18:27N 064:26W We have moved

Wind Charger
Bob and Elizabeth Frearson
Sat 28 Dec 2013 23:26
After finally eating the easy supper, the last crumbs of the mince pies and
final scraping of brandy butter, we slept, slept and slept again to catch up
with our fractured night. During a leisurely, sunny breakfast we
thoroughly enjoyed watching two turtles meandering about, their little heads
popping up every few minutes. Bob claimed that they were polishing off the
remains of last night’s easy supper that had been chucked overboard. It
must have been good.
This morning Bob did engine checks and decided that we could do with some
more diesel requiring a visit to the fuel dock. Since we were required to
go into the marina, Bob decided that we might as well take a berth there
overnight to save the tension of the toing and froing in the dinghy with the
“will it, won’t it work, and abandon us in the middle of a dark, dark sea”
outboard engine. Our approach and alighting at the fuel dock straight into
the wind was exemplary. The next manoeuvre into our parking slot with a
broadside wind was, on the other hand, rather flustered particularly as the
powers that be have designed the marina with great big blue poles sticking up to
divide the berths which tend to give the driver a bit of a scare. We only
have a tiny, tiny scraping of blue paint along the side.
Once recovered from manoeuvres with a nerve calming beer, we settled in and
set off for a spot of sightseeing to the “must see” The Baths. We took a
taxi, one of those nice open ones with an awning, and arrived just in time for a
brisk tropical shower so dived into the restaurant for a timely spot of
lunch. Unfortunately the service was less than timely, the place was
packed out with nearly naked, very loud Americans, and an hour later we escaped
to actually view the intended sight. And what a sight it was. The
most incredible heap of enormous boulders all higgledy piggledy, balanced
precariously on top of each other. There was a marked trail which took us
up and down, over and under the giant stones, through a sea filled cave and,
after a slight diversion where the leader took the wrong path to a precipitous
drop (it was me), ended up on two soft, sandy beaches surrounded by a wall of
rocks. I went for a lovely, leisurely swim, surrounded at one point by
curious fishes, while Bob perched on a rock to avoid the sand. I rejoined
Bob expecting to relax for a while enjoying the amazing location but it was not
to be. Bob had arranged for the taxi driver to pick us up at 3pm and we
were therefore duty bound to be back at our meeting place promptly,
apparently. Without so much as a chance to change, I hastily followed a
bare footed Bob as he charged at twice his normal ambling pace up the path back
to the car park. We piled into the back of the taxi and headed back to the
marina when I finally had my chance to change out of my wet bathers.
Fortunately I had a towel to cover most of my modesty but I am not sure how
effective it was. The taxi driver didn’t complain.
Back on the boat we’ve been chilling and just cracked open the last dribble
of gin before we change for dinner, in the privacy of the cabin this time I
hope. |