Photo shows Belinda and a friendly dolphin near Georgetown

View more pics at https://picasaweb.google.com/yacht.quilcene

Managed to buy a Sim card for the internet so time for a quick update and a few pictures on Picasa...

We anchored off 'Volleyball beach' and the 'Chat & Chill' bar on Stocking Island. It's been a bit choppy but not rolly or uncomfortable.

It is a 1 mile dinghy ride into Georgetown and it was quite windy on Monday so we took Elvis's water taxi over. It cost $12 return each but worth it as we checked in, got our washing done, picked up a load of shopping, had a look around and also lunch (Conch burgers). There was no escaping the $300 for a 3 month Cruising Permit - ouch! Food prices are a little high but not unreasonable and there's plenty of fresh stuff. There were squalls and a thunderstorm as we were due to return so we were glad we'd chosen Elvis and a dry, fast ride back to Quilcene!

Elvis also filled up our water containers and brought fuel over as we didn't fancy the depths around the 'marina'.

It is lovely here off Stocking Island with white sand and blue waters. We went to a cruisers get-together on Sunday afternoon and had a pig roast lunch.

There's also St Francis Resort ashore here with a nice bar/restaurant where I took Kit for dinner to make up for his birthday at sea! We met some great people from near Quilcene, Seattle so had lots to talk about!

Swimming off the boat one evening I saw a dark shape nearby and almost leapt out of the water thinking it was a shark! No, it was a dolphin and he clearly wanted to play as every time I turned toward the boat he came between me and the ladder - a bit disconcerting as he was quite big; longer than me and many times faster! However he only wanted to play so no problem, and when I finally left him he swam off. I was so elated to have been so close to a dolphin in the wild - I was on a high all evening!

Tomorrow (Thursday 14th) we plan to head off further north and west as time is pressing on and we are closely watching the weather. There has already been one tropical Storm north of us; very early in the year for such an event.