Sunday, March 22, 2015

A boring charter? Liz liked it.

I know Dani said our last guests were boring. In a way, they were, but it's nice to have a charter with no stress. To me, that's the real attraction of this yachting life. Oh, there's a bit of stress in our day-to-day routine; there's the occasional bad weather or a problem with the boat.

There are people problems, too. Customs and immigration officers are occasionally difficult, but that’s the exception.  The officials that we interact with as we move from country to country are usually pleasant, just doing their jobs. They know our visits are good for their country's economy. Most go out of their way to make us welcome, like the people here at Jolly Harbour, Antigua, who always greet us like we’re long lost relatives.


 


The local people are soft-spoken and considerate.  They enjoy taking time out to visit, but often won’t initiate interaction for fear of intruding. While they may appear aloof, once you say hello, their reserve melts.

Our fellow yachtsmen are more likely to bring stress into our lives than the locals. Through ignorance, carelessness, or poor judgment, they sometimes do things that cause problems. Anchoring too close to us is a common failing among them. At best, that's an invasion of privacy, but when the weather turns foul in the middle of the night and their anchors drag, it can be dangerous. We've been awakened more than once by the crash of another boat dragging into us.  They can be loud, too, disrupting the tranquil environment that we all sought when we came to the islands.  And they’re often abrupt and in a hurry, unlike our island hosts.

Our guests are sometimes a source of stress, too. We get all kinds of people; most are nice, but there are some ... well, let's say they're different. The charter before last, the one Bud wrote about in Bluewater Rendezvous, is an example. Dani and I are still discussing Angela Cappelletti.

I think Angela was just a girl trapped in an unpleasant situation, but Dani's view is that she was a cold-blooded, conniving killer. She thinks Angela set that whole scenario in motion to get rid of her father. Then there was Carlotta SolanĂ³. There's not much doubt about what she was, but it's interesting to look at her as Angela's alter ego, especially since they went so far as to switch identities.

Recalling that brings me to the subject of Dani and Ralph Suarez. We covered that before, at least to the point that Dani let me know she didn't want to talk about it. I know he's on her mind, though, in the odd moments when I find her staring off into the distance. Sometimes she's smiling, and sometimes she's frowning. I don't ask; she's not comfortable talking about him. That's a giveaway, in itself. After living with her for the last four years, I can tell what's on her mind. I don't think we've heard the last of that story.

5 comments:

John Howell said...

Very good

Nichole Hall said...

Great post today Charles! I enjoy seeing how each character relates to the other when they are not around one another.

Scott Bury said...

It looks like something big is building on the subject of Dani and Ralph.

Author Bob Nailor said...

Knowing your characters as intimately as you do - that makes for great writing. I love these insightful, yet personal chats. Thanks for sharing. Great post.

James Prescott said...

Love this type of blogging...really imaginative & clever!

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