and asked about them, and were told we were on the right track. When we got to the place, there was another “ocean hole” this one called Boiling Hole. It was still and kind of scummy, and we were afraid that was it, as you could see some inaccessible open caves there. The faint trail wasn’t really marked, and as we walked we thought of turning back around. I am so glad we did not! Eventually, we came to a drop off on the right, and a ladder down into it in front of us. Though I have climbed many ladders, I am not crazy about them, but this one was as sturdy as most jobsite ladders I’ve been on, so no problem. We walked around counter-clockwise, and soon came to the first of a series of large, open caves. These things were like something from a movie set, complete with sleepy bats
on the roof and huge roots descending from 20 – 30 feet above to the floor of the caves. It was a highlight of the trip. We both agreed we were so glad not to have turned around.
If you decide to go there, know the path to the caves is well marked, about ½ mile south from the edge of town, right across the road from the Allen’s Chapel church.
From there, take the steps down to the Boiling Hole and keep going. About when you want to give up, you will see this ladder:
Go on down it. Definitely worth the trip!
We could have stayed at Rock Sound much longer, enjoying the friendly people and beautiful surrounds, but the Exumas were calling and we had to answer the call!
