Picture Perfect with Photographer Billy Black

At 5:30 p.m., our boat arrives and OJ ferries us to the beach barbecue. All the BBQ sellers have their picnic tables under the trees; ours was the purple/white tablecloth. We carry two sacks with our dishes, cutlery, glasses, and four bottles of wine. There’s plenty of time to wander around and inspect the set up. They’ve clearly been doing this a long time and have it all worked out; they provision from nearby Union island. There’s a man at the water’s edge whacking the lobsters in half. Romeo is at the BBQ, turning lobbies, basting with garlic butter. The table behind us is French, other side is Dutch, and there’s a Belgian couple to our right. All in all, there were at least 80 people, all thrilled that they didn’t need to cook on board.

What a feast! Side dishes arrive—rice with sautéed veggies, mixed veg, half-baked potato garnish, fried plantain, and the lobster centerpiece. After dinner, they even took our empty wine bottles—good service for sailors.

We visited Union Island next, spending the night at Chatham Bay. We depart at 5:30 a.m. the next morning for Grenada.  Watching the local work boats race during the Port Louis Grenada Sailing Festival is the photographic raison’d’etre for this Adventure Charter.

The scene: pale blue sky, puffy clouds, 15-16 knots. Here they come, around the yellow turning mark, these tender work boats careening around, some out of control with make-up crews: Just imagine the colors, the action!

Billy is right there in the water just inside the yellow turning mark maneuvering his heavy camera in its waterproof armor into just the right position to catch the action of colorful boats and intense crews.

•    Lady Abless (black bottom with yellow top)
•    Mr. Surfrider (red & white in big angular blocks of color)
•    Mill Reef (blue bottom with white top)
•    Planass (white bottom with red top)
Oh, dear, one goes over! Endeavor (blue boat, red & white sails) is not quite around, she tacks and turns to make the mark.

•    Riot Act (white)
•    Mystery with a bottle of Johnny Walker Black Label Scotch!!
•    Voop (green with open shark mouth)
•    Classic (lime, white, lime)
•    D Rage (!)
•    Solo 1 (yellow and black)

On Grand Anse Beach, butterfly sails line the beach waiting for their next start. More than 30 red and yellow beach umbrellas line the beach on the left flank, where intrigued onlookers take in the scene, beers in hand.

•    Mr. Surrender (red with white flash)
•    Reborn (white with RA on sail)
•    Swift (a black swift on a snowy sail)

Mill Reef and Planass race to the mark, D Rage is close behind. Action!

Oh, dear. Swift goes over! There is a small rescue boat nearby for help. At a quiet moment, Billy swims up to him and is offered a tot of rum from the nearly empty bottle. It’s been quite an afternoon!

Click here for more information about CW Adventure Charters in 2011 and beyond .