St. Vincent and The Grenadines, part of the Windward Islands, is a country made up of the big island of St. Vincent plus 32 smaller islands of The Grenadines scattered across 35 nm of sea. http://www.svgtourism.com/ The total land area of The Grenadines comes to about 17 sq miles. We visited Union Island, Mayreau and Bequia, continuing old and new friendships among cruisers from around the world.
Union Island is the southern-most of The Grenadines, about 40 nm from St. Vincent. Our stop at Union Island was at Chatham Bay after clearing Customs and Immigration at Clifton. I’ll give the latitude and longitude of our anchorages so you can “fly there” on Google Earth. Chatham Bay (12 deg 36’N, 61 deg 27’W) is undeveloped, with no road access. Just a protected anchorage with lovely beach and five beach bars.
All supplies for the bars/restaurants come by small boat through the surf (no dock), or are packed 30 min down the footpath from the paved road. Water is captured from roof tops and electricity is from generators. All of the establishments are open air and sand floor with small closed-in kitchen. Cooking is by gas stove and charcoal.
We had a wonderful time at Chatham Bay. We patronized 4 of the5 bars, usually at “Happy Hour” but sometimes for meals. At some of the bars the owner/operators partied as much as the cruisers. There was one particular server who usually had enough alcohol in his blood to light a stove. Every bottle of whiskey on his shelve had the “correct” label, no matter what was inside. The homemade rum is said to be smuggled from Venezuela in 200 litre drums and is distributed locally in 4 litre water jugs. We can attest to its alcohol content!
Local fishermen come around to anchored sailboats to hawk their catch. You know it's fresh because it's still alive, but use caution or you'll end up buying a juvenile lobster or female with eggs. Peter usually climbs into their boats and looks through the offered catch.
By far, the best cook at Chatham Bay is Vanessa, so, naturally, we favoured the establishment that she and Seckie operate. We recommend her Breadfruit Salad and Callaloo Soup. They also have the most comfortable sun loungers ideally positioned for sunset viewing, and their music is mellow island style, very relaxing.
To access the internet from Chatham Bay it is a 3 hr (round trip) hike over a 200m ridge and down to Clifton. This hike burned the carbon from our arteries on that day of 30 C (86 F), Much needed exercise for our soft pale bodies spreading out in the middle like melting pads of butter.
We met a serious string musician (he is actually paid to play) from Holland aboard a cruising sailboat in Chatham Bay. He shares Catherine’s interest in Blue Grass music and came aboard for a string workshop and Banjo Jam Session. We learned a lot from him.
We met a serious string musician (he is actually paid to play) from Holland aboard a cruising sailboat in Chatham Bay. He shares Catherine’s interest in Blue Grass music and came aboard for a string workshop and Banjo Jam Session. We learned a lot from him.
There was a beach bonfire and cook-out with the Danish crew of S/V “Condor”. Delicious BBQ chicken, baked beans and cole slaw, all mixed with wood ash.
We purchased two carvings by Felix out of the native white cedar wood. One is of the St Vincent Parrot (Amazona Guildingii), the other a stylized sea turtle with human face on dorsal shell.
We purchased two carvings by Felix out of the native white cedar wood. One is of the St Vincent Parrot (Amazona Guildingii), the other a stylized sea turtle with human face on dorsal shell.
Saline Bay (12 deg 38’N 61 deg 24’W) of Mayreau Island has a glorious long beach, deserted except when the small cruise ship visits. The white-legged cruise ship passengers are entertaining with their outfits one size too small and two decades too young. Even on cruise ship days the anchorage is quiet.
Bequia’s Admiralty Bay (12 deg 60’N 61 deg 15’W) has many attractive features for cruising sailors. There are two lovely long beaches, nice choice of restaurants, wonderful vegetable market, adequate groceries, bakery, propane tank refilling, and robust fast internet access. There are sail makers, canvas shops, engine shops, machine shop, several small chandleries and diesel fuel available to carry back to the boat in our Jerry Cans. All on an island of 7 sq miles with 6000 residents. http://www.bequiasweet.com/ Seems to be lots of real estate development underway; we hope all for the best.
Street food vendors are located here and there, with some interesting offerings. BBQ pig tail is only for those whose appetites soar above all prejudices. Naturally, Peter did not hesitate!
The highlight of Bequia for us was our second attendance at the annual Music Festival. www.bequiatourism.com/bequiamusicfest The venue is beachfront and the music is Jazz and Blues. We attended one of the evening sessions and the daylight session on Sunday (our favourite). The two videos show that this is a small festival where one can easily get up close.
You can see the "Charlotte D" anchored off the beach in the last frame of this second video.
Cruise ships also come to Bequia. They are small ships, often attractive and interesting to watch. Their schedule is always a morning arrival and departure before sunset on the same day. As there is no cruise ship dock, the passengers disembark the ships by tenders shuttling to the same dinghy dock used by cruisers.
We made a lovely afternoon hike over to the east side of Bequia and stopped for lunch at a very restful and scenic place.
On this hike we visited the Turtle Sanctuary. They raise hawksbill, leatherback and green sea turtles from hatching to about 3 years old, when they are released into the sea.
On Jan 31 we sailed away from The Grenadines, up the west coast of St Vincent, on the 93 nm, 20 hr passage to Martinique. The next blog will detail our adventures in the French West Indies.
On Jan 31 we sailed away from The Grenadines, up the west coast of St Vincent, on the 93 nm, 20 hr passage to Martinique. The next blog will detail our adventures in the French West Indies.
Peter and Catherine, aboard S/V “Charlotte D”, keeping both oars in the water.
“People who worry about what others think of them would be surprised at how little they did.” Unknown French Philosopher
