18:18.9N  64:37.01W

29/1/12

We had a leisurely voyage downwind under just the jib to Norman Island. We were delighted to meet up with Beyzano, with Rob, Rhian, and Jack their crew member who departs shortly. We hadn’t seen them since St Lucia at the end of the ARC, and it was so nice to see them again.

This is the home of the infamous Willy T’s, and old schooner anchored in the The Bight that serves as a bar and restaurant. When we first came here in 2006 we were surprised when ladies started taking off their clothes and jumping off a high platform on the stern. The prize was a T shirt, much coveted nowadays as the practice has been stopped due to an American hurting himself and suing the bar. So they are not allowed to encourage the jumping, although they do give temporary tattoos – which are strategically placed. I can’t quite recall how it happened, but Rob managed to persuade a naked local girl to join him at the table, photo below.

The local “cigarette boats” came in with much noise and confusion. In some places the local lads have spiced up cars, here they build long thin speed boats with huge American petrol engines (“Hemmies” I’m told) that make a fantastic growling noise. The real fun though was that three of them were followed into the bay by an HM Customs boat, which was built on the same lines and made the same noise. Nice job for a civil servant.

The next day we had a BBQ on Salila, which was great fun. Late in the evening I heard a cough in the water beside the boat, and a very inebriated German doctor called Gersen joined us. He had swum naked from his boat nearby and entertained us for half an hour with tails from his sailing club. There must be something in the water near Willy T’s that promotes skinny dipping, and the brave ones on Salila joined after he had gone, although he was shouting encouragement from his boat..

Here’s Rob with Rhian and his friend from behind the bar at Willy T’s: