During my 3rd stay in this lovely part of the Caribbean I have used the opportunity to continue essential maintenance and enjoy the company of friends made along the way. Plane Song has plenty of exterior teak which I have chosen to keep varnished. It's not too arduous a task but it does require regular attention. Suprisingly, the cockpit coaming, companionway hatch and wash boards had their last coat in the UK more than 18 months ago and now only need freshing up.
This rather spindly calabash tree produces fruit nearly the size of a football but the fruit is of no use to man nor beast. The gourd on the other hand is made ino all sorts of useful utensils
When Mary was aboard last year we had supper at a marina side restaurant and both suffered severe food poisoning. We were offered a free meal after I complained but neither of us felt brave enough to take up the offer when we had revovered several days later. During my recent stay I got to know the owner and as he remembered the incident I had dinner with him at half price with a lot of good wine thrown in-I thought it fair to offer half the cost given the time since we were poisoned. We were joined by his cousin whom he described as the Richard Branson of St Lucia. He owned an estate and an exclusive resort on the east coast frequented by the very rich and famous. A small group provided music and of course the singer turned out to be good friends of them both. She was very good and reminded me of Cleo Lane-my opinion of her talent was highly valued as my wife is an opera singer! It was a memorable evening.
However, this little corner of paradise has for me begun to loose it's appeal. Ashore at the marina I was plagued by reggae music played at unbelievably loud volume opposite my berth by a local water taxi. If this wasn't enough a charter organisation flushed diesel tanks from a catamaran upwind, spreading fuel on the water and doing this three days on the trot. My complaints to the marina had no effect.
Much more significantly than this was the unruley behaviour at the anchorage. Rodney Bay is a large bay upwards of a mile wide with lovely sandy beaches. Unlike the rest of the Grenadines, jet skiis are not banned and flourish, hired out to holiday makers who drive them at top speed amongst the yachts at anchor. They pass close by unaware that yachts swing at anchor and that their occupants like to have a swim now and then. Add to this water taxies and other local craft travelling through the anchorage at high speed and you have an accident waiting to happen. The bay has lost its appeal as an anchorage and for me it will be a brief stop over in future if need be. Ideas are afoot to charge for anchoring and if carried out will certainly drive away the cruising community.
