Due to "cruisers midnight" being so early, "cruisers morning" is about 7. We woke to warm breezes. We were anchored in the "first hole" in the lee of Stocking Island, by the monument with about 40 other boats. Mostly sailboats - about 10% power boats, 15% cats and the rest mono-hulls Between the Sheets was about the middle of the pack size wise with some really huge motor yachts and a very few small (27'/30') sailboats.
We took the dinghy to the island and walked one of the many trails through to the ocean side. The sand was granular and "sinky" and the rocks rugged and sharp. It was a beautiful series of sand beaches and we only saw one other group of people.
We swam, shell searched, sat in a rock pool and climbed through rocks into little coves. There was quite a swell left over from the previous windy days.
Back across on the other, lee, side again the sand was like talcum powder and swimming was lovely. Back to the boat for lunch and then motored up to the 3rd hole to anchor next to Nomada. She is a 65 foot trawler, built in Port Dover and owned by Jamie and Karen Nadrofski (of Nadro Marine) who had invited us all to dinner.
In the afternoon we went on a dinghy tour. Debra and I stroked Stingrays at the beach (the locals feed them conch remains to attract them).
We toured around, into the coves, passed some lovely homes and amazing boats (also some rather scruffy looking ones that are obviously lived on but never moved) when we sighted some dolphins. There was a young one with its mother and the young one, curious about the dinghy, circled us a number of times before the mother pushed it away.
After returning to the boat we "showered". This entails diving off the back of the boat, getting back onto the swim platform, washing hair etc with salt water shampoo, diving back in to rinse off and then doing a final rinse with the fresh water hose at the stern of the boat. We then dinghied over to Nomada with our dinner contributions.
Nomada is beautifully appointed with George, of course, being most interested in the full size frig with plumbed in water in the door, in the galley. Jamie and Karen gave us a tour of the wheel house, 4 bedrooms and huge engine room with laundry facilities. Appetizers include lobster dip made from fresh lobster caught by Jamie. Jamie saluted the sunset by blowing a conch and taught Debra how too.
Sorry its such a long post but it was a very full day and shortly after dinner we returned to Between the Sheets and fell, exhausted, into bed.
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