Thursday, March 19, 2008
Django pulled into English Harbour about 4:00 pm and did the tour of the twin inlets past Nelson's Dockyard, looking for the the most propitious spot to drop the hook for and extended stay. This is my kind of place. Mangroves line the shore, the water is calm and green, and there are all sorts of boat related enterprises all around. We picked a spot off Nelson's Dockyard, populated by some pretty funky looking vessels of various ages and conditions, many looking as if they have been here for a long time, and all looking inhabited.
I have been reading "A Shepherd's Life", by W.H. Hudson, written in 1910. One of the many depictions of country life in Wiltshire is a discussion of the gypsies. It occurs to me that Django is one of them, a nomad of the seas, a true vagabond and anarchist, crossing territories and boundaries without thought to national law or pride. The thought cheers me.
Here in English Harbour, there are many like Django, water rats, living cheap, and I like it. It reminds me so much of Mill Creek, in Bermuda, where I kept 'Weemelah', filled with boats in various stages of decay, the shore populated by squatters with horses and no paving, a decrepit boatyard at its head.
English Harbour is way more upscale, Nelson's Doockyard has some pretty high priced restaurants I intend to avoid. The port authority are in charge and charge a daily fee of about $8 EC to anchor here, less in summer when one can tie up to the mangoroves and hunker down for hurricane season. There is a great little cafe on the dock, sandwiches and pasties, run by our next door neighbours in the anchorage. We met within an hour of landing, and I think they will be a big help, especially for Alicia, who will stay alone on Django while I am away in Montreal for two weeks. Arnold has invited us over for a rum after five tomorrow.
The trip up was more or less as advertised. Today is the best day ever for making this passage, says Chris Parker. And it was pretty good. Fast and not too much sea, but every passage is hard and I am tired after the 8 hour day out on the ocean pitching and rolling around. Django is covered in salt again and not much rain in the forecast. We are down on provisions and have no bread after having passed through the wastelands of Guadeloupe and Martinique (I exagerate only a little).
Tomorrow is a day for exploration and reprovisioning. After that come some pretty interesting jobs on the starboard engine.
Oh Boy!
By the way, the photos have reappeared so I will post some with the previous entry.
Ire Ikes
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