I know it may sound obvious, but 95% of the visitors coming to Aride arrive by boat, with the remaining 5% by helicopter – the rich few!! But greeting visitors arriving by the crest of a wave and believe me it can be by a crashing wave, is a very new concept for Melv and I. There is no jetty on the island, partly because of the rough seas that we experience, but it is also a good precaution against an unwanted species such as rats, and cats coming onto the island uninvited. On this latter point, only Aride boats are allowed to land on Aride itself this helps us prevent the introduction of such unwanted guests, which is crucial to maintaining the bird populations here.
Landing on the island is a real art, and fortunately for us at the moment, we have some excellent boatmen.
There are 2 ways: either a beach landing, which is not advisable for the young or elderly, as it suggests it is a case of driving the boat at speed onto the beach – making sure the
engine is raised in the nick of time; or there is a graceful glide to the shore backwards – which is fine and dandy for all. So why not use the latter technique all the time I hear you say – well the other side to the boat work is that everything is done manually round here, so there is no winch to pull the boat up the beach – it has to be done by hand on rubber rollers– so the higher up it can be driven up to start with – the better. Many hands make light work but it is still a heavy task, especially after shopping days, when the boat is full of beer, I mean food, complete with a 40hp engine on, or of course after fishing trips when the lads have got a good haul!
There are 2 main monsoons which affect Aride – the NW, which we are currently in, that can bring calm seas, rain and scorching days or the SE monsoon, which brings ro
ugh seas, driving wind and salt spray from the south and cooler days – something to look forward to eh!
The calm seas this time of year mean that it is the most popular time for tourists and they arrive in all shapes and sizes of vessels. Last week we entertained a cruise ship – Island Sky, which was full of 90 Brits spending Christmas & New Year on the water. This was a large number of people for us to transport to and fro – but it went very smoothly using two shuttle boats going back and to. It was an excellent day, enjoyed by staff & guests – and a very important source of income for the island. Cruise ships visit about once a month at this time of year, however on a daily basis we entertain private yachts, and self sail catamarans. We often have to pinch ourselves as we have a little swim in the glorious sunshine between meeting and greeting the boats, that this is now our job – it is quite bazaar.
Launching and landing is always a wet affair – whatever – so shopping trips, going to meetings, or greeting guests, usually means that you arrive at your destination with a wet bum and covered in sand. I s’pose it is just the way of life around here, no one ever seems to mind as you wander round in sandy bare feet, and of course the wet patches soon dry out!
Landing on the island is a real art, and fortunately for us at the moment, we have some excellent boatmen.
There are 2 ways: either a beach landing, which is not advisable for the young or elderly, as it suggests it is a case of driving the boat at speed onto the beach – making sure the
engine is raised in the nick of time; or there is a graceful glide to the shore backwards – which is fine and dandy for all. So why not use the latter technique all the time I hear you say – well the other side to the boat work is that everything is done manually round here, so there is no winch to pull the boat up the beach – it has to be done by hand on rubber rollers– so the higher up it can be driven up to start with – the better. Many hands make light work but it is still a heavy task, especially after shopping days, when the boat is full of beer, I mean food, complete with a 40hp engine on, or of course after fishing trips when the lads have got a good haul!There are 2 main monsoons which affect Aride – the NW, which we are currently in, that can bring calm seas, rain and scorching days or the SE monsoon, which brings ro
ugh seas, driving wind and salt spray from the south and cooler days – something to look forward to eh!The calm seas this time of year mean that it is the most popular time for tourists and they arrive in all shapes and sizes of vessels. Last week we entertained a cruise ship – Island Sky, which was full of 90 Brits spending Christmas & New Year on the water. This was a large number of people for us to transport to and fro – but it went very smoothly using two shuttle boats going back and to. It was an excellent day, enjoyed by staff & guests – and a very important source of income for the island. Cruise ships visit about once a month at this time of year, however on a daily basis we entertain private yachts, and self sail catamarans. We often have to pinch ourselves as we have a little swim in the glorious sunshine between meeting and greeting the boats, that this is now our job – it is quite bazaar.
Launching and landing is always a wet affair – whatever – so shopping trips, going to meetings, or greeting guests, usually means that you arrive at your destination with a wet bum and covered in sand. I s’pose it is just the way of life around here, no one ever seems to mind as you wander round in sandy bare feet, and of course the wet patches soon dry out!
1 comment:
It all sounds utterly fabulous. I think you've found the world's best way to lose weight! Have you snorkelled on the reef yet?
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