This morning we were under sail at 11 knots upon the open seas. After a lecture on Rastafarianism by our historian Tom Heffernan, Captain John Svendsen gave a tour of the Sea Cloud pointing out all the restoration work that has allowed this gorgeous vessel to continue sailing for over 90 years. We then watched the crew take the sails in, scampering up the masts and out onto the yards, wrestling the giant sails back into their secure positions.
In the afternoon we took small boats to Bequia, the largest of the Grenadine islands, to explore the town of Port Elizabeth. I love to get lost in these small towns, wandering down streets that catch my eye and looking for interesting scenes for photographs. I met a Rastafarian man named Chris who was selling jewelry handmade from seedpods. After a nice chat I visited one of the two model boat shops in town to admire the skill of the woodcarvers.
Later I joined the group at Jack’s Bar on Princess Margaret Bay to take a swim in the sparkling Caribbean waters. We were able to watch the sunset light up the sky, spotting the beautiful Sea Cloud bobbing amidst a sea of other sailing vessels anchored in the shelter of the bay.
Back on board we were entertained by a local band, the Kings of Strings, which got a few of us up and dancing before heading to bed.
