Grenada Dreaming

Big Green Flash: 14 Sep 08

Evening Clouds Carriacou

Our cruising guide promised us the chance to catch a fish on the windward side of Grenada and so it was. We lost 3 lures (to ones that got away, damn) but finally Boy Wonder landed a yellow-tail snapper of reasonable proportions. Now we never did see a green flash (as the sun sets under the horizon, another chance offered by our trusty guide), but we sure liked this big yellow flash a lot better!!

Decent Haul

Going to windward of Grenada meant that we missed the dubious pleasure of sailing amongst too many bad tempered Jenny’s. Diamond Rock, just north of Grenada, is otherwise known as Kick’-em-Jenny. It’s 200m of sheer rock surrounded by nasty currents, wild winds and offers no shelter for yachties. This is one of those “moving right along” places. Worse, and only a few miles out from this nasty rookery is the real Kick’-em-Jenny, an underwater volcano that is best not to tussle with. It’s currently active, although some-what low-level. That means at least 10 eruptions in the last 60 years! Aside from the usual dangers like hot rocks, steam columns, ash, tsunamis, etc, one interesting possibility is volcanic gas bubbles. Sail over the top of one of these beauties and you could be in for a rapid impersonation of Captain Nemo and Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea. Volcanic activity is such that the Seismic Research Unit has a published Hazard Atlas for the Lesser Antilles. As our cruising guide says – “If you are reading this, don’t go there.” Okay!!

Diamond Rock, Grenada. View from west coast

Cap’n Crotchety checked in at our St David’s Harbour anchorage, only to find nobody home. So, on a local bus he hopped, headed for St Georges. Fortunately he also managed to find a grocery store to bring back a few supplies…we were getting low and there was little settlement about – and certainly no supermarkets. St David’s is a lovely rural setting on the SE side of Grenada. The harbour itself is surrounded by coral making it not the sort of thing you’d tackle at night. Luckily, the marina has set up some red & green buoys to mark the channel making it easier to negotiate. Inside, the water is brackish but clean – we are now anchoring in deep water (25-30ft) on mud. Try as they might, both “diver-dans” could not get a visual on the anchor to check its holding. Good shark water, we all thought. Snorkeling over the reefs was also not as interesting; visibility was quite poor. We must be getting closer to the South American coast perhaps?

Sentinal into St David's Harbour, Grenada

From:  Tyrell Bay, Carriacou  Lat/Long: 12 27N  61 29W  Date/Time: 14/9/08: 0900
To: St David’s Harbour, Grenada  Lat/Long: 12 01N  61 40W  Date/Time: 14/9/08: 1530
Time Taken: 35nm (6.5hrs)  Distance (this year): 746nm (157hrs)
Distance Total (since 2008): 746nm  (157hrs)   Fastest Speed: Avg 5kts**
Weather: Winds ESE 5-10kts; 2-4ft swell; clear skies
(** Beam reach on east side (windward) of island – lucky us)

We think we've found it, Wayne!

Our farmer friend, Mr Wayne lost his favourite tractor a while ago. (Actually it was stolen from his farm.)  See, we just never stop being helpful!!

Headin' on down de road

Lessons for the Unwary: 13 Sep 08

Just one more sunset

With the dodger & awning ready and a couple of weeks (just where does the time go? Sigh) of beautiful sunsets over Admiralty Bay, it was time to get going again. Having already visited the Cays, a direct course was plotted for Carriacou, the nearest of the Grenada Grenadines. We had great plans of staying for a while in Tyrell Bay but the weather down was not too pleasant (we blew out a jib sheet in 25kt gusts) and the Bay was chockers. We had read that as we travelled further south, the anchorages would be more remote… fat chance! It seems that Grenada is the preferred “hurricane hole” for many live-aboards and snow birds (retirees wintering in the Caribbean). I guess it was considered safe until Ivan in 2004; but we’re still planning on a Trinidad landfall. 

Free Trade

GS had read about mangrove oysters in Tyrell Bay and their delicate flavour so when a boat boy came by offering a dozen for a princely sum…she snapped them up. Make it two dozen she said with reckless abandon! Mr For Sale held up some shells that looked a lot like mussels….. 

Some $EC was then exchanged for a small bowl of something not pretty… Lots of grey/pink liquid and 24 (if they could indeed be counted) of the most unappetising little floaters we had ever seen in our lives. They did bear some strange resemblance to oysters – but I’m sure we’d be done for under-age eating if we had them at home. 

For the record, those oysters did taste ok (just) and we weren’t bilious the next day. So one to rack up to “experience”.  

Dive, Turtle Dive!

Now they say that the people in Carriacou are descendents of smugglers. That is why you can easily find rum but not fuel. It is also said that some practice voodoo rites. Well, we didn’t see too many chicken feathers, only a few pelicans lazing about looking for lunch. The first colonists here were French turtle hunters; and then later came planters and African slaves. Like most of the islands, the population is descended from these settlers. Hence the term Creole, which describes anything from this mix of ancestry and is thus distinctly Antillean - people, art, food etc. Even so, we have found every island to have its own distinct personality. And they really do like cricket…..but not as much as loud reggae!

Tyrell Bay, Carriacou

We then sat twiddling our thumbs in Tyrell Bay – it was Saturday night and we couldn’t clear in until Monday (read - no getting off the boat) – so what to do? Given its relative congestion, the Motleys weighed anchor and with better weather took a windward course to where else but St David’s Harbour in Grenada. 

From:  Bequia, Grenadines  Lat/Long: 13 00N  61 15W  Date/Time: 13/9/08: 0730

To:  Tyrell Bay, Carriacou  Lat/Long: 12 27N  61 29W  Date/Time: 13/9/08: 1530
Time Taken: 35nm (8hrs)  Distance (this year): 711nm (150.5hrs)
Distance Total (since 2008): 711nm  (150.5hrs)   Fastest Speed: Avg 4.5kts**
Weather: Winds SE 10-15kts turning SW; 4-6ft swell; rain & thunder squalls off Union
(** Close hauled; good sail until thunder storm blew over at 25kts & busted our jib sheet)

Life's Little Pleasures

An Underwater Garden: 7 Sep 08

Dear Diary. It’s quarter past 4 and my husband’s just gone out snorkelling….I never see him again…..  Sounds like a case for Mike Nelson!

Bequia - steep & colourful

Hollywood’s out fishing, Cap’n Coronary is reading (obviously way too much murder mystery) and I’ve been out snorkelling. We’re very happy to be back out at the beach again. However, our arrival back to Bequia was met with very strong northerly swells and a couple of days of wild winds and heavy rains. So, we moved camp to better protection, deeper into Admiralty Bay - in amongst the real live-aboards & lone, long-term cruisers! 

Day-to-day life on-shore is also more interesting – they sure do have some loud “discussions” over here! We also caught some model boat racing – no engines or remotes – just good old fashioned craftsmanship and strong arms to keep up on a kayak. There was much discussion over rules too – both during and after the race!!

Model Boat Racing

Just to the west of the beach is a nice little coral reef where we’ve spent many an early morning. Today I saw a large octopus trying unsuccessfully to hide himself from us under too small a rock shelf; a smallish green/black spotted moray eel also hiding his head and forgetting about his 2 foot tail, and a lone coral snake fossicking about for his dinner. They still seem to slither, even underwater! Fish are quite plentiful, though mostly littlies, and vary from some keen to remain camouflaged and others prepared to stand out in a crowd. A cute little black one with bright neon blue spots swam in and out of bowl-shaped corals, happy to ignore me. 

Traditional Fishing Boats

There’s the occasional large parrot fish (very pretty colours) and my favourite - little spotted trunkfish that look like floating samosas…..Their odd pyramid shape and large googly eyes make for amusing watching as they struggle to stay upright in current and waves. Trumpet fish are also comical as they float head down, their long thin bodies waving like weed over the corals. Sometimes you feel as if you are swimming in a cloud of fish as little ones, enjoying the safety of shallow and warm waters, swirl by. I’m a floater whereas the Cap’n likes a dive, so he’d found a couple of crayfish in deeper waters hiding under rock shelves. We’ve also seen garden eels swaying in their sandy ‘beds”, a flying gurnard with very large “wings” and amazingly, quite a few small turtles out to nibble on grass growing beneath WJ3. Anyway, they’re all safe as we’ve discovered the local fish market.

Nice toona mon!

Fishermen announce their arrival to Port Elizabeth’s market traditionally by the sound of a conch shell horn. (Oh, we wondered what that sound was!!)   The Cap’n stumbled upon their market stalls while disposing of our rubbish one day and since then we’ve dined on fresh toona and saamons. Neat! We had to eat out for lambi (conch) though; a local favourite but somewhat of a rarity these days due to over-fishing.

Scurfing again

Boy Wonder has been pursuing his own version of "surkelling" - over Devil’s Table. Those nasty northerly swells brought in a few decent waves over a large coral reef at the entrance to Admiralty Bay. Well, it’s one way to burn off steadily accumulating tummy rolls (too much good home cooking, hmmmm?), the odd bit of skin and meet underwater locals, like stinging coral…   

As you can see, life isn’t without its traumas. Our trusty Cap’n went to retrieve a towel he’d found in deep water (ever the bargain hunter!). Trouble was it was home to a 4 foot moray eel who wasn’t the least amused at the interruption to his quiet reverie. Fortunately, both swan very quickly in opposite directions!

Refueling & rewatering Bequia (Daffodil) style

GS also spend the morning rescuing a “squidgy” with little black googly eyes from our toilet bowl. Somehow he’d managed to get pumped in….say no more! Anyway, he’s now back hanging about under the boat with all his little mates!! They never learn……..

Free Spirits

Rolls for Breakfast: 4 Sep 08

Walter on Free Spirit

We woke to a beautiful morning, blue skies and calm-ish waters; and the sound of a lone motorboat! Walter on Free Spirit had warm bread rolls on offer – who could say no? We chatted for a while and like Banana Boy Nelson, he too had sampled the delights of Kens Cross, mon! Seems many serve on container ships to save enough to buy a boat (well, build actually) and start a business. Needless to say, we also purchased a couple of t-shirts….who would believe you? Out in the middle of the Caribbean Seas on a lonely deserted island? We thought about asking Walter if he took Visa, just for a lark!

Bruce making his own friends..

Business conducted, we took Bruce to the edge of the reef again and tied up to a diving buoy on the inside of Horseshoe Reef. At first I hesitated, but when Cap’n Snorkel stood up on a sandy bank, that was enough enticement to get wet! The water was soooo clear, it wasn’t especially deep and colourful fish were plentiful – in all sizes. It was like swimming in a huge aquarium. I did see a couple of medium-sized rays, although our trusty Cap’n had seen a leopard ray the day before, and a nurse shark!!! Rather than tempt Bruce’s patience yet again, the Cap’n towed me home to WJ3. I kept thinking about trolling and whether I might be considered a bit of a tasty dish dangling off the back of Bruce like that..… Deh sure make dem parrut fis BiiiiiiG out here, mon!! 

Isn't the water clear?

WJ3 headed back to Bequia and for once, the wind stayed to our advantage. We made excellent time and Bert performed like a star, even under pressure. One of those big inter-island ferries came charging over to take a closer look… Now where did we put that life-raft? And can I pack the camera/computer/cooking book/clean undies in time? The Captain gave us a hearty wave from his bridge window and several of the passengers also waved. The Motleys, now somewhat weak & pasty, waved back. Ho, ho…what a laugh!

Sailing by Tobago Cays

Just as we recovered, the Cap’n spied shoaling waters up ahead. Boy Wonder grabbed the wheel whilst the Cap’n dashed below to check the charts…. “Looks like big fish to me,” said GS (no glasses on obviously). “Its dolphins,” said BW, “on the hunt.” There must have been 100 or more dolphins in a huge pod, leaping through the water, not the least bit interested in us. One of nature’s true wonders (and too quick to photograph)!

Back to Bequia, back to Tony Gibbons Beach and back to Whistling Willy in No Complain rowing through the sea of switches.fr in his little skiff, hoping to sell hand-carved creations. Almost feels like home…

From:  Mayreau, Tobago Cays  Lat/Long: 12 38N  61 24W  Date/Time: 4/9/08: 1130

To:  Bequia, Grenadines  Lat/Long: 13 00N  61 15W  Date/Time: 4/9/08: 1600
Time Taken: 34nm (4.5hrs)  Distance (this year): 676nm (142.5hrs)
Distance Total (since 2008): 676nm  (142.5hrs)   Fastest Speed: 7kts**
Weather: Winds SE 10-12kts; 2-4ft swell; strong current 1-1.5kts pushing us westwards; fine day but cloudy; nice beam  reach.
(**Held for 2 seconds! And the award goes to the Galley Slave)   

A Road too well Travelled

Tobago Cays

Baradal Island

Mid-morning, the Cap’n visited a nearby village shop only to find they didn’t stock coke, much less tonic; in fact nothing much at all and weren’t open until 3.30pm anyway (after lunch, mon). So we took advantage of clearing skies to motor back out to the Cays. Sunshine can really make a difference! Small white beaches fringed with coconut palms stood out in clear turquoise waters. Only two cruisers remained on moorings, braving the sloppy southerly still coming in. We sought refuge in the lee of Petit Bateau and although a strong current pushed through the channel, we felt protected – and alone – very alone! Nice!

Narrow channel between islands

Petit Bateau suffers the scars of commercialism – strands of wire stretched between coconut palms (to display t-shirts); tables & benches for beach barbeques; a little litter and quite a few discarded conch shells. Moorings and ropes to tie vendor boats to coconut trees bobbed about, quietly empty and very indicative of the lowest of low season’s inactivity. These blights aside, the area is remarkably well managed to ensure huge numbers of visitors (daily) do not impinge too much on the pristine (and fragile) beauty of these very small Cays. Having said that, I believe we were extremely fortunate to have been visiting in low season, in bad weather…..

An Aussie in Tabago Cays

Armed with only a good guess, we took Bruce to try and find the passage through the reef to Petit Tabac. With breaking waves over the edge of the reef, a strong ocean swell and coral heads just popping up everywhere…we abandoned our attempts at being Robinson Caruso and headed to Jamesby’s secluded little beach. Poor Bruce was picked up in the waves and crash landed, not before biting me for my trouble. Again, we turned around to head for the relative safety of Petit Bateau and WJ3. Snorkeling could wait until morning....

Only in the Magazines...

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!)   

Gunkholing the Grenadines

Busy Birdies

“Bequia sweet sweet” is said to be the call of a little local bird here in Bequia. He’s got it right really, as this small island is a very pretty start to the Grenadines. (Well, technically St Vincent’s is the start of SVG, but who’s checking facts here?) Anyway, our anchorage off Tony Gibbons Beach is just beautiful and Port Elizabeth is like stepping back in time. It reminds me in some ways of an easy-going New Guinea in the 70’s – basic, yet with a few surprises, like a wonderful bookstore! The town has most essentials, provides a large selection of dingy docks (which is welcoming sign to yotties) and we’ve managed to locate other nuts and bolts like internet and a good bar or two. We also tasted our first decent curries (with parathas) at the Gingerbread Restaurant, made with really nice curry pastes (rather than that awful job-lot curry powder that’s used locally with wild abandon!).

Canvas beach house; really steep road

Bequia is a regular overnight stop for many charter floaters. Tony Gibbons is their anchorage of choice and it was here that we finally worked out that switch.fr was not following us down-island; it was a fleet of charter cats, stretching from BVI to Bequia and beyond! At least 8 large cats sail into this rapidly filling bay every evening around dusk. All of course, are filled with sweet young things (even so, we still can’t manage off-load BW) and piloted by rather cavalier skippers, who clearly left home still knowing everything…. These cats are powered at speed into the best spots (even if you happen to be in it already), anchors are cast without much thought for surrounding craft and like magnets, they have a need to be close together, regardless! We are constantly in awe.

Admiralty Bay sunset

Even the Cap’n was reduced to having words one night! And we also saw the look of horror on a near neighbour’s face when he arrived back from a shopping trip to see a huge cat parked up his clacker! At least they are generally gone by early morning!

In light of the good weather (and our closeness to Grenada), Cap’n Spring-loaded decided to have WJ3’s unfinished canvas work seen to. We placed our order with Withfield Sails, so while work was underway, the motley crew set off to explore nearby Mayreau and Tobago Cays.