Why is the skipper at the top of a coconut tree ?
Tillymint.fortescue
Mon 19 Dec 2011 22:54
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Sometimes, particularly when you've had a busy day
sailing, sunning, snorkeling,eating, you feel unable to do a blog at "blog
time", between children's tea and adults' dinner. Such was the case yesterday,
so I need to do a quick recap of the events passed - remarkably similar to the
fun schedule of today.
I think we left you hanging on our every move as we
sidled out of the St James Club Marina in Mamora Bay, heading further round the
corner to find a tranquil anchorage in Nonsuch Bay, a reef-enclosed safe haven,
with calm waters and good anchorages. And a recently-wrecked yacht sitting high
and dry on said reef about 400 yards from where we dropped anchor. Something of
a paradox, we mused: the wreck proved that there was a protective reef there..
lucky there were no strong winds. Actually, there were some strong winds which
is why we aborted the planned trip to Montserrat and I am sure the steam from
the volcano seemed to be "developing".
Nonesuch Bay proved to be an inspired choice with
calm waters, a beach within swimming distance, pelicans, turtles, a lone Egret
wading in the shallows, a Spotted Eagle Ray, all the usual suspects, in fact.
Most bizarre sight came after sunset as the underwater lights were switched on.
A mini shoal ( eight, to be exact) of fish started doing a lap race round the
perimeter of the Tilly Mint. It was like the Le Mans 24 Hour Race.. I jest not,
we watched them go round, in racing formation , at least twenty times before we
got bored watching and headed for bed, leaving them to it overnight, I
assume.
Day dawned, as it does in these parts, with a
breeze, a sun, and an unfeasibly large breakfast of French toast, papaya,
freshly-squeezed orange juice, and flippers at the ready for a new reef
exploration.
Before the wetness, the speed... Captain Bill took
us for a high-speed check on all the anchorages in the surrounding inlets of the
bay area, in the tender. It was interesting to see such a large area with so few
yachts. Even the local yacht club resort seemed to be docked in the bay rather
than on the water. We did discover another Discovery, so-to-speak, a 55' that
was doing the winter in the Caribbean.
After the speed, the wetness, as we saw a couple of
reefs at close quarters, Bill showed us his free-diving skills - Jazzy tried to
follow and Herbie did an 8-foot bottom touch - and we saw the stingray buried in
the sand with more fish than in your average "Nemo" movie.
Highlight of the day so far ( though we are about
to experience more of Nathalie's skills in the next half an hour and, if it is
anything like last night's amazing Tiramisu, we are in for a treat), was Bill
shinning up to the top of a coconut tree, barefooted, and capturing three fresh
coconuts which he proceeded to crack open, bare handed before passing round the
juice to drink. Even Johnny Depp couldn't do that in the Caribbean.
As we sign off for today, the music has stopped
ringing in our ears. Let me explain. The skipper of the Discovery 55 warned
us our anchorage was popular with the "booze cruise" catamarans that came over
when the huge cruise ships disembarked in Antigua. It didn't seem likely though
as we had our lunch on deck in the peace of the Midday sun. It seemed slightly
more likely as 80 tourists with rum punches and deck music pulled alongside five
minutes later and spent the next three hours eating, drinking and swimming
over the reef. Oh well, they have moved on now and all is serene again.
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