Mother's Day?
Oriole
Sat 27 Mar 2004 18:00
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Mother's Day was cancelled because the mate was
required to catch up on
backlog maintenance. The varnish on the toe rail was in critical condition and what with all our charter activity it had been neglected. So Robert and Dani managed the days catering while the skipper and mate rubbed down and put on a coat of varnish in the scorching sun. The run from Carriacou to the south coast of Grenada (about 30 miles) gave us a fast beam reach in 20 knots of wind with a big sea and superb sailing with the needle touching 8 knots. We spent a rolly night in St David's where we confirmed our laying-up arrangements with the boatyard and Robert resurrected Mother's Day by buying Chris dinner at the new Belair Plantation Restaurant, a most unlikely and remote location for a really first class establishment. I was allowed to pay for Dani. The obligatory tour of Grenada is by no means a duty call, and the four of us had a fascinating day with our guide, Cutty, whose expertise we had experienced last year.  Chris and I perhaps somewhat rashly enrolled for a nitrox (reduced nitrogen air mixture) dive course to enable us to dive on the wreck of the Bianca C, a 600 foot cruise liner lying in 40 meters. The reality was wonderful and we were able to have a relaxed slow dive without having to ascend after 7 minutes at that depth which diving on air would have required. It was silent and eerie and with surprisingly few fish although it had a healthy growth of coral and sponges after 43 years. In contrast Shark Reef on our second dive had masses of wildlife.  Yesterday the skipper was dragooned into attending
a cricket match, but
again the reality far exceeded the anticipated boring day reminiscent of compulsory school cricket matches. The visitng English Veterans team narrowly beat the West Indies Veterans in this 'Classics Match' with names such as Viv Richards, Ambrose, Walsh, Hick, Underwood, Lamb and de Freitas. The crowd, and we were surrounded by local supporters, was electric and the PA system boomed out reggae or calypso for every boundary or six, and went mad for a wicket. We are now searching for a television to watch the England France Rugby match. Its quite amazing what a little time in the sun will do for a skipper's proclivities. |