It is good to have friends ...........

Amy, Carol, me and Laura up at Shirley Heights

It is good to have friends…. especially ones that will travel for 24 hours to meet up with you – and have absolutely no expectations about what the days will bring….  that is what we have… and we are blessed.

Dale, Brian and Steve in English Harbor

Companion, like a home is a place where our guests can unwind, relax and enjoy their time!!! That is our goal – but just like anything else – the sea legs need to get accustom to their surroundings and then the fun can begin.

When one of our guests sighs – we are happy because that usually means that they are starting to relax; they take extra deep breaths of the fresh air, stare out at the different shades of blue and  turquoise water, see the sun kissing their faces and realizing the fact; that they can’t go anywhere…. or really get off Companion …..that is what we offer… of course this usually takes only an hour or two…. then the fun begins …

Amy arrived with bells on her toes – okay – maybe just in her flip flops on Sunday – got her onto Companion and then right off again to watch the super bowl with the rest of our gang – Laura, Brian, Carol and Steve ….  two dinghy trips back to the boat to settle everyone in for the evening…. a little chit chat and off to sleep – we were still a little “jet lagged” from the Guadeloupe voyage  and for Carol, Steve and Amy from the travel….

Three dudes dinghying back to the gals

Once again the wind is not our best friend – tried to head north – we actually got to our destination – Deep Bay – only to figure out that we would be “rockin’ and rollin’ all night long” if we were to anchor – so Dale make a quick u turn and we sailed for a couple more hours south to Falmoth Bay – hooked a mooring ball and had a restful “howlin’ night” -  it is such an experience to “people watch” there - those mega yachts and just try to figure out what they do on those beasts or beauties… Amy’s camera was documenting the sights  … Dealt out the cards because we are starting to teach “Oh Hell”!  Watch out folks – Laura was on fire with her bids and won – she didn’t realize it till the game was over – but we will chalk that up to being either tired or relaxed!! And with me giving the instructions everyone was handicapped!! Capitan Dale had retired early that evening. 

A hike up to the fort at English Harbor and a self guided tour in Nelson’s Dockyard  - nice to feel land underneath the feet – a delicious treat at the bakery and we were set – evening decision was to taxi up to Shirley Heights to see Eric Clapton’s home (actually a compound – it was something else) – the view above and over the Dockyards was spectacular – we tried to have a sunset dinner  up there – to no avail – not serving dinner on a Tuesday (shucks) – so watched the sun go down –which was really beautiful – lit up the sky with golds and reds -  Brian was sure he saw “the green flash!!  (me – not so sure!)  William (our taxi man) delivered us to Johnny Coconuts for dinner on the waterfront in the Boatyard …. Back to the dinghy, Companion was game for another night of “Oh Hell”  - we are just starting to get the groove of the game….which was a good thing!! 

I always wanted to learn to play cribbage – so the two experts on board – Carol and Steve – coached me and I think I have it!!  I have a feeling that both Dale and I are hooked on that game….gonna bring back a board when we come.

A really great sail back to Deep Bay - nice winds (for a change going in the right direction), gentle rolling waves, and warm temperature equal – everyone is happy!! Captain Steve gets a lesson at the helm and took to it … Anchored down that afternoon with perfection – just gotta make sure we are stuck – the winds kicked up to 25 knots – Dale and Brian surveyed the anchor – navigation alarm on and we are good to go – wind continued all night long – but we were held fast – yea for the “anchoring team!”  Swimming, snorkeling, knitting, reading, relaxing and card playing are all on the agenda for the next couple of days – hard duty but we can do it!!   Sad to leave Deep Bay because we know that the week has to close – ugh – don’t want to think about that yet.

Captain Steve and his first mate - Carol

One of my joys on Companion – are the meals – everything from the shopping experience, prep to actual consumption – anyway we have had many delicious meals this week -  BUT one particular dinner  (ready for a long story?) is very memorable – Julia Childs would love this!!!

Laura and I had purchased a HUGE “French chicken” in Guadeloupe, talked it up..  how we should prepare her, knowing that she would be scrumptious  … and oh what a treat we would all be in for.

As you can see - Laura wrestled with the bird – (this should have beenour first inclination that this bird had a mind of her own!) - we needed to make it fit into the pressure cooker…. No easy task – as the tendons were like miniature bungee cords…. but Laura got her done…. a quick clean up as we just swabbed the deck.

Nothing like butchering on the back deck!

The table set – ready to go … fine dining at its best - a little chit chat for the gal pals while cooking… the guys relaxin’ on the trampoline out front – oh can’t wait!

Table ready to go - with all of our fine china!

Hmm… you could smell the rosemary, garlic, and seasoning fragrances, I am sure all the sailors in the whole bay were envious of this gourmet experience….  well… plates filled, wine poured, prayer said and we began …to chew and chew and chew.,,, I don’t think if we had cooked “her” for twelve hours the outcome would have been any different … the old hen… got the last laugh – tough as nails, overboard she went – I am sure the fish even left her on the bottom of the sea floor – much laughter and Brian to the rescue – popcorn for everyone!!! 

Laughed till we cried ... there was no eatin' that tough old bird!

You know it is so much better to share these experiences with old and new friends along this journey – we appreciate the extra effort that it takes to meet up with us and the flexibility once on board – the stories are to numerous to write down – the memories to be cherished for this first mate and her Captain – thanks Laura, Brian, Carol, Steve and Amy – you made our last couple of weeks such fun!!!

Can’t wait to see Amy’s photos – she is quite the artist and we will share!!