March 2009
St Vincent - Grenadines - Tobago Cays - Grenada
Having met Melissa and Eleanor at Young Island Cut we sailed the short hop across to Bequia. We spent a day relaxing and exploring the island and then sailed 27 miles south to the Tobago Cays where we found some interesting underwater life including a nurse shark and green turtles. We purchased a fish, possibly a red snapper, to cook on the boat from some local fishermen and a nicely designed t-shirt for me with the slogan ‘Brother of the Wind’ from another boat-based vendor.
After three nights in the Cays we sailed south to Petite St Vincent, where we worked our way in to an anchorage behind the reef to the north of the island for a lonely night. Jacky and the girls swam ashore and walked a long way round the beach. I picked them up in the dinghy on their return. The following day we sailed over to Clifton Harbour on Union Island to visit the bar on the reef for sundowners in a unique location.
Getting back to Bequia in time for the various flights and ferries was a hard slog into a lumpy mixed northerly and easterly swell with NE winds but boat and crew all arrived intact and in good spirits.
After the Melissa and Eleanor left we spent a few more days anchored in Admiralty Bay, off Princess Margaret Beach before the swells making their way into the anchorage drove us round to Friendship Bay on the south side of the island. Here we found a calm and unfrequented anchorage in the east part of the bay.
From here it’s possible to walk back over to Port Elizabeth on the other side of the island via a steep road which is, thankfully, mainly in the shade.
While still anchored in Admiralty Bay we caught the ferry back to St Vincent to visit a botanical garden up in the hills. A great place with interesting paths between the planting. Jacky was I her element!
When we’d had enough of the charms of Bequia (it’s always hard to get away from this delightful island with it’s chandleries, small supermarkets and restaurants) we sailed to Charleston Bay on Canouan.
This is one of my least favourite islands. It just seems to be a characterless base for a charter fleet, a ludicrously expensive tourist bar and little else.
On again to Tobago Cays for a few more days snorkeling and exploring the islands. Here we saw a paraglider flying in the lift above an island no more than 400 or 500 metres long, having taken off from the beach.
From the Cays we sailed south again to Saline Bay on Mayreau where we walked up the hill to visit the church with spectacular views over the Tobago Cays. Then a short hop to Chatham Bay on Union Island, still one of the least developed of the good anchorages, although you need to pick your spot carefully to avoid the gusts barrelling down from the hills if you want a quiet night.
Twelve and a half miles took us to Tyrell Bay on Carriacou for a night and then on via Grenada’s east coast to Prickly Bay on the south coast and the end of this season’s cruising as both Jacky and I had to return to the UK for various reasons.
During the previous 13 weeks we had logged 1534 miles and lost count of the islands we’d visited. A good sailing season!