Friday 28 Feb, Jamaica day 5, Port Antonio: Waiting on authorities for check out paperwork, which results in a long day rest in the marina, and in the evening fresh produce shopping and entertainment from an out of control boat.
We were planning to leave today. Or at least leave the marina and anchor. But we had to check-out with the authorities and they took all day to come to the boat. And by the time they arrived in the mid afternoon we couldn’t be bothered to move any more. So the new plan is to depart first thing in the morning. Ooph, 5 days in the marina, when we could have just as easily been anchored. What were we thinking?
Meanwhile we have a very easy day, after our eventful road trips. In the morning we head to town for food shopping, and partly successful return to hibernate inside the boat with the cooling AC until mid afternoon when we take a stroll and have another ice cream from a waterfront parlor. While there, we observe a small American flagged yacht with two locals on it. They are motoring very fast towards the marine police dock where it looks like police and officials are waiting for them. Oana comments that they don’t look like they are in control. And sure enough, they miss the dock and end up entangled in the rigging of a nearby sunken yacht which mast sticks clearly above the water! And once clear from that mess, with the help of a rowing dinghy, they finally manage to get themselves to the dock where their shrouds crunch into the corrugated roof panels that cover the dock. It’s all quite entertaining – it could not have been choreographed better as a comedy show even if they’d tried! They didn’t even have fenders out nor have any docking lines ready. If you told me Laurel and Hardy were driving the boat, I’d have believed you! We’d love to know the story behind this one.
After that entertainment, we manage to finally find the fruit market where we buy some more fruit. As soon as we step in, we have big notices “dengue fever” staring at us. The place is very much an improvised market, with little stalls but most displays are on the ground, on top of some cardboard if at all. We’ll definitely give all our fruits a good wash once back at the boat.
One great ting (thing) about Jamaica: similar to Dominican Republic, they grow everything here. And while their fruit and veg may not be presented with EU regulation size/shape/colour, the tastes are as good as it gets, and all a fraction of the cost in Bahamas where all food is imported from the USA.
Back on Cloudy we find we have a new neighbour. A 100ft motor yacht. Normally it would annoy me to be overshadowed by such a monster, until we realise Cloudy is now fully shaded from the sun, which is quite a relief today.
And while there is still some sun in the sky, we fly the drone to get the usual bird’s eye view of the Harbour and town. With the high humidity the colours are no match for those in the Bahamas but still a nice view. Except that Cloudy now looks like a small pond yachts next to the 215ft Hamilton and our new 100ft neighbour. I also take a flight over Navy Island, once owned by Errol Flynn. But other than lush vegetation including big royal palm trees, there seems to be nothing remaining from Eroll’s days nor the naval fortifications from the 1700’s that gave the island its name. Pity, I’d hoped to spot some ruins and then take the dinghy to explore them.