Barbados – still arriving!
We still havnt properly arrived at Barbados , even though we have been hereabouts for 24 hours. You are supposed to clear in at the harbour , but last night we could get no answer from the signal station. We cruised up and down outside the breakwater and could not get permission to enter ( mind you they wern’t answering the cruise liner who was asking for a pilot either!) The signal station is on the end of the harbour wall, and to our amusement we saw someone furtively let himself out of the back door and scuttle off. We took the hint – its the Carribean man – tomorrow would do!
Tomorrow brought 4 cruise ships and the customs had 4000 passengers to deal with , so we sailed to Port St Charles at the other end of the Island and entered there , before sailing back to Bridgetown, It was nice , the people at St Charles were nice , but it was nearly dark by the time we came back and even though we were in sheltered water it was blowing 30 knots and we are knackered – so for us Barbados starts tomorrow!
To my astonishment the back end of the hull is covered with what I take to be larval barnacles – or perhaps barnacles before they grow a shell. There is a stalk which broadens out into a pod , from which emerge brown stripey fronds which retract if you touch them . I have been picking them off one by one and reckon it will take a few days to get round to them all. They have colonised the areas of turbulent water flow and were certainly not visible to the naked eye when we set off 2 weeks ago. Obviously other organisms than just us appreciate the water temperature of 30 degrees!
There is a boat here we last met in Graciosa , and our friends on the Brain of Pooh have just arrived 24 hours after us and so I guess that tomorrow might get fairly hectic socially . We probably wont be mixing with the Swedish boat nearest us who was positevely curmudgeonly when we came and anchored. What made it worse was that my first attempt WAS too close and I was always going to move – until he was so rude , when I considered staying just to wind him up! Hey ho , I guess that there will be a lot of that over the next few months.
Love from Lynda and me , anchored in Carlisle Bay , Bridgetown , Barbados.
Dear Philip and Lynda,
Many, many congratulations! We will raise a glass to you tonight. What’s even better you are missing a most miserable grey winter although the sun is finally shining today. Lots of love Susan
Congratulations on your crossing and your very interesting blogs ~ they make great reading. Enjoy your time out there.
Dermod & Marion O’Mallet
Hi P&L
Keep an eye on your bottom, a coral reef grows we found in a week.
Customs are a pain at every island but you get used to it………. the female influence can work very well with them…………..The holiday begins !!!!!!
Well done! Hope you have a fine old time on the other side of the pond. You will pleased to know my general health seems to survived your absence so far
Cheers Glyn
They’re Goose barnacles
Well done and what an achievement
We are really enjoying reading your updates.
I hope you are now relaxing with a hard earned Pina Colada ….. or two
Cheers
Robin
Hi John and thanks for that. i looked it up and was astonished to see that they have penis’s- but my book didnt say wether there are male and female goose barnacles or wether they are just a bunch of woofters!