It’s fair to say that we get excited on Quest when Jack makes a new friend. Not that he isn’t friendly, or doesn’t have any friends (he does) – just that we are a boat full of women. Thank goodness.

Jack does bemoan this fact sometimes. Rather foolish. When he does, we patiently explain that all the most intelligent animal societies on this Mother Earth are matriarchal. Whales. Elephants. I tend to stop here as if the point is proven. Do you need more evidence than whales and elephants?

Still, finding the male gender for Jack to befriend is a bonus for Quest’s crew. For this, we’ve been lucky in Barbados so far.

The first was in the yacht club at Port St Charles. This is the coolest yacht club. They have a bar pool and a set of stairs leading to a swimming gap. Plus you can shower there. All for the price of a coke – ha! As if we’d be so cheeky. Not yet…

Anyhow, a couple swam up to us in the swimming area. They began chatting. They were very nice, and probably a little lonely if they were talking to us. Not judging – just saying. There’s a lot of us.

The man, Chris, had a particularly long conversation with our cap. Then they both took the steps up to the yacht club’s pontoon – and here it got interesting. They discovered they were wearing the identical swimming outfit. The same rashie and swimming shorts. Same brand and type. Only the colours slightly varied. I had to take a picture of them together as evidence. It was like the reunion of two long-lost twins. Chris and Jack. Swimming twins.

Now, man-friend number two: John from Cardiff. We met John briefly when he very kindly gave us some dorado he’d caught on his last day crossing the Atlantic. John had eaten dorado every day during his crossing and couldn’t face eating any more. Well, that’s what he said. Now that I think about it, maybe John was just making friends too.

And it worked. After being given such a lovely gift, we invited him onto Quest for dinner. Since we both moved down to Carlisle Bay to avoid the swell, John came over tonight.

Turned out it was a national holiday today in Barbados – Errol Barrow Day – commemorating the first Prime Minster following Barbados’ independence. We managed to rustle up spaghetti bolognese and salad. I think John was just pleased it wasn’t fish.

Friend number two – it’s like a rollover. John from Cardiff has spent the last thirty years sailing – which means he must have a thousand stories to tell. And he’s Welsh. He’s definitely coming to Quest again.

John also had the coolest way of excusing himself. His dinghy (actual rowing boat with no engine) came forward and gently tapped Quest’s stern.

‘That must mean it’s time to go home,’ John said and stood up. Class. Us women nodded in approval. Elephants and whales.