Main work done… 05/11/2021

Happy Christmas from Grenada… 23/12/2021
Once again, I must apologise for not posting anything for several weeks. It has seemed that I don’t have anything exciting to say, and nothing particularly creative came to mind!

Winter has gradually descended here, but it’s nothing like winter elsewhere. The daily maximum temperature is 29 or 30 degrees, feeling like 34 or 35 – basically about 2 degrees cooler than it was in the height of summer. The time you notice it most is in the evening: it feels cooler, although this is partly because there is a strong breeze most of the time.

We have been at anchor in Prickly Bay for the last few weeks. I like it here. There’s plenty of space, more than enough for about 60 boats, and the atmosphere is great. By this stage I know quite a few people, which is nice – if I feel like it, in the evening I just dinghy across to Prickly Bay tiki bar. Have something to eat, a couple of beers and conversation with whoever happens to be around. There are some interesting people, not all sailors. The ex-British consul comes in often with his wife; they live nearby. He’s a great guy – lively, friendly and interesting – they ran a hotel in the UK before moving out here many years ago. In his young days he was a professional football player. There’s an old Norwegian on his boat, which he has now sold. It’s going to be hard saying goodbye, because he’s spent 13 years living on her. But life moves on – he’s taken out permanent residence and is staying in Grenada. Norway offers him nothing now, especially not the prospect of freezing winters. There’s an old English sailor (of indeterminate age, probably 75 or 76) who was a leading jeweller in his day. He’s something of a philosopher, and says he has found where he should truly be, and therefore is close to himself – he thinks that most people lack “a sense of arrival”. A real character. A Canadian who arrived a couple of weeks ago has a very similar backstory to myself – he sold his business and has come seeking a new life. Perhaps because of this, I’m having Christmas dinner on his boat, along with an Australian “next door”. 

I suppose I am not very mainstream – and the great thing here is that it’s pretty easy to meet others of similar disposition who are living in a similar way. Very reassuring! And it’s an amazingly stress-free environment. Very little to worry about. Is the anchor still holding nicely? Did I close the hatches? – it looks like it might rain. Do I have enough bananas? Beer? Water? It’s a simple life. I travelled a lot in my previous life and it was all about rushing to catch aeroplanes, jumping in and out of trains and taxis. Which makes life here so different. 

In the new year I shall move on, grateful for the restful interlude that Grenada has given me. It will be strange having a warm Christmas – my last warm one was 1988. I shall certainly miss both my daughters – although I am fortunate because modern technology at least means that communication is easy. In fact, in my tropical paradise, I have a lot to thank modern technology for. I read the news online every day; having run out of the 70 or so books I brought with me, I am now relying on dear old Amazon and it’s kindle app – everything is available to me. So I don’t feel cut off at all – the world is there, just a few finger taps away. 

I wish everyone a very happy Christmas and a successful New Year. After the last two very strange years, who knows what’s in store for us? Let’s just hope that 2022 will be an improvement  – there’s no reason why it shouldn’t be!