New Year's "Lobster" Barbecue on the Beach

Sounds good, doesn't it! That's the plan. Lots of lobster are ordered. All the Scandinavians notified. And bring your parafin lanterns!

But old Caribbean saying says:"All lobster tastes like chicken in de dark." Ours did. Very good barbecued chicken! Apparently all the lobster went to the restaurants, none left for us. But all's well that ends well. We have a crew barbecuing chicken, serving potatos, salads, the works. There's torches in the sand, parafin lanterns and even a generator-powered light up in a tree. Kids all over the place, one big table with mostly Norwegians, another mostly Swedes. And us. With our Taube song-book of well-known Swedish songs we fit right in. Some of our "oldest" sailing pals on "Sulamitt" and "Blue Marlin" are there. We also meet a "new" sailor, a Swedish solo-sailor who's been around and has quite a few tales to tell. Lots of good food, tall tales, slightly off-key singing.
We're among those who leave before midnight; there are stories of boats hit by fire-works... On the foredeck we watch the black night explode into color. Port Elizabeth launches a huge battery of fireworks from the pier. Boats respond with red flares and ship's horns. We have our brass horn out too.
Champagne in the lantern-lit cock-pit.

HAPPY NEW YEAR'S, 2006!