Chatham Bay

Wind Charger
Bob and Elizabeth Frearson
Sun 18 Jan 2015 21:41
We had a very nice evening on the beach at one of the competing barbecues.  The setting was perfect, looking out over the bay, the sand at our feet (loads of repellent to counteract the sand flies), the hairoun was cold and arrived promptly when requested from the dour bullet headed “barman”, the food plentiful but not expertly cooked (which was a little bit disappointing, it was hard to tell what the barbequed meat was, we think it was pork but it might have been beef) and the company enlightening.  Not just Bob, we got chatting to the only other occupied table, two women (one very blonde t’other very dark) and a young blonde girl who we assumed to be a daughter but turned out to be a gap year student about to study archaeology (therefore knows Avebury well and who’s grandparents coincidentally live locally at Worton).  They had with them two lovely dogs, a young bouncy, bemused looking lab and an old, very shaggy black spaniel who knew exactly what was going on. A most pleasant evening.
This morning the blonde woman, being British we had completely forgotten to introduce ourselves last night, came by and invited us to barbecue on the beach with them this evening (they turned out to be called Susie, Maddy and Yvonne)  which we have decided to do despite not having anything barbecuey on board to provide.  Most opportunely a man came by selling fruit and veg (well, some, very limited varieties of) Assessing what I already had, very much a culinary challenge, I have knocked up a beetroot, orange and carrot salad.  Michelle would be proud of me.  The invitation gave me the perfect excuse to spend a day doing very little at all apart from a bit of boiling, chopping and stirring amongst finishing the book I started yesterday (schizophrenic boy with Downs syndrome brother, clever but a bit intense for relaxing holiday reading), playing a bit of bridge on my Ipad until it ran out of battery, snorkelling amongst the rocks (loads of different fish again today plus a snake, millipedes and, as well as the conventional sea urchins, either some very old ones who’s spikes had turned white or perhaps were just a different variety).  Meanwhile Bob has been busy sawing up a waste pipe for SUsie (no, I have no idea what she wants it for), chasing the water leak that keeps setting off the automatic bilge pump to no avail, lost and found the sealing ring for the water supply, engine and generator checks, made water, charged the batteries, done ALL the washing up AND put it away, made me coffee.  Guess who is now feeling just a little bit guilty?
It is now time to head for the beach and Hairouns as we look out for the green flash.  We’ve never cooked in a sand pit before, it could be an experience!