An Announcement from The Ministry of Pimms.

A whole week ahead of us. Wow. Okay, start slow, I remind myself. There’s no need to wear everyone out this early in the week. We planned an out-and-back swim in Halifax Bay on Grenada, with a plan to swim into the next bay.  Clear water, vibrant coral, no wind or current to speak of. We swam with a big school of little fish that seemed to enjoy our company, and kept pace with us for about 200 yards. The moment they turned around, we started getting stung by sea lice, which the fish must have been eating. Come back, little fish!

Our group of swimmers spread out a little, so I paused to allow them to “accordion” back together. I’m particularly sensitive to not start swimming as soon as the last person catches up, as this is very discouraging for the last one in. I have a lot of experience in this as a slow bike rider, both mountain and road biking. There’s nothing worse than catching up to a group of fast riders, huffing and puffing, and having them take off the second you get there. Anyway, I don’t do that to my guests on SwimVacation. 

We rounded the point to enter the next bay as a group, and everything changed in an instant. The water got all cloudy, and the waves built up into an annoying chop on top of a small swell. The lovely coral bottom we had gotten accustomed to turned gray and sandy. The wind whipped. I looked at our destination, a small beach, and saw a large flock of gulls surrounding a couple of fishing boats. 

Something I’ve learned about open water swimming is that you should trust your instincts in moments like this, and that it’s ok to say naaah not today. We turned around, and got back to the pretty coral and friendly fish, abandoning our original plan. Little omelet squares greeted us back aboard our yacht (whose name is Korana, by the way), which we wolfed down in no time. Heather and Mackenzie had become part of a bait ball just off the bow, and they decided to spend the rest of their lives with them, enjoying plankton and the company of 1,843,493 of their tiny fishy friends. We bid them farewell as we sailed away. 

Laura got a snorkel in before we left Halifax Bay.

Our general plan for the week here in Grenada and the Grenadines is an out-and-back trip: we sail from the big island of Grenada proper to Isle de Ronde to Cariacou, then repeat this for the return trip. Today’s sail was the Grenada to Isle de Ronde leg, mostly up into the wind, it took about 2 hours. I took a dramamine induced nap. 

We “opened the pool” as we arrived - that is, we unclipped the lifelines at the stern. The afternoon was bright and hot, and most guests jumped in to watch turtles swim around or just to cool off. Chef Ali prepared a lovely salad nicoise for lunch.

Looking to the west edge of the island, I saw that the swell was wrapping around and crashing dramatically on the cliffs. This left a calm spot right in front of the big waves, and an opportunity for our guests. We planned a swim to that spot, and it didn’t disappoint. It allowed us to be right at the edge of the really big seas, but in the comfort of relatively calm water. 

Back on Yacht Korana, Pimms! This very British drink, expertly prepared by our very British Captain Richie, was the perfect thing to sip as the sun sank lower in the sky. Chips and dips made their rounds, with the beet dip being my personal favorite. Not to be outdone by herself, Ali then produced a shrimp and spinach risotto. Uncle! Oh, no lemon bars! I can’t take any more! 

The nightly skinny dipping group is gaining members each night, and the almost full moon lit our way as we swam around the boat. We’re planning an adventurous swim for tomorrow. Sleep well, salty swimmers. 

Hopper