There was never going to be anything remarkable to report about yesterday.  The list of maintenance items was rapidly diminishing, with the exception of the one apparently insurmountable issue, that of the weak domestic batteries and the slight nervousness that they can only get worse!  The telephone and internet search for replacements went on and in fact it became a pre-occupation. 

Now, we have adopted a local character by the name of “African”.  Born and lived all his life here on Bequia, he runs a number of “businesses” and drives one of the over-powered pirogues that double as water taxis and pilot boats.  African has a solution to every “yottie’s” problem.  African, I need some welding done – a bracket has broken away.”  “Hand it over, I’ll have it back as good as new in ½ hour!”  “African, can you get us some fresh fish at a good price?”  “You want Mahi Mahi, Kingfish or Yellowfin Tuna?” “African, where can I get new service batteries?” “I’ll call a friend, give me the specification.  OK you need to go to Martinique.  They have 8 in stock and the only ones in the Caribbean.  Hope you speak French or they will not sell them to you!”.

When at a loose end, African hauls all 300 pounds of him aboard Oboe and peaks into every nook and cranny, suggesting improvements here, changes there and is not short of criticism either.  “No air-conditioning then?”  “Noisy generator!”  “Got any XXXL Oboe D’Amore T-shirts?”

Anyway evening fell and settling down to a quiet snooze in the cool air of the cockpit something didn’t seem quite as it should be.  Either the yacht next to us is on the move or we are!  It’s definitely them.  What is it the Collision Regulations say about Sunsail charter boats? – Moving hazards requiring a 1000m all-round exclusion zone, I believe.  Well here was one about to broadside us, with saloon lights ablaze and cockpit speakers playing a Mozart sonata but with no-one aboard!  A frayed mooring line hanging limply from the bow told all.  We were about to be “Sunsailed”!  It is much the same as motorcyclists being Volvo’ed I guess!  Faster than a speeding bullet, however, Batman and Robin leaped into action or more truthfully Nigel gaped open-mouthed while Ryan deployed a couple of fenders and our very own Marie Celeste bounced off our port side like a small child on a bouncy castle.  Phew!  Why us I screamed, as Sunsail pirouetted away and headed for a huge rusty steel hulled fishing boat.

At that moment, African appeared out of the dark with his sidekick Pancake (don’t ask!).  They were joined by a small dinghy-full of salty sailors shouting for salvage rights!  Can you imagine, salvage rights on a Sunsail charter yacht!  Jumping aboard, the would-be salvage pirates started the engine, drowning out Mozart and African led them to a secure mooring.  I guess that was as much as he could take, as he tied his pirogue up on Oboe, inspected the non-existent damage to our hull and scrounged a can of petrol to tour the bay and the local hostelries to try to locate the unsuspecting charter party and spoil their romantic evening meal.  He found them!  Pancake, demanded money, African demanded money and the “yotties” in the dinghy demanded full salvage – a farce was unfolding!  Pancake came over to Oboe to inspect the non-existent damage to our hull, disappointed that he found none, he asked whether he could take a hammer to Oboe and have a percent of my subsequent insurance payout!

Seriously though, a disaster had been averted.  Sunsail would have ended up smashed on the rocks, which would have been a sad and sorry sight.  Pancake insisted on ferrying me across to the unfortunate charterers to negotiate a settlement for our non-existent damage of which he was confident of a percentage!  “Who are you?” was the challenge as we approached Sunsail.  “I’m the skipper of the 50ft Dufour you side-swiped while adrift.  Permission to come aboard?”  “Are you British, a female voice enquired?”  “I am, yes.”  “ Oh, thank god for that.  Do come aboard.  Those foreigners over there want salvage rights!”  “Umm, bit non-PC, me thinks!”  Oh well, play along.  “You are very lucky you know.  If those “foreigners” had not acted so quickly, you would have lost your yacht and rather spoiled your holiday.  Best speak to them in the morning and also pay off African and Pancake.  As far as I’m concerned, I’ll check my hull in the morning and if there is any damage we can discuss it over a coffee and croissant.”  “That sounds most civilised, yes, thank you for the advice.  I’ve spent much of my life at sea and nothing like this has ever happened before.  I blame myself.  A lapse of professional judgement.”  “A senior moment I think to myself, adding up the ages of the 4 on board and running out of mental arithmetic ability at around 300 yrs!”

What will tomorrow bring.