02 June 2007

Salina Point - an out island experience

June 2, 2007

According to the weather guru Chris Parker and the National Weather Service, Sunday looks like a great day to sail directly to Provo. We expected to sail North to Mayaguana first and then sail from there to Provo, but, because of Tropical Storm Barry, the winds will blow from the S/SW and allow us to sail straight to Provo. We have quite a few odd jobs to do on Whisper in preparation for the 130 mile trip, but we went to town first to find some lunch and check the place out. We first met Dexter Cunningham, a guy who grew up at Salina Point and has inherited many acres of land from his father. He is basically a subsistence farmer who picks up odd jobs along the way to complement the vegetables he grows in his garden which he proudly showed us. We walked about two miles to town and first stopped at the local bar for some cold Kaliks. 11:30AM and the place was hopping! Next we went to Danny’s Takeaway for ribs and mac & cheese, a bargain for $9 total. After talking to some people at a makeshift butcher shop on the dock (the catch of the day was turtle and goat), we headed back to Whisper to change the oil, check the rig, cook some food, etc., etc. in preparation for the long voyage. We estimate it will take us between 26 and 32 hours depending on the wind and waves.