Photo: Shearwater Marina with megayachts.

Steve and I have always enjoyed a stop at Shearwater. We consider it worth the cost of moorage to tie up at the dock. We like the informal exchanges that go on among boaters at the dock. “Where did you go? How was your trip?” are common questions you hear on the dock.

But not so much this year. Megayachts have invaded Shearwater. There was no space at the dock for Osprey, or for a lot of other boats either. Three big yachts took up space where 6-8 regular boats might have tied in the past, but if anything there were fewer people on the dock. At least one of those yachts was unoccupied: its owners flown home to return some other time.

We anchored out and took the dinghy in. The restaurant was still good, the store well stocked and we did get to talk to a couple of people we knew. But it wasn’t the same.