Location: Falmouth to English Harbour
I don’t think they were expecting to be awoken by the sound of Australian birds and didgeridoo here in the Caribbean, but as I am skipper and had the chance to wake them up with the wonderful sound of Xavier Rudd and his song Follow the Sun, how could I pass it up. Whilst this, plus other Australian artists, were playing in the salon, Allistaire was busy baking everyone chocolate chip and banana muffins in the galley. And yes, they tasted as good as they sound and smelt.
After breakfast and clean-up, the crew began preparing Ocean Star to depart our anchorage in Falmouth Harbour in order to move further east to English Harbour, where we would dock at the Slipway, opposite Nelson’s Dockyard. As part of the departure, we needed to raise 2 anchors, which were run by Kasey and Tenley. They each took charge of raising their respective anchors, everything from organizing their own team to communicating with staff at the helm. There was someone “flaking” the chain, which means it was being placed neatly in its box so that it may run freely and uninhibited when it is next dropped. We had someone operating the hydraulics and brake system, plus a few people assisting with bringing the anchors to rest in their brackets on deck as it was done traditionally.
With both anchors on board, we began our short motor over to English Harbour, where we lowered the dinghies in the water so they could assist in the docking procedures and prepared dock lines, fenders, and the starboard anchor for the maneuver. This can be a difficult process with the wind playing a huge role and requires all members of the crew to be working together. We have dropped an anchor, reverse into a narrow spot without hitting the boat next door, compete with the wind and tie on all the dock lines whilst holding the fenders in place. Needless to say, it all went smoothly, and the crew went straight into preparing the vessel for the few days on the dock with sail covers going back on and the tarps up for shade.
The crew was then rewarded with a lunch prepared by Allistaire, and Smash informed the group that for the afternoon, they could choose their own adventure. Some went and explored more of the town and Nelson’s Dockyard, a few went to the beach or hiking, and the rest went diving, myself included. I ended up taking Kasey, Jay, Maddie, and Caroline on a deep dive for the later threes Advanced certification, and it was awesome! We hit 27 meters (90 feet for the Americans out there) and saw a baby moray eel, a huge triggerfish, pistol shrimp, and much more. Another dive group lead by Marley was able to capture a few photos of their dive.
To round out the day, the crew packed up dinner and a few beers into our backpacks and hiked up to a lookout point called Shirley Heights for an evening picnic. It was pretty magical. We talked about everyone’s dream jobs, and I reminded them all that none of them were unattainable.