Caribbean outcasts
The tune of Ravel’s Bolero unfolds over Paraíba river while the sun is falling bellow the horizon. A man playing a saxophone is standing in a canoe that meanders around the moored yachts. The musician entertains the crowd. Among them is Rafe Eddington. He has experienced the spectacle every day for a month. He’s had about enough of it.
There is not that much to do in Jacaré. Mingling with people that muster at sunset gives him a break from hanging out at the marina. To retreat back to his boat is not an option. Everything is upside down and peace cannot be found. An electrician scanning the aluminium yacht for electrolysis and doing maintenance on the engine has turned the interior upside down.
The boat, an Ovni 435 named Silverlining, has until recently been on the hard for 16 months. Captain Rafe left her immediately after an Atlantic crossing. Now he has returned with the intention to sail back to Europe. But he has returned to a world of lockdowns that has completely stymied his plans. Giving up seems like the best option.
At the same time something feels wrong with such a decision. Rafe bought Silverlining only three years ago. Their time together
