Here I am with our departing crew at St Lucia’s Heewanora airport on Monday
11th April, this time I am headed home too for a
family pitstop. Marian is at the smaller Vigie airport boarding for
Trinidad. Here with two UK-bound flights
carrying 600 odd folk leaving in two hours, it feels more a British motorway
service station on the M1 than a Caribbean airport! Sharp contrast to the last twenty one months
of being boat and fleet bound, in the company of just ourselves or our
immediate World ARC family of about forty people.
World ARC wound up on Saturday 9th with
a parade of sail from Marigot Harbour to cross the start/finish line in Rodney Bay. We processed in
length order so Exody was second in line.
Two behind us was Garlix chafing at the bit under full mainsail like a tethered race horse, barely managing
to keep her place in line at 5 knots behind ’certified Turtle’ Chat Eau
Bleu. The final dinner and prizegiving
was a special event with ministerial guests, steel band, live music and good
local food. We were treated to an
excellent, well observed and amusing boat by boat overview by our yellowshirt
Victor – he himself having grown through the experience like the rest of us.
Since our last log from the Tobago Cays, we spent a
further morning snorkel-exploring - great water clarity, fish, reefs and green
turtles (brown actually but green because they dine on seagrass). Close on the wind a single tack took us northward
to Bequia on Friday 1st April,
Mustique off to starboard together with dramatic uninhabited Battowia
and Baliceaux. Union, Carriacou and
Grenada all still visible to the south astern.
As the anchor dragged on our last short visit to Bequia,
we were pleased when mooring man ‘Phat Shag’ found us a great spot really close
inshore, just off the docks of the iconic Whaleboner and Frangipani beach bars.
With the best developed services in the
Grenadines, I lined up a genoa repair and spent a half day making new
guardwires with Dan of Piper Marine . We
met Trinidadian friend Mike Connell and wife Arlene and enjoyed seeing their
self-developed home cum holiday let building.
Sunday 3rd we hired a 4WD covering most roads on the island:
turtle sanctuary, architecturally interesting houses, the airport, the beach
resort at Friendship and the fort for sunset. We lunched on great creole fare at Dawn’s on
Lower Bay. Monday Pete and Sally ferried
to St Vincent for a taxi tour whilst we collected the sail, refitted the
guardwires, provisioned and chilled.
We joined several of the fleet leaving at first
light Tuesday 5th for the 60+ mile trip north to Marigot: Makena, Ayama, Garlix, Chateau Bleu. Motoring for a spell in the lee of St Vincent,
we made a good course once the trades came back, Makena peeling off to moor at the scenic Pitons.
Soon we were docked stern to the delightful and picturesque Capella Marigot facilities-
crew quick to hunt down the showers and complimentary pool access. We share the dock with an immaculate sailing superyacht and a large square rigger.
Pete and Sally were released from boat
cleaning and polishing to take a rewarding tour of the island one day. We enjoyed a World ARC welcome at the relaxed
Café Maygo and on the last night were treated by crew to a meal at Julietta’s -
with the best view over Marigot.
Exody was first out for the Parade of
Sail on Saturday 9th a two hour passage north to Rodney
Bay. We were re-joined by our South
Atlantic crew David Toy, now back for more crewing on board Aretha. Sailing under reefed main and engine, it was
quite a task to maintain speed and separation in the gusty conditions. The evening function was at once enjoyable
and poignant as we sadly began the process of unravelling our close knit World
ARC family. We all received a tasteful
and comprehensive momento photo album, certificates of circumnavigation and yet
another World ARC flag! Much effort was subsequently
spent diverting our end of rally emotions with the activity of signing each
other’s books and flags!
Joining Pete and Sally at beachside restaurant Jambe de Bois after their brief tour of the Pigeon
Island park on Sunday, we enjoyed excellent cocktails and dinner - first
class service and atmosphere, connecting with the owner Barbara , an old friend
of my brother’s.
With all four of us flying out in the afternoon, Monday
morning was fairly manic- or should we say focused. Starting early- packing, cleaning, clearing,
stowing to make way for the internal varnish work we have commissioned to be
done using the rare opportunity of our brief absence. We
hope that the work of the small team lead by Vision and Pride lives up to their
monikers!
In the meantime all four of us are contemplating life on a different planet just a few hours flight away.
Peter (Skipper)