In 1978, back in the heyday of drug smuggling in the Bahamas, we stopped at Royal Island and went ashore for a walk at an abandoned homestead. We sat on a limestone wall and posed for what became a favorite picture taken by our friend Rex. As we were enjoying the flowers and colors, we became aware of a man in the shade holding a shotgun. We put one and one together and did a smooth about face.

The sensational drug smuggling is gone. Alex, Meggie and I found the limestone wall at Royal this afternoon. Little remains of the grand old house that was the centerpiece of the harbor at Royal Island in the fifties.

Now a different kind of wild speculation has overcome Royal Island. The real estate excesses of the decade past conspired to carve Royal Island up into half acre lots, and went bankrupt trying to do it. The current primary feature of the harbor is a semi- abandoned construction depot with trailers and heavy equipment. While the harbor would be a good place to wait out a blow from any direction, there is little else to recommend this anchorage. We should have stopped at the beautiful sandy beach at the tip of Egg Island.

Alex did spear two lionfish, a beautiful but invasive fish with poisonous spines. Turns out they are edible and tasty when thoroughly dead!