Island Hopping

After spending 4 days in Marigot Bay (St. Lucia) where we sat around the pool and pampered ourselves and had a amazing dinner at the Rainforest Restaurant where we celebrated Karen’s birthday, complete with the waiters sing happy birthday, we finally pushed off the dock to head to Bequia.

We left at 5 a.m. and had an amazing sail down the coast of St. Lucia. We also did the unthinkable (For us that is) we put up the main sail. Cheryl has always asked why we bought a fully batten main when we have only put up the complete sail when bending it on! Well we had both sails fully up and out and it was great. We sailed between St. Lucia and St. Vincent a little over powered but it was exhilarating and both of us had a smile on our face. Cheryl because she finally saw the main fully up and Karen because it was like racing, (not to mention we clocked 8.3 knots on the GPS). When we arrived at the north point of St. Vincent took down our sails to motored down the island (St. Vincent is a high, hilly island so there is usually no wind close to shore) then we were greeted by a lone dolphin. As he (we assume it was a he) gave us a wink and played with our bow wave for a minute or two we asked where his friends where. Not 10 minutes later a pod of dolphins started to show up and play of our bow. It is such a natural high seeing dolphins. They are so graceful and playful.

As we arrived in Bequia we anchored in our favorite spot…this time it took us 3 times to get a good set…thank you to our new windless (nicknamed Tigre). In the past we would have to pull up the anchor by hand now our baby toes get the work out as all we do it press a button with our toe to raise and lower our anchor (we are getting old you know).

We checked into Customs, then, as we have been in Bequia many times we did our usual wondering to buy groceries. We had a specific list of items we wanted to pick up in Bequia.

The next day our new friends from Sea Wings called and we gave them a tour of all the local grocery stores and food markets as well as the cheap local restaurants and the fort over looking Admiralty Bay for the required photo op. Next day another new boat (Altair) that we also meet in St. Lucia arrived and we decided to have snorkel and a picnic on shore the next day with a 3 boats.

Since it is now off season there is bar/restaurant on the beach which closed around 5 so we all met with a bottle and plate to share. We first stared off on the beach on the restaurants lounge chairs then the rain came and we move into the open air restaurant and enjoyed great finger food and laughs. Some where during our last time in Bequia Karen was in the water swimming (showering) and 2 baby manta rays swam by her. Cheryl standing in the dinghy showering and looked down and saw the same 2 manta rays swam right by the dinghy, I know you are asking if we took pictures but we usually don’t shower with camera so no we don’t have pictures. On this visit we saw only one Manta, and again, no camera.

After doing some finally grocery shopping, we left Bequia for Canauon, a 20 mile passage. We tried to go into an anchorage that we had not been in before, but it was way too rolly, so we went back to the main harbour. We walked around the island, as we had not been here in 10 years. Raffles (big major resort) was being built then, now it is finished and is amazing!

We lucked out, yet again. They were having a fishing boat regatta over the long weekend. We went to the watch the start of the races on the Saturday. 8 boats had come down from Bequia, so we knew people to cheer. The local fishing boats are a community effort and that true as the boating community all pitch in to launch the boat for the start of the race. We watched the finish of the races from Interlude. The next day Altair went with us to watch the start of the race. It is really amazing, they start from the beach, people from all boats help to launch the boats and hold them in the sea, for a fair start.

On Monday we journeyed to Mayreau and parked at the front of the island, behind the reefs. There were only two boats there! Great winds so that the batteries are charged and good snorkeling.

Now we are back in Carriacou our home away from home or you could say the start of our journey this year. We will be here a short time to visit with friends, celebrate Gus’s birthday, clean the bottom and sides and the off to Grenada a 30 mile trek and then we are going to wait for a weather wind in Grenada before we do the 80 miles passage to Trinidad.