ARRIVED SAFELY IN BEQUIA

Tucked up in the North side of the anchorage and out of the big swell that is running.

60 miles is a long day singlehanded with no one to bring me vittels on passage.

Bequia bound tomorrow

I am tucked up in the inner lagoon at Marigot Bay tonight with the dink omn the deck ready to leave early tomorrow for Bequia.

SINGING IN THE MORNING

Woke up, it was a Chelsea morning, and the first thing that I heard
Was a song outside my window, and the traffic wrote the words
It came a-reeling up like Christmas bells, and rapping up like pipes and drums

Oh, won't you stay
We'll put on the day
And we'll wear it 'till the night comes [ Joni Mitchell CLOUDS 1969 ]

Well it is not Chelsea but Rodney bay and the traffic making the words are the early morning grockle boats on their way to Castries for the daily loads of cruise ship cattle and the rental jet skis coming out from their lairs ashore.




I am anchored close to the beach so I can even here the hotel workers snapping up the beach umbrellas just like flowers blooming in the sun.

It is the start of another tough day in paradise as I tackle a job I have learned not to neglect.

TOILET SERVICE AND OVERHAUL.

While doing the work I found this little rascal, I guess I need to do the rounds of every mission critical hose clamp and replace any that show signs of corrosion.

That behind me I headed into the marina to find them racing J 24s in and around the marina pontoons. Well I have to marvel at the skill of the helms on these nimble little craft but I guess there might have been a few worried skippers on mega yachts as the racers shaved their sides and played chicken with anchor chains.



Sundowner time and the jazz band is doing it's stuff onshore.

COOL JAZZ AT SUNSET

Elephants Child is at anchor off Bayview and they have a really good jazz band with a sax player who is the mutts nuts on his horn.



So for the last few nights my sundowner has had a great accompaniment.


But my wifi connection really sucks so I am going to have to wait till either things speed up or I can find something better. The above pic took 10 mins to load.

EVERY ONE HAS GOT THE FLU!

Government workers including customs and immigration officers here in St Lucia are staging a week long 'sickout'.

Why? well as usual it is wages. Negotiations broke down with this impasse.

Neither side was willing to budge from its position—on the one hand a zero percent increase from Government and a one off EC$1000 bonus, and on the other a 16% increase for the triennium 2010-2013 by the Unions.

However as usual there is a Caribbean solution for those needing to checkout with the "small special charge" helping the papers find their way to the officials.

Students though are welcoming the extra holidays.

JET SKIS, RACING ROUND ST LUCIA RAINDANCER AND MAGIC UNDERWEAR

JET SKIS

They are not regulated and often visiting holidaymakers are whizzing round the bay and slaloming through swimmers after a couple of minutes tuition. I take my swim early before they appear but it is only a matter of time before there is a serious accident. A bunch of the yotties have petitioned the local mayor to suggest a separation zone to keep swimmers and jet skis apart.

RACING ROUND ST LUCIA

As part of their Independence celebrations there was this race and I had a berth aboard Jamabalya. However decided not to go as I am still under the weather. Flying back from skiing really does me in!

RAINDANCER

She was a beautiful wooden schooner berthed in Le Phare Bleu marina with a liveaboard. Le Phare Bleu organises floating dinghy concerts and this time Raindancer went round to the next bay to be part of the happening. O the way back to Le Phare Bleu something went wrong and she finished up on a reef. Despite lots of help she could not be refloated abroke up.

MORMON GARMIES

Yup it is true, there is such a thing as 'magical mormon underwear'. They even played a part in the last presidential election.

BACK ON BOARD but PUZZLED ABOUT MAGICAL UNDERWEAR.

It is good to be back on board but it was sad to see Jan head back to the states and the world of work.

I was sitting with a few friends and talking about Utah when one of them asked if I had got any sight of the famed LDS magical underwear.

This a new one to me. He sent me this as well.

OK I will buy it, is this a real thing?