Yes, I know, we are way behind in posting this report of our time in Grenada during March 2008. Http://www.grenadagrenadines.com/general.html It is a lovely island, famous for scenic beauty, flora and spices. St. George’s Harbour (below left) is the flooded crater of an extinct (we hope) volcano.
Catherine’s cousin Gen flew down from Connecticut to crew for 10 days aboard S/V "Stardancer" captained by our friend Keith. The white hull in the background below is Keith’s fine vessel, which Gen learned to steer.
Luckily, we ended up in the same anchorage with S/V Stardancer and so enjoyed time together. Of course, these happy times with Gen and Keith included dancing on the beach, drinking beer on the beach, eating on the beach, sitting on the beach and eating in beach-front restaurants. Our usual winter life style actually.
HOG ISLAND ANCHORAGE.
This was our main anchorage for our time in Grenada. Scenic, well-protected, convenient to "amenities", populated with friendly fellow cruisers and frequented by locals and tourists looking for fun. We were pleased to discover that our old friends Tom and Jean were already anchored there when we arrived and they were soon aboard for tea. Check out their blog, http://svjeanmarie.blogspot.com/ The weather was so spectacular that we often had dinner in the cockpit. (Here it is just caught tuna stuffed with rum-soaked raisins and smoked on grill.)
A main feature of the Hog Island Anchorage is Roger’s Cali Bar, with tres chic decor including graphics of lizards smoking the local "safe-substitute" for tobacco.
The bar is posted with mainly leftist-to-Marxist political opinion.
Peter got into the rasta mood of the place by quickly growing more hair than he has had for years.
ISLAND TOUR
We enjoyed a guided tour around the island by road with a group of fellow cruisers. Our guide Michael was a wealth of local knowledge. Of course, one must do the tourist thing of getting photographed with the ladies of the fruit hats since these outfits exist only for tourists to photograph. The ladies of the fruit hats are positioned at the start of the path to the waterfall.
Afterwards, the tour group enjoyed lunch together.
SPICES
Grenada is "the spice island" and we learned a lot about how they grow, are collected, processed and shipped. We benefitted from "lectures" from several knowledgeable people.
There is spice or herbal remedy for every human ailment. The concoction that Catherine purchased is guaranted to "make Johnny go 100 miles"! We will report (if we survive)!
COCOA
The beans that are the basis for chocolate grow in pods that sprout directly from trunks and branches of cocoa trees. These trees grow wild and are cultivated throughout the island. The beans removed from the pods are fermented under banana leaves and burlap before drying and polishing .
Henry was our tour guide of the Belmont Cocoa Plantation and he is shown below with a spread of sun drying cocoa beans before they are bagged for shipment. Apparently, very little chocolate is produced on Grenada, most of the beans being exported. We were surprised to discover that the beans themselves as well as the pure chocolate extracted from them are not at all sweet.
RUM
The history of sugar cane production is not a happy one. African slaves and impoverished indentured labourers from various countries were exploited to satisfy the sweet tooth of the world and produce the raw material for rum. This distillery has been in production since the 1700's. A water wheel still powers the cane crushing to extract the syrup and the copper still is wood-fired.
From the foul appearance of the vats with bubbling cane syrup one would never imagine that a tasty drink would result. In fact, as you can surmise from the facial expressions, Antoine River Rum does not appeal to everyone. After the tasting we purchased several bottles of their product and it put happy smiles on my face!
SEINE FISHING
This is a community effort 100% based on manual labour. The nets are spread in the bays from oar-powered wooden skiffs. This netting yielded surprisingly large tuna in good number.
Things get pretty busy at the final stage of recovery of the net. The village will eat well tonight!
RETURN TO TRINIDAD FROM GRENADA
On April 1 we sailed south from Grenada. Catherine fills her night watches with various activities.
On April 1 we sailed south from Grenada. Catherine fills her night watches with various activities.
Trinidad is, for now at least, the summer haven for the "Charlotte D", chosen because of the low incidence of hurricanes. After securing our boat ashore, we flew to Miami on April 9, and onward to our summer haven on Cape Breton Island.
Madeare and Eunoia, aboard S/V "Charlotte D"
"Praying is like a rocking chair. It will give you something to do, but it won’t get you anywhere." Gypsy Rose Lee
"Praying is like a rocking chair. It will give you something to do, but it won’t get you anywhere." Gypsy Rose Lee
