Wednesday 19th December - at Soufriere, St. Lucia
Spellbinder
Wed 19 Dec 2007 11:50
Friday was more pottering, internet and visiting the local chandlers for charts and courtesy ensigns, before an early supper and then off in one of Jessie's taxis. The driver did his best to explain all the complexities of the current music scene in Trinidad, before dropping us off at the Humming Birds pan yard in St James. As we had been warned, 8 o'clock was a very loose estimate of start time, but we were looked after by Michael, who makes his living making the pans. They really do start with an oil drum, the yard had stacks of them, Shell seemed to be favourite. By the time it has been turned into a tuned and chrome plated pan, the price is £600, did not buy one, but some good photos. By now the musicians were trickling in, and they got down to rehearsal, Daryl the musical director, asssisted by a lovely guy who is doing a degree in music at PoS university. We had a good hour and a half of music before our taxi turned up at the alotted hour to take us back to the boat.
Still not happy with the weather on Saturday morning, the heavy rain squalls still in the forecast play havoc with the visibility.So we decided to wait one more day, and then make a two day non stop trip to St Lucia in what looked like a more favourable window in the weather pattern. Headed into one of the shopping malls on the outskirts of PoS, quite a contrast to the centre of town, all seeming very prosperous. Back for a quiet evening.
Sunday morning seemed much brighter, and cloudless after the preceding few days. Our local advice from Fred, ex US Coastguard captain, was that it always rains for Christmas. He and Donna have been at Crews Inn in their boat for 6 years. After clearing customs and immigration we were away by 10am. Once clear of the land we were in an easterly force 4-5, with moderate seas, which had us off the south end of Grenada before midnight.Watch keeping 3 hours at a turn, we continued up the west side of Grenada, glad of the lee from the east wind which was now force 6 gusting force 7 in bursts of rain. By 8 on Monday morning we were off the Grenadines, and tacked round to head towards Canouan island to look for a little more lea from the islands.Back onto our northerly course at 11.00, with Bequia in sight, and on past Bequia to get into the lea of St Vincent by nightfall.The wind eased overnight, which slowed us down, and we were off St Lucia by 2am, with the very distinctive Pitons clear in the moonlight. Stooged around until 6am and dawn, and the headed in to Soufriere. Even at this hour we were met by a "boat boy" in a high speed boat with a 75 horse power outboard. Aaron, in his boat Halleluja, directed us to a mooring just off the town. After he had left us we surveyed the scene and decided we would be better off across the bay where there were some more mooring buoys, so moved across. After breakfast dropped Henry ashore in the dinghy to do customs and immigration, all a bit more informal than Trinidad. Afternoon spent catching up on sleep, then ashore to the Humming Bird restaurant for dinner. Discussed anchoring off their beach for a few days, where we would be made welcome. So that is this morning's plan. In to the Humming Bird, and then await the arrival of the Fell family some time after lunch. Christmas is coming, which all seems a bit unlikely in this tropical setting.