Tummy still no better I assured Si I was still OK to sail and we set off for the reef in Tobago Cays; surely it will be better soon? We made some water en-route while the engine was running and although much slower than it should be, at least it is still producing just about potable water. The salinity levels are still high but Si monitored it closely today and the longer we run it the better it gets. We will now be running our tanks down much lower, running it longer and filling drinking water containers at the end of the cycle. I can’t believe it cost so much and behaves so badly.

   The wind was gusting 23kts in choppy seas as we rounded Mayreau and headed for the channel between Petit Bateau and Petit Rameau. I could not believe my eyes as the reef opened between the islands with palms falling to white sand beaches edging a kaleidoscope of blues in the shallows with turtles surfacing from feeding: It was simply breathtaking. Smiling boat boys congregating at the edge of the channel waved and showed no sign of harassing us as we motored slowly round the coral reefs to the anchorage. Standing watch on the foredeck in case the chartplotter had missed any reefs, I was torn between doing my duty and shooting everything in sight with the camera hanging round my neck. We rounded Baradel and paradise lay before us. Inevitably there were plenty of boats around; the Cays are a must for every boat and who could blame us? What a feast for the eyes! Minds and eyes were elsewhere as we anchored.

   Once settled Sydney who we’d read about in the pilot book came alongside in his well fendered boat offering his services for bread, fish, t. shirts or anything else we needed help with. How refreshing not to be hassled with the hard sell. A couple more vendors came by but all these guys seemed to have a system and it wasn’t often two offered the same service or were at all pushy. Great! Sitting back to admire the view it was difficult to say which of the islands looked more perfect. A huge horseshoe shaped reef encircles the islands creating a dramatic frame for our picture with dark Atlantic waves breaking over the reef and melting from the spray into a sea of sapphires and emeralds. This side of Baradel’s beautiful sandy spit is a buoyed area to protect wildlife from outboard engines. I took painkillers, packed a fat free picnic and we set off in search of turtles. I was a kid at Christmas.

   Why I didn’t swallow more pills the last couple of days I don’t know as I felt so much better although still rather worried about stomach cramps as we pulled the dinghy onto the spit and donned snorkel gear. As I swam my shoulders shrugged with glee and my mouth filled with water; how could I not smile at the wonderful creatures we soon found? My heart smiled more; what an experience. Numerous turtles were feeding on the grasses on the seabed, coming up the metre or so for air every so often. We photographed, we followed, we looked into their eyes and were at one, we were very happy. How can you top that? We took our picnic under the shade of a palm and I was still smiling as I munched lunch while watching others emerge from the sea with broad grins. What an amazing day!

   Relaxing back on Brindabella the colours around me inspired an airing of the paint box: I filled the table with my toys restricting Simon to one small corner and filled another few pages with amateurish blue and green smudges. Simon went below for a snooze when I then decided to try and paint the last of the fuchsia pink orchids that Ron had bought us as a thank you for Christmas Day. Wise move! Trying to draw them to scale was quite a challenge for me the novice, then the light was fading fast as I finished painting. I’ve yet to see the finished product in daylight!

   To complete our perfect day the golden sun dropped beautifully behind Union Island off the stern then a full golden moon rose behind Baradel. We watched in silence as it cast new light on the darkened landscape then read our books sheltered from the strong winds.