Arcs and Barges- Part II

Barge Beach populates as Castries Harbor boat-ulates.   Onlookers breakfast on freshly sauteed sausage and bottles of cold Piton Beer.  A large pot of hot chicken bouillon is served into bowls and passed with hunks of chewy Creole bread. Eggs fried in the wheel house make the rounds, filling the air with the smell of sizzling butter.

Gathered to celebrate the ARC, boats cruise so closely together, captains exchange greetings and taunt one another from behind their wheel.  To add injury to insult, the Piton Piler fires unbelievably loud soda bottle bombs from the wheelhouse  at troublesome neighbors as they drift by.  Cannons made of wide diameters of bamboo are aimed over the side at the worst offenders.

A huge catamaran, with even huger loudspeakers, pulls up alongside the barge, and soon passengers are dancing and shouting across the bows to escalate the explosive atmosphere. Everyone is ready for a party, and there doesn't seem to be even a bit of competitive edginess.





After much mayhem and milling about, as if by magic, the flock of boats quietly turn their sails and head to sea. So, much for the barge leading the flotilla!  Although we are sure to be last in the race, luck has it we are first to the Boardwalk.  A barge drops only 2 feet below the water surface, so we can cut corners and park right next to the Boardwalk Bar. Kianna keeps time on the snare while, we are left far behind to putter our way north alone.