Tyrell Bay, Carriacou.
Oriole
Sun 16 Nov 2003 14:55
How can a month slip by almost unnoticed, when
the pace of life is even slower that Devon? During the weekend the
south-easterly winds sent an uncomfortable swell into Prickly Bay so we joined
with Firemouse and Moon Song RCC for a hiking expedition. This turned
into a route march through villages vibrating with election fever for the
forthcoming general elections. Off road would have been dangerously muddy
and we had left our life-jackets behind on the boat. The corn-on-the-cob was
rather chewy.
A fellow member of the Royal Western Yacht
Club loaned us a car for our major re-stocking shopping expedition, a service
not normally advertised by the Club but making the annual subscription look
almost a bargain.
In US parlance the past tense of diving is
dove (seriously). So that is what we did on Tuesday and dove on a wreck
and saw turtles, more moray eels and barracuda as well as the
normal multicoloured reef fish. It was wonderful to be
able enjoy the dive without having to try to demonstrate macho
skills with emergency ascents and removing half our gear
underwater.
The sail up to Carriacou in the
usual brisk north-easterly with a contrary tide can be quite a struggle,
but with a suitable libation (rum of course) we hung on to the south-easterlies
and were whooshed north by a favourable stream, doing nearly 9 knots over the
ground at times, inspecting the offshore islands as we went.
John's sister Liz will be pleased to hear that
Union Island, where she meets us soon, is in sight to the north. We had
heard from a third party that as she could not find it in her World Atlas she
had wondered if we would!!
Meanwhile we will enjoy Carriacou where the
boatyard looks after an intriguing mixture of yachts and local sailing traders
and coasters. This photograph showing a shipwright, caulking iron and
mallet in hand, is a sight not often seen at QAB.