14:04.64N 60:57.48W

Tuesday 1^st, Wed 2^nd, Thursday 3^rd and Friday 4^th Feb

Tuesday was Chris’s birthday so the plan was devised that involved us all heading into the marina in their dinghy in the late morning and then taking a leisurely walk following some loose instructions we had been given which should take about one and half hours over some hills and down to a beach and a bar on the north east coast.

Now we specialise in heading off around islands without maps, but we do at least usually have a car. All went well until we reached the very first decision point when I declared that we needed to carry on for 100 yards and then turn right, but was comprehensively overruled by the other three who all favoured the road they were on. We walked on stopping after 30 minutes to purchase water and some ice creams before continuing. (We did actually ask the checkout lady in the shop for directions and she told us we had to retrace our steps all the way back, so being pragmatic.....this advice was ignored and we pressed on.)

We finally asked a lad on the roadside for his view on things and he was very clear that we had no chance of getting to where we wanted unless we retraced our steps all the way back to the start. Fortunately at this point a mini-bus bumped its way along the track we were on and so we climbed on board along with the lad and headed back to our starting point.

Now we were faced with a new dilemma, did we take the correct pathway and spend another hour and a half walking across country to the beach (it was past midday now and very hot) or did we take option two which was a stroll up to the Golf Club where we had been told they did a very reasonable lunch. Well that was an easy choice and armed with detailed directions from the mini-bus driver, we headed off.

Now we know about local timescales that make the Irish look punctual, but “just up there and turn right at the roundabout” did not at any point suggest to me that we would be in for nearly an hour long walk, mostly uphill! Indeed, when we asked a chap after 30 minutes if it was much further he did at least estimate another 20 minutes.... However the walk was worthwhile and we finally emerged at the Golf Club which is a very grand place and we were suddenly concerned that our attire might not reach the standards required, but all was well and we sat in splendour on a balcony overlooking part of the course (par 71) and enjoyed a nice lunch and a good rest.

For the return journey we cheated and simply asked if the club’s courtesy bus might run us make to the marina which they did without a murmur. Once back at Rodney Bay marina, we headed off in the dinghy across the lagoon to the shopping mall to get some supplies and then end Chris’s birthday with ice cream and cakes at the Haagen Daz restaurant. All very decadent and enjoyable.

On Wednesday we pottered about again, still killing time and were pleasantly surprised when ‘Ellen’ the Swedish Najad 460 came alongside in the late afternoon and invited us over for drinks to celebrate Helene passing her PADI diving exam. We had another great evening with her and Goran and they left in the morning heading north to Martinique.

On Thursday I had a difficult conversation with the company supplying the dinghy, but it seems that it is waiting at St Martin’s airport which is of little help to us, but I can think of worse places to wait! Scott-Free are about to leave us now and are heading off on the next phase of their travels which include a plan to sail up the east coast of USA this summer, so we invited them on board for a last game of Mexican Train which Steve won at a canter.

Friday was more of an action day as we opted to move across Rodney Bay and anchor on the Reduit Beach side as it meant that we were closer to the marina so we could use our old dinghy to make our way in to watch the rugby and various other events over the weekend.

So around 10am we raised our anchor and headed off across the bay and after our first attempt at anchoring ended in failure (rock bottom which would not hold the anchor) we were successful at the second attempt and were able to dig the anchor deep into a good firm sandy seabed. It is a bit more rolly over on this side but it saves us getting wet in the dinghy!

Made our way ashore in the early afternoon and had a nice buffet lunch in the Breadbasket and then after a wander around the shops there, we persuaded the staff in one of the bars to let us watch the rugby on the TV (not as easy as you might think) and settled down to watch our boys win a fine and deserved victory over the Welsh. Goodness me, the rugby double over the Aussies, Wales beaten in Cardiff and the Ashes.....life is good. As usual though, no sign of any Welsh supporters now and at least the Aussies had the good grace to email their congratulations...well sort of!

With the game being in the evening in the UK, it meant that we got to watch it in the afternoon here (4 hours behind) so with the sun shining and the breeze to cool us and the beers we had a good afternoon and evening.

Said goodbye to Scott-Free who plan to set sail in the morning (Saturday) and as they are on the other side of the bay, we will probably not see them actually leave.

Forgot to mention the other day whilst we were being driven around the island, Vision took us to a very poor coastal village where the Japanese have been allowed to invest heavily and have bought the old fish market and are busy building a quay so they can land whales. Everyone abhors whaling, but the island is so poor generally that they are happy to be bribed in this way. In fact the south of the island is the poorest part generally and as is so often the way of these things, it was also the bit most devastated by Hurricane Tomas when it swept across last autumn. Still large areas do not have running water and little prospect of it being restored any time soon and there are a number of charity events etc, being run by the yachting community to help as best they can.