Marigot Bay
Winya_wynah
Sat 21 Feb 2009 19:27
Squelching out of the 'private dock' on Friday
morning we set sail for Marigot Bay. A spirited sail down wind through a
rising swell and we nearly missed the entrance, as it is steep on both
sides. A tall ship type cruise ship virtually blocking the entrance
should have given us a clue I guess, they don't like to take guests too far in
the tenders. Since our guide was written and suggests one has to anchor,
the bay is now full of moorings, the most expensive ever! Even more than
the BVI. We were led to a mooring just outside the inner harbour by one of
the boat boys, he assured me it was sound and then it would cost 80$ EC for the
night (32$US). After negotiation with the boss we got the price down a
little so we settled in. we were a little perturbed when the mooring buoy
started to bob past us! Looking to the pointed end we were still attached
to a sturdy rope but sure enough no mooring ball. We didn't have the dingy
out so watched as the boat boys let it bob all the way out of the bay. In
Venezuela by breakfast!
A venture into the inner harbour suggested it used
to be very pretty, yet another film set, Dr Doolittle this time. Now
it is quite built up with a new complex at the SE end. They have the best
dingy dock by far though so we left the dingy there to have a look around
and catch up on the weather forecast. 'Getting stronger' with 'small craft
advisory' as the Americans call it.
So back to Winny and a steady stream of boat
boys selling mainly fruit and inviting us to the Friday Night Fish Fry in the
village followed. Having bought more fruit than we needed, no scurvy here,
we even had love apples as a present! We left the bananas in the
cockpit as they usually attract or have fruit flies already and the rest
went below in our handy hammock. Only the cucumbers slide through the
large holes in the hammock when we are sailing no problems on a
mooring.
There is alot of traffic in and out of Marigot so
entertainment was laid on. A little more excitement after dark when
unfortunately the handle of the salad spinner went off the back, our new fishing
net for just such occasions was well buried so it could have been in Venezuela
by lunchtime. However No1 spotted it floating towards the boat behind so
stripped off, jumped in and swam after it, heroically. Recovery complete
and a cold shower off the back, salad spinner is back together, how
grateful are we?
All was well until about 5 this morning when I woke
up and finally had to see what the unusual flapping noise was. found out
soon enough, went into the salon a couple of squeaks and 2 bats flew out
the companion way. Turned the lights on and there was a mess! Bats
are messy eaters and they had gone for the 2 mangos in the hammock, no-one can
eat a mango without mess! We started off with 5 mangos so it could
have been worse, but the other problem is why choose mango when it evidently
goes straight through them!! More mess. Cleaning up the worst of it,
the back of the seats and their escape route, we lobbed the remaining mango
overboard. Only one banana outside had been tried, nowhere near as
delicious! That got lobbed too. Closing the hatches we tried to calm
down and get some more sleep, don't think much sleep happened. Cleaning up
before the boys get here is now an even greater job than anticipated,
better get on.
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