We have recovered

Touch of Grey's web diary
Sat 17 Dec 2016 18:39
Well almost.

It has been a busy five days: getting connected to the internet (easy), catching up with what’s been happening in the world while we were disconnected (surprisingly difficult, either that or nothing happened), disposing of three weeks of carefully cleaned and sorted rubbish into a single bin (no recycling here), organising three weeks of laundry (they pick up and drop off), connecting up to the shore-side water and electricity, filling up our cooking gas bottles (remarkably cheap at about a 1/5th of UK prices), finding out where to top up the diesel tanks (round at the fishing harbour, after lunch but before 15:30 and strictly cash only, uh huh), cleaning the interior of the boat (the tropical rain showers are doing the exterior), attending to some minor repairs and engine servicing, getting a haircut (I don’t think they do many non-Afro cuts around here), picking up generator parts from cargo handling at the airport (bureaucracy on a grand scale, all learned from you know who), sorting out and exchanging photographs (watch this space), restocking the larder (pleasantly surprised to find Nairn’s rough oat cakes, Highland Spring water and many Waitrose labelled items in the local Massy’s supermarket, but at a price) and sleeping.  We’ve done a lot of that apart from last night when, clearly, Friday night is party night until 3am in downtown Bridgetown.

On arrival (pictures at http://cornellsailing.com/2016/12/atlantic-odyssey-arrivals-day-5/) and after being processed by health, immigration and customs at the main commercial harbour (thankfully the rally organisers had hired an expediter to get us through without a hitch) we moved to the inner basin of the Careenage which is just off National Heroes Square (formerly Trafalgar Square) right in the middle of town. It’s a tad noisy but very handy for all manner of shops and restaurants, taxis and buses, and the beach.

We also said goodbye to Ted on Monday.  He headed off for a well-deserved night in a hotel (we were so tempted), and caught the early morning flight to Miami and from there to Austin where it was back to work the next day.


Christmas trees, one for each country in the world, decorated by children from the local schools and youth groups are all around the inner basin. (Touch of Grey in the middle distance.)


The inner basin of the Careenage by moonlight, the Treasury building to the left festooned in blue and yellow lights of the national flag.


But it’s not been all slog - Thursday afternoon was spent at the Mount Gay Rum visitors’ centre (neat rum) followed by a welcome reception at the Barbados Yacht Club (rum punch) and this evening we are heading down to Oistin’s Fish Fry on the south of the island where we are promised great food and entertainment.