Whenever my children heard me say “I have a ship in tomorrow” they knew I would be busy all day, my job as Port Agent for the Wind Star and Wind Spirit made life incredibly hectic. I had been reluctant to accept the job, it added a lot more pressure to my daily routine, but I enjoyed the challenge and the extra income was welcome. The money I earned would go towards the home Mac and I wanted to build as well as summer camp for Vanessa and Rachel, they were growing up quickly and I wanted them to spend more time in Muskoka, Canada.
On “ship days” I went to work extra early, I had to get the baking done before the vessel arrived. By 8:00 I would be at the dinghy jetty awaiting the first tender, the passengers taking the Mustique tour had to be sorted out and placed in the appropriate dinghies plus I had to collect the envelope from the Purser. I would then take the ship’s papers and money to the revenue office to clear the ship with Customs and Immigration. Back then the tiny Customs building was always packed with yachties trying to clear in or out of Bequia and the procedure was pretty tedious. I had to get the passengers cleared so that they could come ashore for the taxi tour; I had special dispensation for the Mustique Tour but the rest of the tours had to wait until I had finished at the office.
Once the taxi tours departed I went on board the ship with the clearance papers, always a welcome respite after the hustle and bustle of the harbor. I would sit with the Purser and collect cash for all the tours, lingering over coffee if there was time. I had to get back to the Pizzeria, it was always busy during the lunch hour, but I often returned to the ship for a haircut, a drink or to browse in the gift shop. I was given crew rates for everything, it was great! I was welcome to cruise with the ships too, and would have done so more often if leisure time was something I had in abundance!
Mac and I were often invited on board for dinner. The ships had their buffet night when they visited Bequia, and the food looked and tasted absolutely divine. We usually took home at least one of the marvelous ice carvings for Vanessa and Rachel, as well as loaves of bread shaped like turtles, fish and lobsters. The buffet itself included whole suckling pig, lobster tails, fish, prime rib and a huge variety of side dishes. The desserts were spectacular, the profiterole tree was my favorite, and we were always given a selection to take home at the end of the night.
I was rather shocked by the amount of food wasted on board the ships, whole cases of fruit and vegetables were often thrown away to make room for new supplies. Mac asked the Chef on board Wind Star if the food could be left on Bequia instead of being tossed, after which the fellow nicely sent ashore large quantities of “garbage”. This was good food that Mac and I distributed on the Island, and once Bequians got a taste of the ship’s Kiwi fruit, cantaloupe, honeydew melon and pears they looked forward to the Wind Star’s weekly visits!
The crew on board the ships were great, at least when they were owned by Wind Star Cruises. The Captains and Officers were all Norwegian, the Hotel Managers were Dutch and the Pursers Dutch and American. They went out of their way to make my job as easy as possible, knowing that I had a busy restaurant ashore to contend with, and I appreciated that! Many of the crew became good friends, and although years have passed I occasionally hear from them, or see them when they pass through Bequia on other ships.