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Glamorous Glossies: 3 Sep 08

Thankfully, our trip south was uneventful - this is after all the land of coral reefs and hidden rocks. Our advice was to only navigate in good light…of course, the day was overcast…and a stiff southerly was blowing up. Good start? 

Petit Tabac over Horseshoe Reef

The Grenadines are islands within an island chain. Mostly all closely set; meaning short trips – great said GS! Some are inhabited; others are not. Some are exclusive (Mustique) and others are the homes of simple fishing folk. All, though not so lushly vegetated as St Vincent, have clear turquoise waters and white sandy beaches fringed by coconut palms. Probably most advertising glossies are taken in these parts; on the one day a year when the sky is quite blue & cloudless and the seas calm. 

Beach at Petit Bateau

We motored past Canouan, listening to prickly chat on the radio; the needs of rich resort owners versus locals; one of the down sides of a country dependent on tourism. Once past Glossy Head, (soon to be Glossy Flat - it’s being levelled for a runway extension?? A sign of the times, sigh...) we could see Tobago Cays in the distance, Petit Tabac and its coconut palms shimmering like a mirage.

Our course took us nearly to Mayreau, where we turned expectantly out to the Cays. The Tobago Cays are a group of 5 (really small) islands surrounded by an extensive system of coral reefs; the largest is called Horseshoe Reef (for obvious reasons) and one further out, World’s End. Keeping a close eye on the GPS/charts, the Cap’n carefully navigated our way into a small channel between the largest islands, then out into a sea..….of moorings! You can see them in the large photo above! All of which were exposed to an increasing southerly buster! All 5 or 6 mooring occupants looked as if they were going to have a “swell” night of it. No thanks! We turned back for a small anchorage we spotted on Mayreau, all the while wondering what the fuss was about! Was that it? Had the advertising glossies been over-generous?

Salt Whistle Bay Mayreau

Salt Whistle Bay is a pristine, little bay to the north side of Mayreau, though not a well kept secret. It has the “ruins” of a once enticing, low-key resort and is now home to a few boat boys trying hard to sell barbeques & in-season fruit to self-sufficient charterers. Oh yes, the small bay was crammed…I would hate to see it in peak season! We also suspected skulduggery of sorts… a bareboater was asked to move anchorage, allowing a cat of bloaters (what else?) access to the prime spot in the bay…..Very naughty indeed, if true!

Luckily we managed to snaffle a spot; only because it was near the reef, not the beach, where we settled in for the night to hide away from increasingly strong winds.

From:  Bequia, Grenadines  Lat/Long: 13 00N  61 15W  Date/Time: 2/9/08: 1020

To:  Mayreau, Tobago Cays  Lat/Long: 12 38N  61 24W  Date/Time: 2/9/08: 1645
Time Taken: 34nm (6.5hrs)  Distance (this year): 642nm (137.5hrs)
Distance Total (since 2008): 642nm  (137.5hrs)   Fastest Speed: Motoring**
Weather: Winds SSE 10-12kts; 2-4ft swell; strong current 1-1.5kts pushing us westwards; overcast.
(**Bert’s really feeling neglected now!)