The Indian meal turned out to be a really pleasant culinary experience after an early issue about the table location. Although it was predominantly fine quality Indian, some dishes were an Indian/Chinese fusion and the experience was lifted by this unusual variety.

We had intended to breakfast in the adjacent café/bakery but after waiting over 20 minutes for our order to be taken and witnessing others waiting longer for their meal, we decided to buy the ingredients and cook on board. Our departure was straightforward once we had identified that the bow mooring line was of the floating, not the sinking variety and needed to be taken away from our exit route by a dinghy.

We took a slow cruise north to allow Neville to deploy all 3 fishing rods. This tactic actually backfired as the lines all tangled and he and Lynn didn’t get them untangled (or rather cut apart) until we were nearly at our destination. So, nil fish for Neville in nearly 3 weeks while we watched locals landing them ‘hand over fist’!

We are now anchored off Reduit beach, Rodney Bay in view of the hotel we occupied with our wives in December. We have chosen not to enter the marina until tomorrow so we can avoid being antisocial as we intend to cook a paella using the BBQ on deck this evening.

On the subject of ‘antisocial’, it is significant to note that jet skis are banned in St. Vincent and the Grenadines while they are allowed in St. Lucia. As a result we are reluctant to venture away from the yacht while swimming for fear of our lives as they tear up and down at breakneck speed, clearly in the hands of children and novices !

Our meal last night was taken in the restaurant at the end of the bay, deep into the mangroves and this is part of their problem. The food was excellent and they were the only bar so far to serve a passable ale. BUT, we were bitten alive!

We all had a good lie in, listening for movement, reluctant to be the first to break the silence.

Connected to shore power we enjoyed toast for breakfast and avidly followed the rugby tweets. We adjourned to the beach (via the ferry) where we had an ethnic lunch and relaxed and swam.

This Marigot Bay destination is absolutely magical and seems to even draw cruise ship clients who are ‘bussed in’ to spend an hour or two on the beach. The wildlife is interesting as well.

We were determined to enjoy more of the ale and thought we had timed our return visit to coincide with ‘happy hour’ and to precede the insects. In the event, I think we failed on both counts.

Following a recommendation and suffering withdrawal, we decided to indulge in an Indian meal and will report back on this!

With only two short passages left before the family leave, Neville’s currently unsuccessful fishing has taken on an air of desperation. Not only did he interrogate the fishing tackle shop owner in Kingstown, we made substantial purchases and with a promise that the lighter winds will allow us to make way at the requisite slow speed, plans are afoot.

Neville has rigged no less than three rods with small lures having witnessed fishermen landing boat loads of tuna using no more than a hand line and tiny squid lure. Being unsuccessful on the ‘slow boat to Marigot’ we witnessed an old couple in a local dinghy trawling with rods just off the entrance. By chance, when we went to the pool in the Capella Hotel, the two Brits put into the dinghy dock and I chatted with them.

They had been visiting Marigot Bay for a number of years and made contact with a local with the boat who rented it to them for £10 a day. They were generally successful with their lures and showed me what they used. The hotel would cook their catch for their evening meals. We now have to buy the recommended lures in Rodney Bay (in the hardware store) and spend a morning trawling with them before we put in to the Marina. Anyway, we intend to have a ‘lay day’ here in Marigot Bay tomorrow and enjoy being connected to shore power, proper coffee and air conditioning!

I had warned that the long crossing to St. Lucia was going to be a challenge, a long beat, exposed to the Atlantic with winds over 20 knots. We tackled it with two reefs in the main and with both foresails but a little bit of jib rolled away. We fortunately had a favourable current and we were logging over 9 knots SOG at some stages. We did take some ‘big ones’ over the top but this was not really a problem as the wind and sun soon dried us off but left the salt behind.

We had the company of a couple of brown boobies riding the winds off our sails. Spectacular until they decided to ‘relieve themselves’!

Bound for Soufriere in St. Lucia, we were met by Byron, the first ‘boat boy’ a good 5 miles out. We picked up a mooring buoy and went ashore to clear in, wander around the town and have the obligatory beer. The whole bay has an underlying smell of sulphur which we imagine emanates from the volcano and that the smell has spawned the name.

I will let Paula and Lynn describe the antics of a ‘stag’ crew of Germans on an adjacent catamaran – they will do it better:-

As Nick said our crossing was eventful. The waves were huge. For sailors this was good sailing, for us it was white knuckles holding on desperately, in between getting a soaking as the waves gushed overboard.  Apparently that was perfect as it meant we got to our destination well ahead of our eta!

We promised that we would both go to church every Sunday if we survived the journey. It now looks that we will be on our knees for the foreseeable future.

Having lost breakfast we were rather hungry, but have made up for it by eating copious amounts of crisps.

Joining us in the anchorage this evening is a Bavarian boat full of what we can describe as middle aged, gay exhibitionists. We have seen them in their birthday suits and we believe the party is just beginning!!!  We will be using binoculars and cameras to check they are having a good time!!!!!

Our visit to Soufriere was interesting. It is certainly a colourful town, where all seem to be having a ‘good time’.  The customs clearing ‘in’ experience was once again a lengthy paper exercise with lots of carbon copies in triplicate in a room which is maintained at the highest temperature ever!!!!!!

We can report that Neville has still not caught anything with his very expensive lure. We have seen many fishermen with buckets full of fish….. We leave him sobbing into his Rum Punch questioning his skills as a hunter/gatherer.

Having ‘cleared out’ of St. Vincent and the Grenadines at Blue Lagoon, south of Kingstown, we have 24 hours grace to leave their jurisdiction and we have anchored in Cumberland Bay with our famous (?) ‘webbing’ around a palm tree ashore and back – on a ‘slip’, cleated back on board.

We will make the passage to St. Lucia, tomorrow, starting early so we can just slip our palm tree purchase at first light.

Cumberland Bay is very pretty but it has been an experience as we had four ‘boat boys’ alongside, clamouring for our attention as we tried to sort ourselves out. We managed to appease most of them with a can of beer, paying off with cash those that actually took our line (webbing) ashore. Later a couple of young lads trying to sell jewellery complained that the beers we offered in compensation for not purchasing were not cold enough!

We  felt obliged to use the nearest ‘Mohito’s’ bar but we were a little surprised when the proprietor, surreptitiously sent out for orange juice and the rum content in the punches seemed to be non-existent. Paula was dead downwind from the ‘ganja’ smokers so probably didn’t miss the rum!

Feeling more comfortable on board, we returned to adjust our mooring arrangement but although close to the shore, we have good anchor holding and with the keel raised, I am sufficiently comfortable for the night ahead.

Lynn is delighted with some news:-

Today we received the news we have been hoping for…..the little dog on Petit Nevis has been rescued….she is a lovely little female. The team from Mustique sent a video clip of their greeting….their words were ‘she seemed to be saying thank you!’ She has now been examined, the vet said her heart is fine…good start…no more fleas, no more tics…she is now being fed…So, so happy! She will be very well looked after now. She deserves it! The gentleman who organised the rescue was telling me how yesterday they lost an old dog through road negligence….so somehow this little dog will hopefully bring some solace…..His team are trying to educate local people on how animals also deserve a bit of paradise….education is everything! People here are not bad, they have a lot to deal with. When all is said and done, it is soooo nice to know this little dog will undoubtedly bring a lot of happiness. She was meant to be….I look forward to receiving news of her wellbeing.

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On a different note Nick has had his challenges today…mooring is not simple. We are anchored as well as ‘strapped’ to a palm tree! We seem to be secured both ends of the boat…as nice as the bay is…we will not be indulging in our usual swim. Water seems a bit dark and uninviting. Skipper says early to bed and early departure tomorrow….we all agree….Locals are very nice but also very stoned! Hey! Ho! We expect the journey to be a bit ‘choppy’ as forewarned by our skipper. But what must be, must be, we will survive!

Neville is still throwing the fishing line into the sea expecting a biting whale…a fortune spent in St.Vincent on fishing tackle hoping to catch Moby Dick! Watch this space……We find it quite entertaining! He is a bit desperate having seen locals landing tuna, barracuda etc with no more than a hand-line!