THE LAW OF KINDNESS

Black Point, Exumas 24º6.04N | 76º24.12W

Looking west from Regatta Point in Black Point.

After weeks of tooling around on deserted islands and those barely inhabited, we have landed in Black Point rumored to have a population of less than 200, but still the second largest town in the Exumas after Georgetown.

My first experience of this kind gathering of Bahamians came on our first day at anchor. I've been carrying a wifi antenna for our friends Mike and Rebecca on Zero to Cruising since Miami, expecting to catch up with them in the Exumas before they head south, but because of our hapless dawdling that is looking doubtful.

Black Point post office.

"Black Point anchorage. I'm looking for a boat heading for Georgetown that is willing to carry a small package to another boat there. Please hail Cara Mia."

Immediately a Bahamian man hailed and asked me to switch channels.

"Go to the government dock and ask for Officer Kevin Rolle. He is leaving in an hour and will help you out."

The friendly guy who greeted us at the dock turned out to be Officer Rolle himself. He was not only willing to take the antenna but seemed delighted to do so, promising to hand it off to Elvis in BarreTerre who would then take it to Georgetown and hail Mike on the VHF.

Me and Officer Kevin Rolle.

As Mike reports from the other end, Elvis, who is the Elizabeth Harbor Harbormaster, is alive and well in Georgetown -- and so is the Bahamian Kindness Network. Good, good souls here.

TO REEF OR NOT TO REEF

Coconut Grove, Miami, FL 25º43.532N | 80º14.193W

The dotted ropes are the reefing lines we've been puzzling over.

MISSION CRITICAL CHORE NUMBER ONE: Fix reefing system

"Reefing" is how you lessen your sail area when the wind is kicking up. Otherwise, with too much sail and too much wind, you risk getting knocked over, something I'd prefer to avoid.

This task has been on our list since we left home waters, and despite various attempts at figuring out how to get it working properly, we have continually failed.

Today, the Island Packet Assistance League came to our aid. Two other Island Packet owners generously stopped by to help us untwangle our lines.

You get a line, and I'll get a line.

We threaded and rethreaded. We tossed around theory after theory. We pulled the lines all the way out the back of the boom to confirm there are no shuttle cars inside (as we had been told).

Problems were found. Problems were solved. New problems were introduced. New problems were solved.

Many hours later, the system still runs like a giraffe uphill. We can marginally get it reefed down. It is almost impossible to get it back up.

Thank you fellow IP friends. At least we don't feel so alone -- or stupid. If smart people can't figure this out, there's something wrong.

MISSION CRITICAL CHORE NUMBER ONE: Fix reefing system. Sigh.

Coconut Grove, Miami, FL 25º43.532N | 80º14.193W