After almost two weeks in Port Egmont varnishing and fixing the captain and crew of Celebrian decided it was time to do some cruising. We joined Carl and Riva from Three Belles for the pizza night at Le Phare Bleu and then cleared customs the next morning and headed for Port Halifax on the east coast of Grenada where we spent the night.
The big boats can make it all the way to Carriacou, Grenada or Union Island in the Tobago Cays, St. Vincent with their long waterlines but we decided it was safer to do it in two stages. Technically we should have left the country on the day that we cleared out; however we knew that it was unlikely that any official would find us in a little fishing bay on the east coast of the island. There was not a lot of room to anchor because of hydro wires strung across the anchorage so it was a little dicey finding a shallow enough spot to anchor where we would not swing into the wires but eventually we got the hook down.
The bay was a hub bub of activity with numerous little fishing boats and a larger boat out of the town of Guavave. The fishermen told us that we needed to be out early in the morning because that is when they set their nets. At the crack of dawn they were back.
We were up a little before 6am just in time to be greeted by the men. It took us about 8 hours to motor sail to Union Island but we were fortunate that the wind was just south of east and allowed us a direct course. This passage is usually a very difficult one because you are often sailing hard into the wind and waves. If you look at a map of Grenada, Carriacou and the Grenadines you will see the course direction. The trade winds blow consistently 10-20 knots and mostly from the east and east northeast.
We arrived in Union Island in time to go to the little airport with the ski jump run way and do some food shopping at the local market.
We asked for local recommends for take out and had a beautiful meal of king fish and chicken at The Fair Deal Restaurant and store. While waiting for our take out we were entertained by a little gecko.
Union Island is a busy port as it is the only island with customs in the Grenadines and it is the island closest to The Tobabo Cays, the play ground of the charter boats and cruisers alike. The cays are five small islands situated behind a gigantic reef called Horsehoe Reef. The reef breaks the waves and boats are able to anchor behind the reef and among the little uninhabited islands.
Shown here is the anchorage with the reef off in the distance. Of course there is no protection from the wind because you are out in the middle of the ocean but the breeze is welcome especially at night when the temperatures are high 20s.
Our friends Dennis, Arlene and their son Scott are here in the anchorage for a couple of days. We joined them for dinner on Tiger Lily and then the next night they joined us on Celebrian. After cruising in the Caribbean for 20 years they are fountains of information and stories.
We went snorkelling with them out to the reef in their dinghy. The reef drops off and the wall of coral is quite lovely. For the first time in my life I swam with a turtle that wasn't in a hurry to get away. It was such a thrill. The turtles seem to know that they are safe in this reef sanctuary unlike in other islands where the locals are allowed to hunt turtles. It was lovely to swim in clean and clear water again after some of the harbours we have been in.
The next day Rob and I took our kayaks to the turtle sanctuary area and at one time I had five turtles in sight. The largest ones had shells upwards of three feet. The sanctuary is a sea grass area where no one is permitted to anchor.
The only down side of the Tobabo Cays is that the wind is very strong and the paddling is very hard. Paddling into steady chop and a plus 20 knot wind is challenging especially when the kayak fills up with water. After four days we decided it was time for a change and we motored around to the island of Mayreu.
Mayreau is part of the marine park area as but the island has a community and a population of fishermen. We went ashore and found a group of children involved in their local track meet.
They had put chalk on the ground to make lanes for their track. The kids run in bare feet and go like the wind.
When you arrive in many of the areas of the Grenadines you are greeted by what are called "boat boys" offering everything from moorings, fish, bread to lobster BBQs. While in the Tobago Cays we had both bread and salmon delivered to Celebrian.
At Mayreau we decided to go to Freddy and Dennis's lobster BBQ. This picture shows Dennis getting the lobsters prepared for the BBQ. Each boat boy brings his sides to the BBQ for the guests that they have wrangled to the BBQ.
This picture shows us with Freddy and our spread of 3 lobsters, coleslaw, rice and garlic potatoes. Dennis had 8 Norwegian guests and Freddy had us.
Rob tried the local beer Haroun made in St. Vincent and I forced down a rum punch!?
Today is Thursday March 28th and we are anchored in Bequia, an island in the Grenadines about 22 nautical miles north of The Tobago Cays and Mayreu. We are here for the Bequia Heineken Easter Regatta. There are four days of racing planned with both modern and local wooden boats. We are especially looking forward to seeing the local boats.
The anchorage is chock a block with boats and activity but the water is clean enough to swim in where we are anchored. It is entertaining just sitting in the cock pit watching all of the activity. Some of the boats we see are huge. In fact we saw the largest catameran we have ever seen ....probably a hundred feet long which means 200 feet of hull!?!?
These pictures show the anchorage and some of the activity. The large boat in the background is the Star Clipper sailing cruise ship which probably takes about 250 passengers. When it got dark it put on quite the light show.
Today we plan on going ashore and checking out the regatta information as well as picking up a few groceries. Bequia is a yacht friendly island.
Ebony and Ivory!?!
