TELLING YOUR ASS FROM YOUR ELBOW

                  

                           10.1.2012

I’ve frequently thought that some people have great difficulty telling one from the other……… especially when anchoring! Now at last we have found a painting which proves that I am not entirely alone in this perception, although in this case the confusion seems to be between the painters Ass and his vegetable garden!

One of the reasons for hanging around in Rodney Bay, was for Mary to have a front tooth repaired by a dentist who came highly recommended. In trying to untangle fishing lines, she resorted to using her teeth in addition to hands, fingers and toes, and one tooth objected, leaving her with an amalgam smile. I offered to fix it for free, using Pratley quick setting epoxy putty, but she turned me down! Yesterday she had this done by the local expert, who charged her about R500.00 , and used his own version of Pratley’s Quick set Epoxy putty. Now, as they say on that terrible TV advert, she can “smile broadly again!”  (Incidentally, the little catamaran on the front left of the photo, is “Ti Kanot”, which belongs to Chris Doyle, the author of the cruising guides used by most people in the Caribbean) 

We took a bus ride into Castries, to visit the local market, and to stock up on Fruit and veggies. We also got the coconut man to open up 5 coconuts with his panga, and fill up a 1.5lt bottle with coconut water, which makes a very healthy and refreshing drink, full of antioxidants, vitamins and things. Its even better when chilled and mixed with rum for sundowners!

Another reason for staying in St Lucia, was to get the Life Raft serviced. It’s a ridiculously expensive exercise, wherever one has it done, but , unlike RSA, where it is supposed to be done annually, the interval here and in the US is every three years. So we are now good for the next three years!

The waiting has also allowed us to look out for “Green Flashes”, which can only be seen on clear, cloudless days where the sun sets over the sea. We have seen two while here, and I again tried to capture one on camera, but missed the moment! Either that, or cameras do not work like human eyes! Some people believe it is just an illusion, as ones eyes adjust to the disappearance of the suns bright source of light. I disagree, because, on many occasions now, when watching with groups of people , there is a simultaneous “YES”, when it happens, and a few disappointed “No’s” when it does not!

On this last occasion, Larry and Marlo, who had just sailed up from Bequia on “Beatrice” (ripping their mainsail in the process), and were anchored about a half a mile away, also saw the Green Flash, and asked us the next day if we had seen it. Fortunately, they had already arranged for their son to bring out a new main from Quantum, when he delivers a catamaran from Cape Town next month. So they are just going to stick it together with “Sticky Back”, and hope it gets them to St Martin ok!