8 March 2019 Elizabeth Island to Stocking Island, Exumas
After breakfast, we motored north for a couple of miles back to Stocking Island to be closer to town. We had a quick look at the Monument Beach anchorage, but it was full of boats, so we anchored off Honeymoon Beach, where we’d spotted a nice gap. We dropped our anchor at 23°31.32N 075°45.74W in 5 metres, just off the small pretty beach.
It was Glenys’ birthday today and as usual, there was no present from me, but her present will be the arrival of our son. We dinghied across to Georgetown and picked up some provisions. There were no cans of Kalik beer left in the liquor stores, so I’m glad that we’d bough three cases last week. There should be more on Tuesday next week when the supply ship comes in.
We hung around all day, waiting for Craig’s flight to arrive. It was supposed to land at 18:40, but was delayed by an hour. Unfortunately, the clouds built up during the afternoon and the wind picked up to 20 knots, so I was very nervous when I set off in the dark, dark night to dinghy the mile to Georgetown to pick them up. The journey to Georgetown wasn’t too bad because I was going slightly down wind.
Craig and Kristen arrived at 20:30 and had brought 2 suitcases and 2 rucksacks with them. I made them put on their water proof jackets and put the rucksacks into large bin liners. The dinghy was cram-packed full by the time that we’d all got in. I had them squat down on the floor of the dinghy – they thought I was a bit crazy because it was very calm in the lagoon by the dinghy dock.
Once through the tunnel, we were heading directly into steep 2 foot wind waves and within one minute, we’d taken a huge wave over the bow and were wet through. It was a rough 10 minute ride across to Stocking Island and more than a little scary in the pitch black night. Fortunately, I had the anchor lights of the anchored fleet to guide me and we safely made it to the boat.
We had dinner and chatted until 22:30, by which time jet lag had hit them and we called it a day.
9 March 2019 Stocking Island, Exumas
We had a relaxed morning chatting while our guests recovered from their day of travelling. After lunch, we went snorkelling. We popped into the lagoons and tied up to one of the moorings at the “Blue Hole”, which is a small cave which extends underwater back about 20 metres. It’s an interesting little place with lots of snappers lurking inside the cave.
Many people visit the cave and feed the fish with cooked rice, so they swarmed around us when Glenys through handfuls into the water. We then dinghied along to Starfish Beach looking for any coral heads, but didn’t find anything interesting, so we went for a short walk on the pretty beach. Glenys spotted one of the Starfishes which are a very bright red colour.
We have a quiet evening on board.
10 March 2019 Stocking Island, Exumas
We went for a walk along the windward beach on Stocking Island, which was again deserted. We headed north and then climbed a steep path up to the top of Monument Hill, where there is a great view of the island and the anchorages.
Back on the beach, we tried to fly my power kite, which has been sitting in a locker on-board Alba for 8 years and has never been used. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get the damn thing to fly – maybe I rigged it incorrectly or perhaps there was turbulence in the wind above the beach because it just kept collapsing on one side. Hot and bothered in the beating sun, we gave up after an hour.
Suffering from heat-stroke, we staggered to the restaurant at the St Francis Resort and had lunch. After a heavy meal, we spent the afternoon reading and snoozing.
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