Ok, so we've been onboard Pedro’s boat- SV Jade long enough to have a routine and our own favourite places to be comfortable at different times of the day. SV Jades feisty sail from Antigua ironed out a few glitches. Oh nothing I haven't heard before and between Super Pedro and He Who Hums I barely had time to help find a solution and crisis was averted. Murphy made sure air bubbles were in the new steering fluid so no steering for a bit until it was topped up and we all hoped that was the only problem. It took probably 5 minutes and it was only the messy sea state without steering that had me concerned for a nanosecond.
The next leg across from Guadeloupe to Dominica was perfect smooth sailing in fact I think we motored some of the way.

The Caribbean islands have massive bays and ports and you can just imagine it in the 1600-1800s with Tall ships and the like seeking and discovering /fighting to take over new islands. We all know about pirates of the Caribbean, definitely the Johnny Depp kind.
As you can imagine sailing with Pedro we get to hear stories from a wide range of topics. And after serving up BLT's for brunch yesterday I was privy as to how they managed to stop the pirates in the Caribbean .
He started with, You know those men who jumped ship became buccaneers on land as he enjoyed his bacon in his wrap. I crank my neck to peer into these heavily treed monstrous hills as we drift by visualising the hunting down, slaughtering,
salting and trading of pig meats for...I guess a "clean living". Until the mystical square riggers came into the bay and pirating the big ships sounded like a better living. The ending is history but Pedro's version, (you got it) had everything to do with the release of all the women from prisons and brothels as a distraction ... apparently it worked and family ties brought some sense of civility to the ports. I'm sure there was so much more to the story.
His voice changes tone when discussing where to stop in new anchorages. I noticed he adds a bit of pirate gruff to the discussion. Definitely short and sharp, gaining certainty as he decides and scampers across the decks outwardly discussing the options we all have. Meanwhile I look deeper at the crystal clear waters hoping to spot a treasure chest strewn before the wing span of the Frigate birds soaring overhead had my attention. Jade settles in the shade cast by the volcanic mountain that commanded these waters long before the pirates and we arrived.