Tuesday = Salt & Lemons

I’m going to take a moment here to celebrate our chef, Lisa “Loulou” Dixon. She is also our chief provisioner, so let’s start there. Picture yourself in a grocery store on a small island with a list of items you’ll need to feed 14 people, many with strict diets, allergies, and preferences, for a week. As you shop, you realize that about 20% of the items aren’t available. In that moment, Lisa can re-work her entire meal plan according to what IS available, then help load, unload, and store the groceries on a yacht with a small refrigerator and limited space.  

Moving on to actually cooking the food, she works with a small cooktop, tiny oven, and limited utensils. The galley is cramped, hot, and often the boat is bouncing around in the waves, sending pots flying and anything round rolling away. But the aromas! Our mouths water, as do those of our neighboring yachts as chef Loulou plates our meals. They’re so flavorful, varied, and they fuel our bodies for the long swims ahead. Cheers to chef Loulou!!

We woke in Privateer Bay and swam along and into and around the series of caves here. A big tarpon and his friend, a moon jellyfish, guarded one of them. They let us pass. We continued on past the caves, Yafa leading the pack and enjoying every stroke. Yafa seems to be able to truly let go of the pressures of her career when she’s on SwimVacation, and she’s done lots of trips with us. 

Salt Bay on Salt Island was as flat and calm as I’d ever seen, so we dropped anchor. Lexi, who travels with her mom Marianne, is a fine swimmer, but she’s a horse girl at heart, competing in endurance events with her little Arabian. She suggested a hike up to the highest peak above us on Salt Island, so we recruited Deckhand Danny, filled our swim floats with shoes, hats and sunglasses, and swam to shore. We explored the salt ponds and saw some goats. The view from the top was spectacular.  

Our morning sail brought out the cards and books and general relaxing hang time in everyone.

Marianne enjoyed a relaxing dip with Simon in Salt Bay, while Lexi, Hopper and Danny climbed the tallest peak on Salt Island.

Skipper moved the boat just around the corner so we could dive on the wreck of the Rhone. I won’t retell the story of the tragedy here, but it’s worth a read on Wikipedia. We free-dove and snorkeled, accompanied by a curious but shy nurse shark. There’s a couple of swim-throughs at the stern of the wreck, which make for challenging dives. The guides and the Skipper showed off their breath holding skills.

Another storm approached as the swimmers headed back around the corner to Salt Bay to meet up with Rhapsody. Miriam and I swam together as the wind whipped and the rain pelted down on us. When she arrived for her first trip with us, Miriam had no experience in open water. By the second day of that trip, she was swimming at the front of the pack and registering for more trips. She makes hats and t-shirts for us, goofs around with us, and we love her. 

A spotted eagle ray passed by, then several of us walked the beach to look for sea glass. Prior to refrigeration, ships visited this bay for hundreds of years to salt down their food for the voyage back to Europe. While they waited, the sailors drank rum and beer from thick green bottles, then threw them overboard. The sea glass that’s been created from these bottles is thick and unique and fun to hunt for. 

Our cocktail for the evening was a Yafiam Fizz, named for guests Yafa and Miriam, because it used their favorite libations: St. Germain and Tito’s Vodka. One part of each, a squeeze of lemon, top off with club soda, on the rocks in a cocktail glass. You’re welcome. Chicken and Pancetta and mushrooms over risotto for dinner (and combinations thereof for various dietary restrictions), crepes and all the toppings for dessert. 

Guests tucked into their staterooms, I strung my hammock starboard to port rather than port to aft, to take advantage of the widest part of the bimini. It worked! I slept through several rain showers and a thunderstorm and woke up dry and rested. 

Hopper

Here’s a little video of the day’s highlights! Sound on!