H.M.S. Achilles

In 1982 The British Government dispatched a Naval task to engage the Argentine Navy and Air Force before making an amphibious assault on the Island.  Although the skirmish lasted just 74 days, British vessels were deployed to the Falkland Islands to patrol in the aftermath.  The H.M.S. Achilles, a frigate serving the British Navy, was one of those patrol ships.

In February, 1983 it was decided that the “lads” on board the H.M.S. Achilles needed a break, they had not had any shore leave for several months and time off the ship was overdue.  A tiny, uninhabited Island in the Caribbean was selected for this excursion, and it had been chosen very carefully.  The “lads” were at that point a little stir-crazy and needed to let off steam, hence the need for a remote location. The little uninhabited Island the Royal Navy chose as the perfect place to set loose a bunch of restless young men was Bequia.

I am sure that as the frigate approached Admiralty Bay the Officers realized that a boo-boo had been made; the anchorage was full of yachts, houses and businesses dotted the bay and hillsides and, oh yes, it looked as though the Island might  even be inhabited!  It was too late to change plans, and the eager young men started pouring ashore.  The lads were delighted, they had envisioned a deserted Island and instead they would be spending a few days surrounded by bars, lots and LOTS of bars.

Those sailors got absolutely shit-faced, and remained that way for the entirety of their shore leave.  At Lower Bay the frigate’s M.P.s were kept busy; each night they would break up the inevitable rum-fueled fights on the beach, and each morning they would pick up seriously sun-burnt men who had passed out in the sand the previous day.  For some reason I got lucky and wasn’t over-run by  sailors at the Pizzeria, I fed a lot of the Officers but the young lads were more attracted to Lower Bay.

February has always been the busiest month for tourism on Bequia, which meant that the Island was  hopping with visitors.  I found myself hoping that tourists experiencing Bequia for the first time would realize that it was usually a fairly quiet and peaceful vacation destination, something it definitely was NOT during the few days the Achilles remained at anchor.  Sailors were seen swinging from the Local Color Boutique sign until the chain broke, there were road accidents and fist fights.  The lads seemed oblivious to physical danger in their drunkenness and behaved accordingly.  In other words, they wreaked havoc on poor Bequia!

Other than De Reef at Lower Bay the Harpoon Saloon at Ocar was the establishment hit hardest by the sailors.  I was at the Harpoon Saloon the night Bill and Barbara offered their lobster special, and the bar was packed with very drunk young men. One sailor, with encouragement from his buddies, was attempting to ride one of the nurse sharks in the pond below the restaurant.  I could hear Barbara screaming, “Get off of my f…ing shark you f….ing imbecile!” she yelled, “get the f..k off!”  I listened as one chap encouraged another to order some lobster, saying, “c’mon mate, you never had it before so give it a try!”.  The lobster took a while to prepare and the two mates were getting drunker by the minute.  Finally the food arrived, and by then the entire bar was excited about the sailor’s first taste of lobster.  They gathered around him as he chewed, waiting for his response.  The drunken lad finally said, “Tastes just like fokin’ pork, mates, just like fokin’ pork!”   Everyone laughed, but knowing Barbara I bet it WAS “just fokin’ pork! ”

To this day people talk about the visit of the H.M.S Achilles.  For a tiny uninhabited Island in the Caribbean, Bequia had turned out to be a sailor’s dream come true!