Bequia 2018 - Diving

Getting read to dive Devil's Table - pic by George

February 2018

Roberta and John sv Freedom - getting in the dinghy is never easy

We decided to take advantage of the good diving in Bequia try out my new gear.  Additionally, John off sv Freedom is experienced and willing to go with us.  I am still very much a newbie.

Tom and Sabrina going down -pic by George

Being a newbie with new to me gear, I was nervous.  Mainly about my dive computer.  I read the manual multiple times but still...... I learned to dive mainly because I just want to go down 20-30-40 ft and look at the sea life.  I just want to float around, watch and wait to see who will swim by or pop their head out.  Deep dives, cave dives, wreck dives, night dives......um no.  I have no interest at this point.  In fact the idea of a few of those sort of freaks me out.  I may change my mind, but for now....shallow dives with pretty coral and sea life is just fine.

Tom and Sabrina still going down - pic by George

Our first Bequia dive was Devil's Table.  It was good.  Lots of fish, lobsters, coral, etc.....I did freak out a little at the end because my dive computer started blinking and I didn't know what it meant.  But I realized it was okay.  I went back and read the manual yet again.  I also messed with the settings some more so I could get used to it.

Tom - pic by George

The second dive we did was the Moonholes.  I let John know that I didn't want to go too deep - not more than 40ft or so and that I would be looking at my dive computer quite a bit so I can learn and get used to what it is saying.  It was a great dive in terms of fish and coral.....I am told.  I saw some stuff but I did spend a lot of time looking at my dive computer.  But that is ok and just what I planned to do.  Numbers and levels in it are starting to make sense.

Sabrina and Tom - pic by George

Tom is there with me as my official buddy.  Some of Tom's gear is not working (the depth gauge) so he depends on mine.  We will need to start shopping for replacement gear for him as well.

*I had hope to insert a video here that John took of Tom and I diving but that didn't work. Maybe in the future.     

I am still getting used to my gear but it fits and works well and I am very happy with it.  Also, I flail around way too much.  But I am sure as I do more dives, I will get more and more comfortable with it.

Thanks again to Sandy for my gear!  And Laura and Jason. 

New Dive Gear

Tom and Sabrina

January 2018

New to me BCD

I have new to me diving gear.  NICE gear.  Really, really nice gear.  And of course there is a story behind it.

So nice.  Designed for women

While we were stateside last summer (2017), we met a friend of a friend Sandy.  She is a fellow sailor, sailing on Stockton Lake in Missouri and holiday charters in the BVI and such.  In chatting with her I also found out she and her husband/partner are divers.  They have been on many a dive holiday in fabulous dive places around the world.  "But I really don't dive any more.  I had a scary experience last time so I think my diving days are over." she said to me.  Hum?  So of course I said "Any interest in selling your dive gear?"  This totally caught her off guard. "Oh.  Um.  Well, I don't know.  I.... Hum.....I...."  I told her to think about it and if so, I would be very interested and we went on to chat about other things.  By the end of our time visiting she brought it up again.  "I will think about it and let you know."

Built in weight pockets

A week later she contacted me saying she did want to sell and that we should meet at a cafe with internet so we could look online at "fair market value.  The gear is really nice stuff and I have taken really good care of it."  "Sure.  That sounds like a good plan."  However, she was busy and then heading out on holiday.  No rush.  Just contact me when you get back.  Then I did not hear from her again for some time.  Eventually, she sent me an email to say she had broken her back in a boating accident and was home in a brace and in no shape to do anything including selling dive gear.  "Of course.  Can I bring you anything?  Sailing magazines, etc...?"  I knew her partner was taking care of her but I thought at the very least, sailing mags to pass the time.  No, she was ok.

NICE

We were started to pack up our stuff stateside to return home to sv Honey Ryder when I got a voice message from Sandy.  I called her back.  She was still at home in a back brace rehabbing but much better.  "If you want this dive gear, why don't you come out to the house and just get it."  I went.  She had it all out.  Really nice stuff.  Top of the line ladies BCD, regulator, and dive computer.  I tried it on.  It fit perfectly.  She explained how she had it all serviced locally each time before a dive trip and then again after.  She had all the paperwork but the dive computer manual. She apologized profusely for not having that.  Really?  Come on.  Everything is in such good shape.  I think I can download a manual. 

Breath in, breath out

"I love it.   I will take it all.  How much?"  I asked.  Sandy immediately said "Just take it."  "Noo.  Sandy no.  I must pay you.  Please."  She said "No.  Just take it, use it and enjoy it.  I would rather someone have it that it going to really use it and enjoy it than hassle with selling it and such.  Just send me some pics."  I was flooded with gratitude.  Such generosity.  I thanked her over and over and then left.

Dive computer and regulator

In the car, I called cruising friends Laura and Jason that happen to be commercial divers as well.  I told them about my new gear.  "Holy shit Sabrina.  That is nice gear.  I mean top of the line stuff.  And she just gave it to you?  Wow.  You now have nicer gear than either of us has." was what Jason said to me.  "Will you two help me learn it and such?"  "Of course."

Silver tank is my new tank

I took it all home to Trinidad, packed it away and started prepping the boat for this season.  sv Blue Blaze (Laura and Jason) sailed out of Trinidad up to Grenada before us.  Laura sent me a message "Hey.  There is a cruising boat here selling a nearly new dive tank for half price $80 US.  You want us to buy it for you?"  And that is how I got my dive tank.

Securely stored in the aft head

We were too busy messing about in Grenada to go diving.  And the dive site I wanted to do is on the west side of the island.  So the first diving in my new gear took place in Bequia.  That story next.
****BIG Thank you to Sandy in KC.  And to Laura and Jason for finding me a tank.

Rum Shack Tours

Sabrina's Bar

January - February - March 2018

Nicolle (our hostess), Patrick, Luci (sv Illusions) and Tom

There is a cute, young ex-pat couple raising their daughter in Bequia and trying to make a living so they can stay year round.  Nicolle and Nate have come up with some unique ways to generate some income, help the community while having fun.

Nate (our host)

They are doing Rum Shop Tours.  They organize and set up transportation as well as host.

Toko's Bar

Each Rum Shop Tour focuses on a certain area of Bequia.  NOT the touristy waterfront that we all know or even the rum shops in town but areas many cruisers never travel to.

George, Sabrina and Tom - name of the bar?  Bar.

BTW - Rum Shop Tours are really just a great way to see and learn about other parts of Bequia, as well as meet and interact with locals, other cruisers and ex-pats.  You are not required to drink rum.  In fact you don't have to drink at all.  We drank beer.  Others drank rum and or Coke or water.  Whatever.

Some were literally shacks

The first Rum Shop Tour  - we went on was to the south side of Bequia, near the airport.  We met in town at the Rendezvous Bar.  We piled into a school bus that actually was still picking up and dropping off a few students.  Nicolle passed around a bottle of homemade Sorrel rum, which was really yummy to get us all in the mood.  The bus was playing some jammin' Caribbean tunes.  It turned out to be Christian Rock.  Not the sort of music I thought we would have on a Rum Shop Tour but hey, whatever.  "What would Jesus listen to on the way to the rum shop?"  WWJLRS t-shirts?  I know, needs work.  We had to hike up a very steep hill to go to the first Rum Shop because the bus could not make it up there. We had a drink there and took in the fabulous view.  Then we walked to the other Rum Shops.

Kurt (sv Imagine) and Patrick (sv Illusions) checking the bingo cards

The highlight was Toko's Bar.  We liked it so much, we went back several weeks later.  We also learned on this tour that there is a lobster processing plant (gift of the Japanese Government - roll eyes).  We went back a couple of weeks later to buy lobster there and got a tour by the plant manager.  The Rum Shop Tour ended back in town.  We hung out a little longer with Nicolle and Nate at the weekly street party. Fun time.

George (sv Wild Cat), Patrick (sv llusions) and Nicolle (hostess)

Rum Shop Tour #2 for us - By now, the Rum Shop Tour was becoming famous and demand was growing among the cruisers.  The next Rum Shop Tour was a walking tour of Hamilton.  But again, not the front street places we all know, but the back alley, behind somone's house Rum Shops.  Many of these Rum Shops are really just shacks.  Seriously nothing more than a shack.

George at Miranda's - who knew?

One of the stops was Miranda's Laundry.  Nearly all the cruisers use Miranda's Laundry for laundry service but NO ONE knew she also has a bar on site.  Her brother runs the bar and plays the music.  It is a tiny place in front of her house and next to the laundry but it works.  It was so fun, we went back again a couple of weeks later on a rainy Friday night.  Oh, and on this Rum Shop Tour, we had homemade bingo cards to find Bequia things - A mango tree, a goat, Eli, Rachel, a washing machine, etc.....a fun way to "discover" more about Bequia.

The gang with Eli - he gave us all loofah's and bundles of fresh herbs

The third Rum Shop Tour  -was in Lower Bay.  We again met in town and bused down there.  Once again, these were small, lesser known places (especially to us cruisers).  One, Maria's, we planned to go back to for lunch at a later date but sadly never made it there.

One of the Lower Bay Rum Shops

The last Rum Shop we stopped at was run by a beautiful local woman and her mother.  In the off season she is a backup singer for two different bands and travels the world.  I noticed her signing to a local sitting at the bar.  It turns out that is her cousin who is deaf.  She learned sign language as a child so her cousin would have someone to talk to. She told us a funny story of seeing a group signing on the subway in Munich while on tour. They didn't think anyone knew sign language but them.  She surprised them all by jumping in to sign them directions and remind them that they are in public and you never know who can see what they are saying.  We all laughed.  Such an interesting woman.

Run by the backup singer

Backup singer, Nate and her cousin

Some of us carried on to Keegan's in Lower Bay for the Full Moon party. We had dinner and then went down on the beach to the bonfire.  It was all good until the wind picked up and tiny embers started blowing around and in some cases, on us.  Poor, uber polite and proper English cruiser Mike didn't know what to do or say when an ember landed on my chest.  "Um....oh...Sabrina.....um, yes, right.....you have a amber, um... just there.....on your....well.....oh my, um....just there." as he started to brush it off but then hesitated, then tried again, then hesitated....all the while as it sat burning on my boob without my knowledge.  You probably had to be there for it but it was SO funny.  Luckily it was tiny so no injury or damage.

Bennett and Susan (sv Praqutic) Cindy and Rob (sv Aaventura)

"It is ok for you to touch another woman's boob's if she's on fire - Sandy explains to Mike

As I said above, the Rum Shop Tours are not really about rum but about seeing new places and meeting new and interesting people.  Nicolle and Nate are fabulous hosts herding us all around and sharing their adopted island in this unique way.  $20 EC each is their fee.  More than fair.  As word spread, more and more cruisers and land people visiting on holiday joined in.  Right after we left, there was another Rum Shop Tour.  Supposedly 58 people went - two buses.  WOW!  They had one yesterday as well. 

My favorite chair at Toko's