We decided to try and go to the north mooring field. The anchorage there has more protection from the south and last night the mooring ball closest to the entrance, number 4, was still available. At 9 o’clock we heard the park announcement and called on channel 09 to reserve it. We then moved around the islands to enter into the north field. There were so many beautiful tucked away beaches on our passage.
We got the mooring ball and settled. David saw a fish behind the boat and instinctively reached for his fish pole. Luckily, I was able to stop him before we got expelled from the park. Fish and fishing are just reflexive for him. He then dropped a pole in the water that had to be rescued. We then set out to explore.
First we went to a little beach on a small island to the west of our harbor. We tried to find a path across to explore some of the beaches we had seen on our passage but could not find one. The plants on the island were interesting. One sends tendrils into every hole in the lava rock where water may accumulate. There were cacti and snails were clinging to it. David found a fossil in the lava rock.
We snorkeled along the island and saw some coral and fish but mostly sand and grass that was just covered in conch. Every now and then you could see a conch budge about 1/2 inch. You could see their long trails in the sand and appreciate their effort. Apparently the conch density in the park is 31 times that outside the park and keeps the population strong for the fisheries outside.
The tide was going out and a small sandbar was becoming exposed in the center of the harbor. We went out to it. The sand is white and fine as flour. We went there to take a panorama picture.
Our next journey was up Boo Boo Hill. This is a famous spot where cruisers bring a piece of driftwood with their boat name and place it in the pile on top of the hill. Some people have brought art as well. The path to Boo Boo Hill leaves from the far end of Powerful Beach or Whale Beach. The path crosses some lava rock along a small pond and then crosses Banshee Creek a tidal creek that cuts through the island and is narrow enough to hop over at low tide. Then the trail goes up to the hiltop. There are several memory benches on top and you can walk along the rocky hiltop for quite a distance on either side. We did not see the blowholes active as it was low tide but want to do the hike again on the incoming tide to see them.
We explored some other sandbars and then went back to the boat for planning and dinner. Tomorrow is supposed to be just as beautiful as today so we decided to stay here another day. We will leave Monday and go to Black Point Settlement, an anchorage that has north and east protection and also some services. We will get water and fuel there, carefully.
We went for a starlight row around the anchorage. We spoke to the owner of the boat next to us, a beautiful small yawl. He splits time between Boulder Co and the boat. Sometimes he does winter in Colorado and summer sailing north and sometimes he does sailing south and summer in Colorado. He admired Fat Tuesday. He said, “I have noticed that in Maine people sail their boats and row their dinghies, and further south, people motor their boats and motor their dinghies.” It made us feel more proud of our dinghy. She is not an impractical dinghy in Maine.