Surgical Charter Party
Oriole
Sat 31 Mar 2007 23:50
Chatham Bay, Union Island, St Vincent & The
Grenadines. 12:36.31N
61:27.06W
When we arrived at Bequia Airport to meet Dean and
Denis's flight from Barbados we were very pleasantly surprised not only to find
them on board but actually on time. This is something of a surgical
first, which no doubt Denis would deny, but wouldn't they all.
The Royal College of
Surgeons inspectors arrive.
In Bequia we sampled some of the
restaurants, took the long walk to the turtle sanctuary and the pottery where
this year's student, straight out of Sloan Square, caused Denis and John some
consternation as she gripped the potters wheel tightly between her slim
beautifully tanned thighs, while gently and
skillfully caressing the expanding pot. Sorry no
photo.They accompanied us while we ran the
gauntlet of the Rastafarian market traders in the fruit and veg market where all
the traders demand to sell you something. After 5 years the Orioles
reckon to have got them sussed, but they were showing off to the visitors.
Why you no buy from me
today?
After the pottery visit Chris and Dean thought it
was time to leave for Canouan where the in-house catering started. Chris
and Denis between them managed to throw one of our plates overboard while doing
the washing-up but next morning in the clear water we managed to retrieve it -
honour saved. Next stop was the Tobago Cays which are normally very crowded but
the anchorage was delightfully quiet. We were ripped off as usual over the
purchase of two fine lobsters from the boat-boys, but inspite of the financial
sting they were delicious.
Coming up for air in the Tobago
Cays. Photo courtesy Christine, S/Y Quadrille
D&D have been introduced to the delights of
reef snorkling and we have been doing the usual social round of inter-yacht
drinkies visiting. After two days there, we have moved round to our favourite
anchorage in Chatham Bay where apart from a few beachside shacks there is still
no development. Since we left Bequia we have not been on dry land, so a
long walk is planned for tomorrow, but we have been busy from dawn to
bedtime.
Sundowners in the
cockpit.
The weather has been a bit unsettled throughout the
Caribbean and it is a firmly held belief here that when you plant cricket stumps
in the ground rain has to fall. When you plan a whole World Cup it is an
invitation for universal cloud and rainfall, and that is exactly what has
happened. However apart from few downpours we have been relatively lucky, but we
are not having the usual Caribbean settled weather. Look at next weeks
installment to see whether we have survived the inspection of the Royal College
of Surgeons, a process that so far the Orioles have been thoroughly enjoying and
possibly the inspectors too.