Marlborough Express - Weekend Express
By frisbee
Walking around the island we felt like the Pied Piper as one, two and suddenly three children began following us chattering away in their native tongue. If we spoke very slowly they understood our basic Spanish.
On the beach we made sandcastles and swam in the tepid waters until I suddenly remembered the Frisbee buried in Bandit’s locker. David shot back to Bandit in the tender and when he returned he was the most popular cruiser around.
The kids’ faces lit up and they played for hours, swimming like fish out to retrieve it when it landed in the water. We left late afternoon and they were still playing well into the night.
We arrived in the San Blas just before Christmas, which meant leaving Jamaica in less than ideal conditions but at this time of year with trade winds in full swing, it’s a case of hunkering down and getting on with it.
The upside was that the strong winds made for a fast trip and we did the 880 kilometre passage in three nights instead of the predicted four.
On our last night at sea I woke with crippling tummy pains (a parting shot from Jamaica) and staggered to the loo where I spent the next hour. Bandit was rolling so much in the heavy seas I ended up seasick.
Calling to David on watch proved pointless. Not only could he not hear me because of the wind and waves, but he had the headphones in listening to music. I realised this when I heard him singing along to at the top of his voice. Simon and Garfunkel he’s not, but his attempts did make me smile between bouts of nausea.
He found me when my 2am watch rolled around, fed me a few seasick pills, handed out plenty of sympathy and even gave me an extra hour and a half to pull myself together.
It would have been so easy to just stay horizontal but this is a team effort and the price we pay for being dual-handed so I reluctantly dragged myself up on deck. I quickly came right in the fresh air and bracing conditions.
Arriving in the San Blas was paradise – a stunning tropical oasis of sandy white beaches, palm clad islands, crystal clear water and blue skies greeted us. Just what tired sailors need after a tough passage.
After a blissful 12-hour uninterrupted sleep we spent the first day cleaning the salt off Bandit and doing the usual maintenance before pressing the relax button and sitting back to really enjoy Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
It’s something we haven’t done for a while. Last year David was laid low with shingles in the Honduras Bay Islands and the year before we were crossing the Atlantic.
Here in the San Blas was sun, blue skies, magical snorkelling and wonderful beaches to enjoy – and enjoy we did, at least for a day or two. Then it was back to the long list of chores to be done before going through the Panama Canal next month.