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Dec. 31: New Years Eve in Rodney Bay
On the way back from my morning shower I picked up a bag of pain au chocolat at the bakery in the Moorings complex for the crew, they are always a welcome treat and one of Em’s favorites. We attempted to leave shortly after clearing in to customs, but the anchor had set deeply into the mud and Dan had to put on his diving gear to loosen it enough so the boat could free it. Once we exited the harbor there was a nice breeze blowing and we sailed along at a good speed.


The crew ties Skyelark to the dock back in Rodney Bay

Upon arrival at the marina we had a nice lunch of one of Deb’s amazing salads I phoned Trendy and met him up at the Ocean Club for a drink, and to give him the gifts I had brought from home, which were in my luggage when it was stuck in Antigua. Everyone had a different strategy for lasting till midnight, mine being no alcohol until 6:00 (didn’t work), a swim and a shower before going out. Dan had a list of options for the night and the crew chose the Fire Grill, which is one of my favorite restaurants on in Rodney Bay. We negotiated a $5 EC each taxi ride to the restaurant for our 8:30 reservation. They had a jazz band playing, and in between sets the DJ played some classic R&B; the music was just right and not so loud that you couldn’t talk to each other. We took advantage of the dance floor, where Dave earned himself the nickname of “Dancing Dave” he really busted the moves, and was very good at it.

Dancing Dave in action

There was the option of a two or three course dinner that night; we chose the two course, with most of us having the shrimp and conch cocktail, while Em and Debby skipped the starter for the dessert course of cheesecake and ice cream. All of us but Debby had the beef tenderloin; this was no roadside cow that the taxi avoids on the way from the airport, but some very good Angus beef (American not Aberdeen). The meat was lightly seasoned, cooked to as ordered and extremely tender.

The crew of Skyelark Holiday charter

When Debby’s chicken arrived considerably later than the rest of our meals I spoke to the manager and he graciously sent a round of drinks and a bottle of Prosecco to the table. They really do it right here, the service is excellent and the presentation as good as you will find in the islands. When we finished our meal we ordered another round of drinks as the girls danced to the music.


Debby speaks to the waitress as Mike goes for dessert

We then headed off to the beach in front of Spinnakers for the annual fireworks. After all the New Years kisses and well wishes were done, I got a text from Trendy and met him up at the lime. We had a couple drinks there, then walked to the Hairy Clam, where John Doe, The Rasta Masta of Ceremonies, works as the DJ. He was playing some great music with a constant beat that made you want to dance. I met a few more people, friends of Trendys and Johns and we hung out till about quarter to four, then walked back to the marina as there was a long line at the bus stop. All the food stands on the strip were crowded so we headed back towards the marina and were lucky to find the chicken and fish truck opposite the entrance was still open. They were out of fish and fries but the chicken with some ketchup and pepper sauce mix was just the thing. I said goodnight to Trendy, his place is about half way back, but he told Nick when we first met that he would always look out for his popz and has made sure I got back safely to the marina or hotel ever since.