The day starts in an exciting fashion. David spots a huge ray swimming around the back of the boat and takes about 25 photos. It’s the first time he has seen big wildlife here. Well actually it’s not even the first time as it turns out. Mike has a look and says it looks like a towel. And it is – David’s towel in fact, which has blown off the back of the boat during the night.
Photo: The rare ‘towel’ ray
Embarrassed that he got so excited about a towel, David attempts to redeem himself by diving down to get it. However, every time he tries to get to the bottom his shorts fill up with air and he stays on the surface. Mike eventually dives and retrieves it.
Photo: David and his air bubble trunks
Photo: Mike rescues the towel
Half way to St Barts, a squall passes over us. With immaculate timing, our new fishing rod starts to reel out. Mike leaves the helm for a few minutes to deal with it and is in the middle of things when the squall gets a little wild and he dashes back to take in the genoa. As the genoa furling sheet is a little short and awkward when you are in a hurry, Terry helps to pull it. David takes over the task of reeling in our fish, which turns out to be a barracuda. It’s not a very big one but it has big teeth and no one fancies trying to remove the hook to let it go, so I am afraid we have to kill it even though we have no intention of eating it (due to the possibility of ciguatera fish poisoning which is quite prevalent down here). Mike hits it over the head with the winch handle. It carries on thrashing. Mike hits it again. It still doesn’t want to die. He has to wallop it twice more before it gives up the ghost. If he hit me over the head with the winch handle I am sure I would die much quicker. The top of the steps looks like a massacre has taken place so David hoses it down and scrubs it off until at last we are all shipshape and Bristol fashion.
Terry decides a new character should be added to Cluedo; Captain Mike and the winch handle! The crew decide obedience is the order of the day as they are not convinced that a third winch handle is to be found under Mike’s pillow.
About half and hour later, the reel goes back out. This time I pull it in. This one is really heavy and we all get quite excited at the thought of fish for tea. There is so much resistance on the line that I hold the rod and Alice turns the reel. Then a screw pops out of the reel. Then another one, and I am left clutching the reel against the rod with a large fish thrashing on the end. By the time we get the fish aboard, the reel has almost parted company and we have another, larger barracuda on the boat. With even bigger teeth. And still no volunteers for the hook retrieval! Unfortunately, we have to let this one die too, and we all feel really guilty.
Photo: Alice and I reeling in the baraccuda
Photo: The beast – look at those teeth!
We arrive in Gustavia just as it starts to rain. Then it really starts to rain. Then a tropical rainstorm dumps 10 months worth of rain on us and it actually hurts as it lands. Cat and I jump off the side of the boat and tie up in the midst of a veritable monsoon. In fact it’s so wet we decide to shower, there and then, on the dock. When it comes to rinsing off we have to dash off to the nearest downpipes!
Photo: Arriving in St Barts – looking sophisticated? Don’t think so!
Photo: Cat and I showering in the rain
Photo: Look at that rain!!
When the rain eventually stops, Ann and Viv go food shopping, Alice and Cat go fun shopping and Mike watches an internet site which outlines a developing storm situation in the Atlantic. This could turn into a hurricane over the next week and needs to be watched. The weather forecast for here tomorrow is for gales. Great.
Dinner tonight is Chicken Pelau. With the weather as it is, we eat inside for the first time.
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