Traffic jams and reef rescues

I went to town which was a mistake. The traffic jam started well outside town. The carnival warm up music event is on the main road around the harbour and the drivers all stop to chat to the DJs and any pretty girl that catches their eye.





Mind you that was a mistake for our driver as he got a ticket from a really really young policeman who objected to having his photo taken unlike the lady who sold me fresh LOCAL carrots.

The town was packed and I was getting hassled at every step by shouts of "taxi" still as i caught the bus home I am a step or two nearer to getting my passport renewed. I thought I had the pics sorted but a close study of the small print shows that you must have a GREY background and mine was white so it was off to town and a new batch of pics. Very quick and only 15 EC. Which is just as well as the cost of the renewal will be 268 US yikes. Still it is good for ten years.

Bit of excitement when I got back as there was a distress call over the radio. A boat had hit the reef on the way in to the next bay and was stuck and calling for help. Now in the UK the lifeboat would be despatched in the USA propably a commercail towing organisation would attend but down island it is usually the cruisers who are the first responders. I have done this sort of thing before and I dug out the snorkel gear [ dive the reef and see the easiest route out ] and a long line [ heel the boat by pulling from the top of the mast ].

I dinked on out but as I turned the corner of the bay I saw a squadron, nay a flotilla, nay an armada of dinghies attending to the casualty so I thought plenty there and confirmed on the handheld that they had enough help so turned back.

I heard later that it came off with only minor damage to the keel rudder and reef. Just s well they were not in the USA as they would get fined for the reef damage at so much per square metre $150 to $250000

UH UH the first real storm possibility is brewing in mid atlamtic. Not a storm yet but the models seem to agree that a storm will form and go through somewhere north of St Vincent.