Bongo Dong And His Jamming Queens

Jim, Adam, Tom, Duncan & JR

Our last charter in March was eventful... to say the least!! To quote one of our guests, "It all started when five gay guys booked passage on the S/V Stess, and what followed was an unforgettable experience. From the searing Belizean heat...

Duncan with the latest Belizean spring line

Jim & Adam still fitted in a bit of a workout in the soaring temperatures!

scorching sun...

and shifting breezes...

Some dolphins came and joined us while underway

They never get old!!

to storms, high seas and the shipwreck of the Ocean Dreams (Missy!)...

We were moored up for the night at Queens Caye, with a squall coming through. While we were enjoying dinner on board Stess, in passing, JR questioned whether our sister boat, Ocean Dreams, was moving. I calmly replied that it just looked that way, but it was just all the movement of the waves and turning on the mooring. But JR became progressively more insistent, until it became, "Missy!! That boat is moving!!!" As Tadd rushed over to hail them on the radio, it jumped to life with Capt. Nick's voice... "Stess, Stess, Stess... this is Ocean Dreams."

It turned out that, while dealing with a bunch of seasick guests and trying to serve dinner to those people not suffering, OD was bouncing around in the big waves out on an outer mooring. With everything going on they didn't notice when the mooring line gave out from the sea floor and they began drifting. Sadly, they were close to a piece of reef and were on top of it before they knew it... bang!!! The sound of it apparently reverberated throughout the yacht.

Capt. Tadd calm as ever, very much in charge of the situation.

Some of our refugees from OD... holding up well after a night with us on Stess

Sophia

The birthday girl

Capt. Tadd tired after a long night but still smiling

Me driving back to base in the early hours... everyone's spirits were high!

We survived!

fun snorkels and dives...

hearts (that damn queen) and Apples to Apples, to....


Bongo Dong and his band jamming the night away to Lady Gaga off Hunting Caye...

The boys bought Tadd a bongo

Jim & Adam

Adam REALLY getting into it now!

Tom on percussion

from Panty Rippas, machetes,coconuts and crab races, to talk of past of experiences and what lies ahead...

it was all an amazing adventure into the charted and unknown..."

We recovered and enjoyed some coconut bowling on shore.

And Tadd was not giving up the bongo any time soon....

Irish Eyes Arrrrrr Smiling

Our next trip out was over St Paddy’s Day, so we set out with a bunch of Bostonians, an Irishman and a crate of Guinness!! Not too shabby!

Kelly & Ron enjoying the good weather

Spectacular afternoon at Playpen Reef

Kelly & Laurie keeping an eye out for dolphins

Tadd washes up for the evening of drinking ahead

Scottie & Dave

Laurie dancing??… or perhaps surfing?

I have a feeling this pic followed some more of Ron’s singing!! Kelly – That’s your boyfriend!!

3 Monkeys?!?

And yes, the mustaches did make an appearance!!!….

Hmmmmmm??

Me…. Well… fuzzy as ever!!

And then the last evening we had ourselves one hell of a noodle party!!….

Thirty No More.... Aaaaaarrr!!!

Another group... another charter... but not quite the same... Tadd turned 40 and got to be king for a day!!!

We had a fun crowd...

and Brian caught his fish!

Tadd caught a few too!



Jeff & Kim on the bow


Megna enjoyed the local beer

We enjoyed a great night out on Hunting Cay at Reef Conservation International celebrating Tadd's last night of being 39



We had so much fun it took a 40-yr-old Tadd the whole day to recover... but he made it to cocktail hour again!!

We tried out a little coconut bowling... but we had to rethink the beer bottle pins after Kim literally had a crashing strike!

And as always, another amazing sunset!


And even though we weren't up for much drinking, Polly @ ReefCI.com was nice enough to arrange a bonfire for the night.


The perfect end to the week with a dinner at Rumfish