Sailing Sirius

A short run of 22 nm to the park took longer than expected due to SE winds and waves building on the banks. Very happy to arrive at the park, pick up a mooring and relax. Got the dingy in the water for the first time this Bahamas trip. The Exuma Land and Sea Park is a beautiful protected unspoiled area of several islands. No fishing or conching allowed. Nothing can be removed from the park, including sea shells, driftwood, etc. The mooring filed at Wardrick Wells is amazing. At low tide, a large sandbar appears in the middle where you can walk. I will be posing pictures.
Still buddy boating with Tom and Cathy on Interlude. We organized a cruiser happy hour at the picnic table on the beach. A great way to meet other cruisers who come from all walks of life and all over the world. Some have travelled much further than we and others are here in the Bahamas for the first time.
We climbed Boo Boo Hill and found our boat board that we left here 2 years ago, much worse for the wear including an infestation of termites. I will post a picture of how we left it. It had a sailboat and palm tree made from sea glass. Most of the sea glass was gone. After removing the termites, we took the board back to the boat and Harry used a dremel tool to carve deeper into the board. Cruisers leave driftwood carved or painted with the boat name and years visited in a heap at the top of Boo Boo Hill. It is fun to find the boards of boats you have met along the way. The boards don't seem to last too long as they get blown over the hill during strong winds. Our board now says '04, '12 and '14.
There are a few hiking trails in the park and we walked to and old causeway. When the tide is low, small polls are created where you can see small fish and baby rays. You have to be careful walking on the iron rock which is very jagged and rough. Last year a hiker fell on the path and died due to a punctured spleen. No OSHA or any other safety measures in the islands.
We spend a wonderful, easy week here. No worries about weather windows and cold fronts. Just hanging off a bombproof mooring and enjoying life. The only downside is no connectivity except we can get the weather forecast via the SSB radio and talk to fellow cruisers or the park office on our VHF radio.