The next morning's weather was much nicer and we were able to see our surroundings. Blue Lagoon is pretty, but not completely protected from swell and surge and the docks and boats are in constant motion.

We had been given complimentary breakfast coupons, so we ate in the restaurant. I then attended the chart briefing while my wife took a taxi to provision on her own. At the chart briefing I met the remaining flotilla participants: apart from the crew of the Cat who would be collectively referred to as the "Okies", there were 2 couples from the south of England on the 39i who would be collectively referred to as the "Brits". I never learned what we were collectively referred to, and perhaps it's for the better.
The base manager Simon led the chart briefing, which he did with characteristic enthusiasm. He welcomed us to the "real caribbean", described some highlights and answered a few questions. We met the crew of the lead boat: the captain was a very young man of French heritage with roots in Bequia named (or nicknamed) Kenzo. The technician and hostess were Aldo and Victoria, both Vincentian and also in their early twenties.

When I returned from the chart briefing, my wife had already returned from the supermarket and was stowing provisions with my son's help. The supermarket run is usually one of the more stressful aspects of these trips and I felt bad that she had to do it without my help.
The plan was to leave around noon for Admiralty bay on Bequia, a logical first stop. Since the entrance to Blue Lagoon is right around the draft of our boat (6'2") depending on tide, Sunsail likes to take the boats in and out themselves and they got no argument from me. We seemed to be ready first, and after dropping our pilot outside the lagoon we were on our way. Wind was SE about 10 knots with moderate seas. With nobody else in sight, we raised the main only to sail slowly on a close reach toward Bequia - I didn't want to get too far ahead of the lead boat since I wasn't sure of how the flotilla would be run. Eventually, we saw two other boats emerge in our wake and we were overtaken by the Beneteau. Rounding Devil's Table, we got our first glimpse of Admiralty bay and our first interaction with a "boat boy" as we were met by "Afrikans" in a dinghy who led us to one of the mooring buoys close to town and tied us up, for which he collected EC $50 (about $20 US). When the flotilla was complete, Victoria (Vicky) came around and distributed a repurposed water bottle of her rum punch to each boat and asked if we would join the group dinner at Coco's. We were treated to quite a bit of this punch in the course of the next two weeks and though I don't know what exactly went into it it was manifestly a dangerous concoction.

The lead boat had a kayak and a paddleboard (the Yolo Yak) on deck and I borrowed the paddleboard to explore the harbor, which was good fun. This particular paddleboard is very stable and perfect for the beginner. We never have room for toys like this, but they fit perfectly on someone else's deck and having them along was a nice bonus.

Just before dinner, we learned that one of the crew of the Cat had taken a fall and had to have some medical treatment, so the group decided not to go to dinner. We ended up having dinner with just the Brits and the Crew. The seafood dinner was nice with entrees priced around $20.
After dinner, we settled down to our first night out on the boat, which was on the warm and humid side with little wind.

(continued)