We stopped in Black Rock Sound after Staniel, ostensibly to do laundry. As a “shallow-draft vessel”, it was just a couple of hours for us, comfortably motoring through the banks where a deeper boat would have had to go several extra miles out to avoid a big shoal. Thank you, Villa! We took our time getting started and getting the laundry organized, so that by the time we made it to the laundromat it was almost 3. The laundromat, called out in the Active Captain reviews as the best laundry in the Bahamas, is an imposing two-story white building, easily visible from our anchorage in the middle of the harbor. (In the shallow section, of course.)
By 3:45, we gave up trying to rouse the proprietor on the radio (as posted on the “out to lunch” sign”), and brought the laundry back to the boat. Feeling a little dejected, we headed back to shore for a happy hour. There, we ran into the crew of Ddraig, another boat we knew from Warderick Wells. They introduced us to the crew of Sailing: Good Bad and Ugly, and we all had a good time drinking Rum Punches and chatting about all our newby sailor mistakes.
In the morning, we managed the laundry. Best in the Bahamas? We didn’t think so, with all the broken dryers, but we got the job done. At least the guidebook didn’t lie about Ida’s conch fritters – they really were excellent. Ask about the coconut bread next door, too!
Conch fritters and coconut bread!!! Yummo!