Adventures with Rex Wotton
With his parents, Les and Muriel, Rex Wotton ran the West Coast Watersports center at Coral Reef hotel, just up the beach from Settlers Beach. The center took hotel guest diving and on sailing trips along the coast. He was a master seaman trained by the Royal Merchant Navy in all matters of navigation, sailing, diving, explosives, and marine work. Rex was just one of the most captivating Rogues in Paradise. His spirit of fun and sharp wit enveloped every scenario. He was independent at an early age and often disappeared for days at a time, camping along the banks of Joes' river , catching fish to survive. He built campfires from coconut husk and twigs and cooked his catch with breadfruit, wild herbs, plantain, and edible vines. He ate mangoes, and local berries like fat pork, and sea grapes, that grow along the beach. In his early years, he had a habit of disappearing into the woods: Taking off with just the bare essentials, trousers, shirt, sneakers, knife, a planters hat, and