The Coconut Challenge

OK, so picture this ... Marilyn is wearing her life jacket like a diaper, so as not to inhibit upper body movement. Then all four of us on our team dive into a dinghy and start paddling furiously with snorkelling flippers (the only paddle allowed). The aim of the game? To pick up as many coconuts as possible that are floating in the hundreds on the surface of the water, before the other dinghies have the chance to do the same. We’re also doing everything we can to block the other dinghies (spraying them, filling their boat with water so that the coconuts float out, etc.). All of this is happening in the “fruit bowl” – a small bay so called because all of the houseboats here are named after fruits.

It’s a fight to the finish, which mercifully, comes quickly, as all of the coconuts disappear into the various dinghies – 30 in ours – hard-gained, but not enough to win. The winning boat has 129!! How did they do that? It’s called “the coconut challenge” - good fun. I haven’t laughed or worked as hard in a long time!

The coconut throw followed, with each boat team having 30 seconds to throw backwards as many coconuts as possible into a garbage bag being held by their teammates. We managed a respectable 10 – but the winning team had 18 – ah well.

These are only two of the many crazy activities during this year’s Cruising Regatta. Yesterday we watched and participated in a wonderful variety show – full of talent! I played my tambourine for a children’s ukulele performance of “Yellow Submarine”, and joined the conch-blowing contest. Tomorrow we cheer at a softball game between the cruisers and the locals – more fun. Some day soon we’ll sail again – but for now, the Regatta goes on.