I left Bequia around 9 am, this time with 2 passengers, Joey and Gabriella. This was a first for me as up till now I had sailed alone. We headed south toward the Tobago Cays in light but steady wind. The Tobago Cays are a small archipelago located near Mayreau. Surrounded by dangerous reefs, the picturesque islands are a protected marine park. We dropped anchor around 3:30 and snorkeled and explored one of the small islands. The waters around the Cays are chock full of sea turtles, and there are land tortoise's ashore. We bought some fish from a local fisherman and had a nice dinner.
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| Buying fish in the Tobago Cays |
The next morning we were off to Union island to clear out of SVG, and on to Carriacou to clear in to Grenada. Clearing out at union is kind of a pain because you have to walk to the airport, and the officials are not very welcoming. Union Island is kind of a strange place. Its the kind of place were you cant hide being an outsider. We looked around a bit and headed for Hillsborough to clear in to Grenada, Historically, vessels entering Carriacou must anchor in Hillsborough for formalities. We did this and it was a pain in the ass. Arriving in Tyrell Bay a couple hours later, I learned the new customs and immigration offices had just opened there.
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| Union Island |
Tyrell Bay is a large protected cove which is home to hundreds of cruising boats. There are several bars and restaurants along the shoreline, as well as a mangrove lagoon. We rented a mooring close to shore and had a fantastic dinner at the Slipway restaurant, which is actually an old marine slipway. The Chef is an Italian lady, and she really takes pride in her work. The next day we took an island tour in a beat up old Suzuki which was fun, but not all that interesting as there really isn't much to see on Carriacou. One unusual site is a large cemetery on the east side of the island which has been used for hundreds of years. Due to phosphate mining, the cemetery is slowly being washed into the ocean. Hundreds of graves just being washed away. The place has a very strange vibe, kind of like the last scene in Planet of the Apes....YOU BASTARDS!!!
After the tour, we got some beer and took a dinghy ride through the mangroves. boats hide out in the mangroves for hurricanes, and there are quite a few wrecks from boats that never made it out.
The next day, we were off to Grenada. This was around an 8 hour ride down the west coast in very light winds, with a few rain squalls. we arrived in Port Luis marina around 4pm. Port Luis is a newer secure marina, and well kept but lacking in any real character. Its great to be in Grenada thou, and finally having caught the bulk of the southbound cruising fleet after lagging behind the last month or so.
