We slipped our lines off the mooring ball at Roseau at 0600 hours and motored due west. Our goal was to see sperm whales and we went where the whale tour boats normally go.
Our buddy boat was also motoring along towards the location when they found a wayward dinghy. They retrieved it with their boat hook, tied it to their stern, and called the fleet with the news. The owner responded and a meet-up was arranged.
As we bobbed around waiting for the whales, the owner arrived and a two-language conversation ensued about the dinghy. It wasn't over the VHF, so I don't know what was said, but one of the dinghy owner's crew members jumped in the water, swam to the dinghy, and eventually it was brought back to its owner.
Since there were no whales, the Captain and I had plenty of time to talk about how the hand-off was accomplished. We both questioned why someone would jump into the water and swim to a dinghy without motor or oars. Wouldn't it have been easier to position the owners boat downwind and simply release the dinghy? Certainly he could have snagged it just as easily as the finder did. Even in these calm conditions putting a person in the water seemed an unnecessary risk.
We continued to drink coffee and watch rain squalls sweep across the sea for quite a while, but no whales ever appeared. Eventually we pulled out the genoa and started towards Portsmouth.
When we arrived we walked around the town and discovered this eclectic residence. Even by Caribbean standards this house is a bit over the top. We also did our typical recon: find a grocery store, find a laundry, figure out where to buy ice and fuel.
Then we went back to the boat and enjoyed an unforgettable Caribbean sunset.
2 comments:
In the sunset picture what kind of sailboat is it?
French design, Italian built, 100 feel long, Available for charter. Search for "Nomad IV".
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