We left Clifton, Union Island,
early morning of Tuesday 15th February, after a rude
awakening. Shane and I woke with that “something’s
amiss” feeling, and quickly realised we were only metres from the boat
anchored behind us. Our anchor bouy and rope had been stolen during the
night, and our anchor had been lifted from its holding while this was taking
place. The previous night we had rescued a local fisherman / watertaxi
whose boat had sunk only a few hundred yards from us. In the dark we
heard screaming and could only just see the bow of his boat sticking up above
the water. As we approached, he leapt into our dinghy, throwing in his
fuel tank and after wrapping his line around my waist, yelled, “Go
go!! Faster! I’ve been sabotaged! Save my boat!”
Quickly I unwrapped his line and explained our dinghy didn’t have the
power to tow his boat and engine underwater, and I wasn’t ready to be
garrotted either. As other boat boys whizzed past us, yelling and
screaming, we realised we were caught up in some local boat battles …. Eventually
another fisherman came to our aid and our victim leapt into a somewhat more
powerful boat who towed him ashore. So back to our rude awakening
…. and shifted anchor …had we rescued the wrong guy??
Whatever, it was time to make a hasty exit out of Clifton…
So a quick sail around the headland into my
(Ali’s) favourite anchorage, Chatham
Bay. Back to the
peace and solitude, the diving pelicans, and a fantastic beach barbecue, and
night of dancing, with our friends at Bollhead… see photos below.
On Wednesday 15th, we had a fantastic sail
up to Canouan Island,
where again we anchored in Charlestown
Bay, right outside the
Tamarind Hotel. Carol treated me, and herself, to the most wonderful
massage in the hotel. It was the most relaxing and luxurious experience,
and so appreciated after 8 months at sea. We laughed as we remembered the
last time we had a massage together – in somewhat less lush surroundings
– in a Mongolian yurt, after a gruelling camel and horse trek
across the Gobi Desert four years ago! On Thursday
we toured the island and marvelled at the most beautiful reefs and deserted
bays on the eastern side of the island, and have decided that today is the day
to eyeball navigate and worm our way through the reefs, and anchor on that side…
Writer’s block – Carol experiencing the
hardship of blog updating…
Talulah in Chatham
Bay, Union Island
Pelicans taking a break….. A wonderful bird is
a pelican, its beak can hold more than its belly can….
Carol, Andell, Ardele, Ali & Jeff, at Bollheads, Chatham Bay
Check out the generator-powered speakers behind “Oldun”
(on right) – there is no water, electricity or roads down to Chatham
