Starfish Beach

We enjoyed five wonderful days at Starfish Beach, swimming, snorkelling, walking the beach and, best of all, watching the tourists.  All those white people turning red before our eyes!  Decided to go for a beach walk the day after Sea Cycle left. 

A little mis-communication between us.  I thought we were going for a short beach walk ... Dennis decided we were going to go for a hike but didn't let me know till we were off the boat and walking along.  When we leave the boat, I always close everything up.  Top hatches closed and ports all closed.  My theory is that it cools down quicker than it dries out.  Well ... I'm right on that.  Dennis thought we should leave everything open because there wasn't a rain cloud in sight.  I asked him to at least close the top hatches.  So, on we go, enjoying our walk down the beach ... get to the restaurant, and he decides we're going to see if we can get to the tip of the island and see Swan Island.  Wouldn't you know it, there's rain clouds out there.  A private road, so we couldn't continue.  Turned back and it started to sprinkle ... then it started to rain ... then it started to pour!  EEEEK!

So, we power walked back to the dinghy, got back to the boat and yes, there was water everywhere.  The rain came mostly in the port side, of course.  If it had come in the starboard side, it wouldn't have been as bad.  The bed was soaked, the setee, the cushions that hold the blankets -- the quarter berth was the worst.  Clothes lines strung below with fans going and the sun finally came out enough to dry out the clothes on deck.  I still can't believe we did that and somehow it was my fault?!

Back off to the Bocas anchorage to pick up some fruit, veg and bread and then on to Rana Azul ~~_/)~~

Free At Last!



Doesn't he look like he's having fun?

Yes!, the part finally arrived.  Jeff pulled up in his panga wishing us a Merry Xmas.  Yes, I know it's 3 months too late!  He was too busy to put it in, so Dennis got to hang over the motor, put in the prop flange coupling and then crawl into the bilge to align the motor.  Looks like we're ready to go.  Spent Friday provisioning in town, and then it was Carnival night at the Cantina.  Lots of fun again.






Some of my favorite Cantina guys





 

Saturday morning, cast off those dock lines and headed up to Starfish Beach.  Ahhhhh, peace and quiet.  Well, at least during the hours from 5 at night till 9 in the morning.  Sea Cycle arrived from Rana Azul with Josh and Ivanka, their friends' son and girlfriend who were spending the week.  Deb invited us for dinner, so we brought a pork tenderloin and cheesecake tarts. As usual, had a wonderful night aboard Sea Cycle.





Starfish is great for beach walking and swimming.  The next day there was a catamaran that pulled in, dropped anchor in 25 feet, putting out 30 feet of anchor rode.  Let's see, 10 feet of chain, the rest rope ... AND NO SCOPE!  In the middle of lunch they were dragging down on Sea Cycle, who had no dinghy to fend them off, since Josh and Ivanka were ashore.  We headed over, along with Gecko.  Dennis pulled up the anchor, and that's when we discovered the 10 feet of chain with no scope.  He hopped on board, with the 2 guys they had left on board who had no idea what they were doing, and managed to re-anchor.  Life is never dull!




Pixie and George from Silver Sea





Back to Bocas and then down to Rana Azul!  ~~~_/)~



Ah, Darion, where do
you get all these costumes :)





Girls Afternoon



Deb, Nicole, Allayne and Lynn

It's almost time for Nicole, Mark and Deb's daughter (Sea Cycle) to head back to cold, snowy Toronto, so Deb called and asked if I'd like to join them for a girls afternoon -- lunch and wandering around town.  Don't have to ask me twice!  Lynn and Randy from High States were over having lunch at the Calypso Cantina, so Mark and Dennis joined Randy, Lynn finished her lunch and joined us for drinks.  We stopped off for lunch at Buena Vista for a great Greek wrap and a wander around town without complaints. 




Andy on bongos and
Patrick on guitar



The next night was another Friday night at the Cantina, with a possible Jimmy Buffett sighting.  Guess he was in town, but too tired to 'be Jimmy Buffett'.  Guitar and bongos by Patrick and Andy and then Dyllan's iPod was the music for the rest of the night.  Another fun night of drinking and dancing :)  I did spot Buffett the next day across the dock, returning from surfing with the marina owner and manager.



Lindsay singing



Saturday night we took a water taxi into Bocas Town with Mark and Deb to see the Talent Show at Toro Loco.  Well, we'd already seen Ray juggle, Sara do the fire dancing and heard Lindsay sing ... that was the top talent!  Just a bunch of drunk ex-pats being obnoxious.  Think I'll stay out of town at night.  Oh, and these aren't kids!

On Sunday, I spent the afternoon getting my enchilada casserole together, making coleslaw and salsa -- Mark, Deb and Nicole are joining us for dinner.  Unfortunately, it rained pretty well all day, so we were forced to eat below.  The good thing is, we're in the marina and can run all the lights and fans!  Another fun night and they headed back to the boat in between rain showers.



Rumour has it our part might be in soon :)