Trip Update - 30th January 2009 Bequia, Grenadines

Nutmeg of Shoreham
Ollie Holden
Mon 9 Feb 2009 15:55


Position: 13:00:43N 61:14:43W

 

Unfortunately my eye was still not right, so we sailed back to Bequia, having a cracking broad reach where we never dropped below seven knots.  We went through the gap between Pigeon Island and Isle a Quatre which raised the heart rate a little as the waves were breaking quite close to the boat.

 

The following day Al and I hopped on a ferry from Bequia over to Kingstown, St Vincent, and while Al had a look around the town, I went to the ophthalmologist for an emergency appointment.  When he looked in my eye, the first thing he said was “Lord, have mercy”, so I knew it was not going to be great news.  Turns out to be a severe case of uveitis, which is an inflammatory condition.  He prescribed stronger steroid eye drops, to be put in every 2 hours.

 

The eye condition hasn’t made me the happiest chappy these last few weeks – a mix of pain, disorientation from blurred vision, and general knackeredness, plus the doc told me not to drink or go swimming.  My poor family have had to suffer me during this time and I apologise (again) for my grumpiness! I’m not good at being ill.

 

Nanny and elder granddaughter

 

Millie on the cocktails

 

We did have one abortive attempt to sail South to the Tobago Cays, but I think there was a tropical wave in progress and the weather was more like the English Channel.  We turned back after hitting 35kts, with around 50 metres visibility in driving rain.  It then took us around an hour to re-anchor, including hitting the bottom once, as we faffed around trying to find a decent spot in a very crowded Admiralty Bay.  We decided to stay put and enjoy the restaurants and beach bars some more.