Sunday

Guests!

Sometimes we joke that SwimVacation is all dolphins and rainbows. This trip has been mostly rainbows so far. For some reason, Road Harbor produces very low, bright ones. Intermittent rain produced a particularly bright rainbow and a sunshiney gap to take a dinghy from the Promenade to the dock at Village Cay to pick up our guests. All eight of them were sitting around some waterside tables, and from the chatter, I could tell that this group was gelling already. A very good sign. They are: Laura, Kristi, Sam, Susan, Jamie, Deb, Shady, and Laurie. 4 west coasters and 4 east coasters. Hmmm I’m thinking about a relay of some sort…...

With everyone aboard, we do crew introductions, a seasick prevention talk, and a boat safety talk. Lunch was a lovely salad and crusty bread. We’ve got some very good swimmers aboard, and I can sense their desire to get in the water. Road Harbor is less than pristine, so we motor across the channel to Little Harbor, Peter Island. Even though the channel is bumpy, our guests are relaxed and comfortable on this boat already. Another good sign.

Little Harbor is  the only place we use a stern line, and Will and I like to swim it to shore and loop it around a big rock. It makes us feel knowledgeable and important. We give a swim safety talk, plot a swim, and jump in. The water is about 80 degrees and a hazy blue from the rain we’ve had. I’ve never seen the hillsides so green. Lots of boats are tied up stern-to, so we duck under lines and settle into our strokes, shaking off the long flights and bouncy cab rides we’ve all had to get here. We have some FAST swimmers on this trip, but I’m most relieved to see that everyone is confident in the water. Wildlife sightings this swim: barracuda, tarpon, southern stingrays, hawksbill turtle, and lots of reef fish.

In typical SwimVacation fashion, frozen drinks and appetizers soon appear. Dinner was chicken wrapped in a light pastry dough and a creamy sauce. Ginger sweet potatoes are delicious! Conversation is lively and laughter fills the cockpit. Friends Rich and Lisa appear for a nightcap.

-Hopper