Nestled between Booby Cay and Conception Island, you can't help but feel mother nature at her nurturing best.

We finally had Charlotte and Dakota board on Sunday the 22nd. It felt so natural to have them on Ooroo. Ollie and Charlotte wasted no time in reconnecting as brother and sister as did I with my daughter. Celebrations at the Exuma Cay Yacht Club went late into the night. Knowing we had a weather window the next day didn't curb our rum intake.

The next morning Mark, picked up his friend, Maryanne from the airport. We now have six on board. We aren't expecting too many supermarkets for the next while and so topped up our food, rum and beer and set sail for Conception Island at 10.30am.

We knew the wind was a perfect 15 knots from the SW. Perfect because with 3 sailing virgins and I wanted the introduction to sailing be a good be. Once we cleared Elizabeth Harbour across the shallow banks we tacked onto a direct line to our destination. 7 hours latter after speeds of 7 to 10 knots we arrived and what's is described as a paradise within a paradise. It was.

We crossed a turquoise 6m deep bank to the lee of the island. We anchored in 5 meters with corral reefs to port and starboard, the whitest of white sandy beach ahead and Booby Cay just behind. We dinned on the last of the Mahi, Cevichi style again prepared by Mark. It was delicious. Maryanne who had flown from Belgium fitted right into the conversations and of course general frolicking that is a feature of the Voyage.....amplified by the fact that all the crew are aged from 18 to 27. Yep, I'm the old man at 47....as Oli reminds me daily.

We all slept like angels and woke to a glass ocean. Mark, Oli and I collected 4 large Lobsters for dinner that evening and Mark speared a Snapper for lunch.

Cleaning the fish attracted a 2 meter Bronze Whaler (it least that's my best guess of what shark it was), so we all jumped overboard for a frolicking with the awesome creature. I could feel Charlotte hiding behind my taking photos over my shoulder. Dakota swam around the shark like its an everyday thing. We Christen him Bruce.

After lunch Bruce was still hanging around below us and so we tied what was left of lunch and to a rope and watched in amazement as he devoured it.....teeth bared and menace pulsating in the water. I think we all gained a massive respect after seeing such power and grace.

Oli and Mark went spear fishing again while the rest of us beach combed. Man and mother nature are at odds. The beauty was littered with plastic. Thongs, for some reason mostly left foot, fishing buoys, nets and ropes were everywhere. We even found a baby capsule, a hard hat, a trashed almost new dingy and American football.

But we looked pass that. Although only 10 meters high ,the peak showed us a panorama of small islands, coral reefs, clear, clear water, mangroves and creeks. I couldn't help imagining what Maryanne, Dakota and Charlotte made of all this beauty when fresh off a plane from the Big Smoke. I have now been sailing these waters for a month and still pinch myself.

We collected drift wood for the mandatory beach bonfire, planned post the Lobster dinner and headed back to Ooroo.

Bruce was still home and so we decided, albeit not overly responsible to feed him a couple more fish. We filmed him under water. Unbelievable.

The bonfires stated with swarms of "No-see-ems" (sand flys/midgies) attacking us all. The smoke of the fire didn't help. But no sooner had they come, they disappeared leaving us to the sunset, guitar music, tall stories and laughter around the blazing fire. Oli and I stayed by the fire until 3am....star gazing, chatting and also sleeping.

We left the beach as we found it. It would have been nice to have taken everyone else's
rubbish with us as well. That would be a major project for a small army and a little fruitless.. More plastic would have arrived at the shores as soon the job was finished.

Now for a short sail to Rum Cay. It's an easy 4 hour sail in light winds. Once again no tacking is required. We are getting quite good at sailing, not motoring and picking our weather windows. We will probably stay here until the next window opens or we get sick of Rum.

So we are here.....and not much more is here. It's beautiful and we a in a marina bar with no beer....but Internet. The owner has lent us his car to go by beers at his competing pub...."no issue, bring your own beers, hell bring your own food and use my Internet....no problems". I'm liking it already.

Mother nature and man are both kind to us.