Liming in the Grenadines.

Oriole
Sat 20 Mar 2004 23:09
Liming in the local lingo means not doing a lot (the derivation is open to debate). 
After a couple of days in the Tobago Cays we repaired to our favourite anchorage on Union Island.  Chatham Bay about which we have raved before is a cruising yachtsman's dream, few other yachts, good shelter, a long pristine beach and no development ashore.  The only services are provided by local fishermen who provide fresh fish and James alias Shark Attack who provides barbecued lobster on the beach with all the trimmings and does a yacht delivery service too.  
After a week we were starting to run out of other fresh food so a visit to Clifton was deemed necessary by the quartermistress much to distress of the skipper who would lime out in Chatham for ever.  Rob took the helm for the open water beat in 25 knots to Clifton with the skipper and mate heaving on the sheets.  Clifton is a right little metropolis and gateway to the Tobago Cays.  Light aircraft are arriving all the time at the diminutive airport and we believe that stacking is not a term understood by the local air traffic controllers. 
 
 
                               Queuing for a rum punch.
 
Petit St Vincent (PSV), our next station stop, is a small island hotel paradise.  Everything is discretely hidden from view and kept very private, but visiting yachtsmen are welcomed to the lovely bar and restaurant.  The bar got our business but Robert, who was in the chair, blanched at the bill, but this did not stop him and Dani returning for a romantic evening tout seul.
 
 
                                                              Tranquil and exclusive PSV.
 
We are now in Carriacou, the first of the Grenadian Grenadines, and plan to sail down to the south coast of Grenada on Monday.  In this border area between St Vincent and Grenada all sorts of things fall off the backs of the local trading boats: good wine at £3 per bottle and rum at £2.50  helps to ease the burden of our stressful lives and Carriacou is (we hear) is a pot smokers paradise.  In 12 days time Oriole will be on dry land and the hard work of preparing her for the ravages of the tropical summer will begin.  However Robert and Dani will be far away by then!
Finally we all four dived together this morning in rather rough surface conditions but down below all was quiet and after chasing all the fish and a solitary turtle we took turns to drive this old tug boat.
 
 
                John realises his dream of driving a tug boat.
 
Meanwhile Andrew is still busy job hunting in Antigua and has been in radio contact with 'home' to report progress.  The bank manager should soon be breathing a sigh of relief