The morning started a little cloudy and breezy. We did some boat cleaning. Everything gets damp and mildew likes to assert itself. We did some cleaning of the bedroom cabinets. We also put away the winter clothes except for a sweatshirt each which we might need on cooler windy evenings. We had quite a collection of coats, hats, long underwear, polar fleece, gloves and mittens. We cleaned our entryway which gathers sand and dirt.
That was enough boat cleaning for the day. We texted Nautilus about a walk on the island. They had done a walk on the seaside to monument beach that interested us. We decided to try it and set out at noon. We dinghied to Sand Dollar Beach to meet Jeff and Deb and crossed the island on a trail. The ocean Exuma Sound side was rough with wind and waves but the beach was beautiful. On the way across the island, there was a low area with tracks in the sand made by crabs. May be worth returning at night to see the action.
We walked the beach to a trail that lead back to a beach on the other side and made our way to the Coconut Club for a snack and drink. The Coconut Club is a new facility over the last few years. They really transformed an area that used to be mangrove rock and salt flat. They put in a bar and restaurant, and a gift shop. The power is via generator plus they have a large solar unit. It is all yellow and white. They are trying to get some young palms to grow and have planted some large and small which they water with an irrigation system. They have yellow and white floating platforms that you can sit on if you wish and bocce, checkers, chess, backgammon and cornhole.
There was resistance to change at the site as it used to be an empty beach and boaters had put their boat names in white rock against the black sand of the flats. Apparently these names could be seen from the air. They had to bulldoze a lot of them to create the club but some remain in the far corner. It is a well kept facility and I think people are starting to enjoy it now.
After refreshments, we climbed Monument Hill. It is unclear what the monument marks. Kids young and old were climbing around it.
We walked back at a little higher tide and swam at sand dollar beach. Dawson came out and walked on the beach. The wind was picking up and when we went back to the boat, David barely had to row with the wind blowing so hard.
The wind was howling as evening came. We rocked around a bit but stayed secure on our mooring. We learned about fish fry which is on friday nights in town. It sounds like a fun local event with food and music. It may be difficult to get to by dinghy but may be possible by taxi. For those interested, Jeff’s outfit today was made by the Mang company. Some of the proceeds of their sales go to protecting and replacing the mangrove habitat. He made the purchase at Port Canaveral marina but other places carry the brand. Their motto is “buy one, plant one.”
