De-stressing Evenings
04 June 2021 | Sunset in Beau Vallon
Stuart Letton
It’s taken us two years to find it but, we've finally made it onto the foredeck. It's only a few metres away but, like my back garden at home, best left alone. Anne does most of the action up there although, as needs must, I’ll venture forward and perhaps haul up the yardarm or whatever. Otherwise, I stick to the blunt end(s). As befits my status.
Before we left Langkawi we imagined that while we waited out cyclone season in the Maldives, and Chagos, we'd spend some time relaxing from our stressful day in the late afternoons, enjoying some cruiser company, sitting on the silver sand beaches, enjoying a sundowner and perhaps a sandburger. Consequently, we lashed out on two of China's finest folding chairs and a portable barbecue. (surprise: they're still working after two whole months). For reasons I don't remember, a few weeks have gone past after all, we never made it to the beach although I suspect the offer to spend convivial evenings enjoying SV Georgia's air conditioning had something to do with it.
However, even having made it a few degrees south of the equator out here in sunny Seychelles, it's still over thirty degrees most days and the sheltered patio, sorry, cockpit can get a bit warm and airless.
So, as I said, we've discovered the foredeck. It's nice and breezy up there, the Trade Winds blowing gently keeping things cool, so, like the first patrons of the Beau Vallon Residential Home For Ageing Cruisers, we now spend our early evenings sat in our two chairs, side by side, drooling, watching the birds feeding, the fish jumping and the sun go down. Finally, at days end, as dusk falls, my nurse comes and wheels me back inside for a milky drink and a digestive before bedtime. Doesn't get much better than this...... other than it could be a milk chocolate Hobnob.