Carriacou  12:29.41N 61:28.23W

A rendezvous with Mary Constance and Foxglove, last seen Gibraltar. Also in company are Dave and Jules from Northern Breeze; another young couple escaping predictable futures in England for a few adventurous years cruising (and finding work).

We have chosen the less fashionable bay of Hillsborough (rather than the crowded Tyrrels Bay …….around the headland) to hang out, and enjoy the bay to ourselves and a couple of other boats. Dave and Patrick “invent “ the sport of  “bed-boarding”; riding a board from under Dave’s bunk at speed behind the dinghy; a sport in which Dave excels to the point of standing up.

Hillsborough is the main port for local entry but not much patronised by yachts otherwise. It turns out to be rather pleasant; very agreeable and obliging local officials, the Customs office happily staying “open” until Immigration (based elsewhere in the town), had completed its paperwork (they were out at the airport until later!). 

Public officials in the Caribbean frequently conduct business while on the phone to another important person (member of the family, or boy/girlfriend), are backed by loud reggae or calypso music, and have notices on their walls extolling the virtues of loyalty, hard work, God and the customer. They also seem to like to collect badges from similar offices or officers in America (with whom they presumably have exchanges). Although sometimes a bit stern (officious, the world over) on the whole they are a pretty agreeable bunch. In Portsmouth, Grenada, three rather threatening looking police officers inspecting my immigration credentials spontaneously burst into song to join the chorus “Baby you ain’t never had a Rasta man”………..before returning to their official duties. I left with their cheery farewells.

Its Valentines’ Day, and while Mike and Jos generously baby-sit the girls, while Dave and Jules, Patrick and Sinead, Sally  and I go out to Hillsborough’s finest restaurant, Calabash, for cocktails and oven baked lamb (well in my case). Excellent it is too, lacking only a touch of mint sauce!

Another parting; Mary Constance and Moondance go south, to Grenada, while Foxglove and Northern Breeze head north (pursued by a band of renegade Germans who keep making them stay out very late…..)