The BLUE form !!

Tuesday night:
Mon, it’s been a long day….time for bed !! These shorts are really getting funky....time for the laundry. Let’s see if there is anything in the pockets. Yup, some old, folded up blue hunk of paper….must be a store receipt. Better tear it up…and into the wastebasket it goes. “Now I lay me down to sleep”…..snore…ZZZZZZZZZZz

Wednesday morning:

Good morning world, and good morning Bequia. ‘Persephone’ is anchored in Bequia, flying a yellow Q flag, after sailing down from St. Lucia yesterday. We have not yet cleared into the country. So, what’s on the agenda today ?? ‘Liahona’ and ‘Persephone’ decided to make the16 mile hop down to the island of Canouan. (“can-ou-wan” a small island located in the country of St. Vincent and the Grenadines…or simply SVG). 'Persephone' decided we would save time and clear customs and immigration in Canouan. We had a fast, super sail from Bequia to Canouan, arriving just before noon.

Wednesday afternoon:

“Well, be better get legal in SVGl”, I said. It’s time to clear into the country with Customs and Immigration. Persephone has never been to Canouan before, so we pulled out the guidebook to find where C and I were located….easy, at the airport. But, where’s the airport? And how do we get there ?? After looking at our navigation charts, we were able to find the airport, and determined that it was too far to walk, especially in the heat. So, why not take the dinghy. OK, let’s go !! We dinghyed about 2 1/2+ miles around the south side of the island, and pulled the dinghy up on the beach near the airport; just as a rain squall arrived. It was a short, easy walk to the airport in the rain. We found Customs and Immigration, and started filling out the forms; as we were still dripping from the rain (essentially looking like a drowned rat). The customs agent asked for our clearance form issued when checking out of St. Lucia. He looked straight at me and said, you know mon, the BLUE departure form ?? “You, do have it, don’t you” ??!! Oh, my God !! NOT THE BLUE PAPER THAT WAS IN MY SHORTS, I thought !! Terrified, I said: “Sorry, sir, but I can’t find the BLUE form”. (I couldn’t tell him I threw it away !! Now I thinking 3rd world jail !! ) “Mon, we going to hold onto your passports”,,,better go back to to da boat and find da form, mon”..... “Yes, Sir”, I said sheepishly…..and off I went to the beach and the dinghy. (Just maybe I was wrong, and the BLUE form was somewhere in the desk at the nav station and NOT in the trash). So, I dutifully made the 5 mile round trip back to ‘Persephone’ in the dinghy just in case. As I dinghyed around the island all I could think was: “Are they going to throw ‘Persephone’ out of the country” ? “Fine us” ?? “Impound the boat” ?? “Or, just throw us in jail” ?? This is NOT good !! I never been thrown out of a country before !! When I returned to Customs, the official had checked the passports and saw the proper stamps from St. Lucia which showed we were legitimately in St. L, and had our passports properly stamped. He decided reluctantly that ‘Persephone’ could stay…..but not after a stern lecture about being responsible, keeping government paperwork safe, and not ever showing up in SVG again without the proper paperwork. Yes, Sir, yes, sir, no problem….Thank you, thank you, for not throwing us out of the country !! We got back to Persephone just shortly before sunset. The end of the day was perfect !! Friends, a cold rum punch, a green flash and Persephone could remain in the SVGs !!