We dined in very informally, we forgot to get the candles out, on Bob’s favourite spag bol.  Fortunately he never gets tired of it and I can cook it with my eyes closed or even after a rather strong gin and tonic (the bottle had to be finished up apparently).  Our entertainment was the reggae booming from the shore as Bob’s eclectic mix seemed superfluous let alone able to compete in volume.  We slept all night with the hatch open.  A rain free night!

We rose to a glorious day, the sun shining and only white fluffy clouds in the sky.  We had breakfast on deck in the warmth of a seasonal Caribbean day.  We set off over a supremely calm sea, the sun grinning in the sky and met a gentle breeze as we came out of the lee.  Being cautious, the mainsail was only hoisted to midway between the spreaders, we couldn’t quite believe whether we were witnessing a brief aberration or a return to normal weather for the time of year.  Up went the foresails and we gently swooshed along serene as a swan.  And so it continued.  We took up a steady but gentle pace of 5 knots, give or take, as the wind breathed easily between 10 to 12 knots.  We sat in the sun, Bob even took his shirt off, and smiled with satisfaction.  I am sure you are waiting for a sudden storm, gales or lashing rain but no, we proceeded past Mayreau and down to Union Island under perfectly quiet conditions.  Very relaxing.

At Union Island we were welcomed in by a pirogue carrying a woman in hat and with a jazzy sarong.  They helped us anchor in an ideal spot where the anchor landed on a patch of sand between lawns of sea grass.  The woman in the hat then told us about the combo barbeque that they had on offer in a very unpushy way and accepted that we were going to stroll along the beach and check out the others before making a decision which she accepted with grace.  .  We had lunch and watched a turtle lazily bobbing about around the boat and the pelicans zooming about and sploshing very noisily into the sea, the boobies fishing and the chirpy (rather irritatingly high pitched and persistent like a budgie) white birds joining in too. We were last here 10 years ago when there was just Shark Attack and one other competitor who we dined with on the sand by the sight of a hurricane lamp and wafts of ganga.  There are now half a dozen and a frightfully posh boutique hotel at the far end of the beach, Shark Attack is till here but seems to be co managed by a pushy American, which didn’t strike as very authentic.  We didn’t much like his attempt at an assumptive close either.  After a lovely stroll along the sand (grimaces from Bob but no verbal dissent) we have opted for the first because she was no nice as well as most striking in her hat.

I had time for a swim over to the rocks to investigate what was keeping the seabird population so busy and came across enormous clouds of fish, streaming along busily as well as more leisurely coloured specimens pootling about.  Lovely.  Bob had a swim to the end of the boat and back but gave up when he got a noseful of salty water.  Not so lovely. 

It has been a really lovely day and we are just so delighted to have the typical Caribbean weather back.  Hope it lasts.