Many trails have been added to Stocking Island over the last two years or so. You can hike up to just about any peak and back and forth to the ocean and the harbor easily. We're only about 200 feet off of the beach so it is easy to take Roq ashore and explore. Hideko and I hiked up to the monument and marveled at how wild the surf was on the Exuma Sound side of the island. You could see the anchorage on one side with a nice 10 to 15 knot breeze and no chop and the ocean on the other with a pounding beach break and 20 knot winds.

Some of the paths on the island are not well traveled and it is easy to lose you way if you don't keep you eye out for the next red marker. After a bit of off roading we finally came out near the Peace and Plenty outpost on the North end of Monument beach. It is a nice little burger shack. Hideko and I wanted to grab lunch but neither of us brought any money. You so rarely need cash when you're hiking and swimming around islands out here.

We're going to enjoy the company here a while and get some projects done. We generally like more out of the way places with smaller crowds but the cruisers here are really wonderful folks. A boat had its anchor line part last night and began to drift down the harbor toward a bank of rocks. A group of cruisers got control of the boat and anchored her safely out of the channel. This is a very strong community.