An unexpected paradise

13th Aug 2010
Leaving harbour at 07:30 we motored some 3 miles along the leads to find deep water then turned north. The trip was uneventful with good wind and good conditions but for annoying quartering seas that, for Pilgrim, tends to result in an occasional undamped rolling motion. Even so, the good sailing condition gave us a sound 5 kts + average all day.

While Low Isles was the planned destination, I really hadn’t developed any expectation as to just what this place was like. On arrival then, we were more than surprised to find a beautiful little Paradise as good as any we had experienced to date. Made up of a low coral caye and a couple of pimples of land, this place has a light house, a couple of ‘Parks and Wildlife buildings, and absolutely great sand and coral. It is also a sanctuary so this fish life was abundant. The anchorage, behind the cay is snug and as such already had a number of cruising boats and a fleet of fishing boats although these were later to disappear sometime during the night.

As we dropped anchor and got the dingy in the water, we were met by a turtle and a very large fish (wrasse I think). Later, while snorkelling off the beach and admiring the fish life, a sizable shark drifted casually past me, a completely non threatening but none the less noteworthy event to be sure. Once back on the boat we had a completely pleasant night which include good phone contact – always a plus in this environment.