Every year in November a regatta was held at Petit St. Vincent, a small resort Island nor far from the Tobago Cays. I had been hearing about the regatta, and when Mac asked if I would like to go I immediately started planning the trip. Mac and Chris Bowman would be sailing on Just Now, a classic island sloop Chris had recently built on Bequia. “Just Now” is an Island expression, and the boat was aptly named; whenever people asked Chris when the boat would be finished he always replied, “Just Now”. It is a vague answer that never fails to satisfy Bequians, basically it means today, tomorrow, next week or next year!
I made arrangements with the Headmaster to take the Friday off. I wouldn’t be able to sail to PSV with Mac and Chris, but if I got myself there I could spend the week-end and sail back with them. I arranged to fly with LIAT (Leave Island Any Time!) from St. Vincent to Union Island, where I would board the PSV launch to take me to the resort. I explained to my class why I wouldn’t be with them on Friday, and organized work for them to do in my absence.
Friday morning I got up early to catch the Friendship Rose as I had to travel to the mainland to catch the LIAT ‘plane to Union. That same day there was a fatal LIAT crash and, unbeknownst to me, I was being deeply mourned by form 4B! They had no way of knowing the ‘plane I was on had landed safely at Union, and that I was already on board Just Now at PSV. Bequia DID lose Clive Frank in that LIAT crash – I had never met him but would be teaching Geography using a pamphlet he had written.
Just Now was lovely but pretty basic, the interior had yet to be finished but sleeping on the deck was just fine. The bay at PSV was filled with sailing vessels of every description, from small fishing boats to fancy yachts. The Regatta was a festive affair, and everyone was having a grand time. Food and drink were for sale, and had to be paid for with “clams”, the name given to the vouchers being used. Rum punch was consumed in copious quantities as the steel band played, and I was grateful to be a part of such a special Caribbean event.
After a week-end of “fun in de Sun” it was time to sail back to Bequia. The weather had been perfect until Sunday afternoon, at which point the sea got rough and squalls moved in. The Canouan channel can be a challenge, and with the wind kicking up it was (at least in my opinion) downright wild! I had never sailed before and was therefore pretty useless on deck, I had no idea how to winch and felt I was just getting in the way. The weather worsened and Chris told Mac to get me down below – Just Now was being thrown about by the waves and it was no longer safe for me to be on deck.
Mac got me down the steps and into the cabin, then returned up on deck. The fumes down below immediately made me feel queasy, a combination I think of diesel and varnish. The boat was rolling dreadfully, and from the shouts on deck I could tell the crew was having a rough time of it. I was feeling sicker by the minute, and started wondering what I would do if I had to vomit; I knew the boat lacked a head (toilet), and I didn’t think going up on deck to do it would make me any more popular than I already was!
The weather calmed down somewhat once we passed Petit Canouan, but the damage had been done, the boat was still rocking and I was getting greener by the minute. I made it as far as Mustique, then made a dash to be sick where I knew it would be least offensive – the kitchen sink! What I didn’t realize was that Chris had not installed any plumbing fittings yet, and my vomit went through the sink onto the floor of the cabin. Sorry Chris!!!
