Entering St. Vincent & Grenadines waters 10/19

We motored on up to Union Island, the southernmost Grenadine Island where you can check into customs and immigration.  We picked up a mooring ball at Clifton Harbor and dinghied over to check in.  The officers were very helpful and if you took away all my bs, it only took 10 minutes.  In actually I was there for a couple of hours and have several new friends.  We went in for dinner at the Barracuda (which wasn't on the menu) and had lamb stew & shrimp kebabs sitting at a table that was not rocking back & forth.   It was very good but Sally could not believe I would eat one of the little lamb lawn mowers that were so cute.

Barracuda

  Late afternoon the kite surfers came out to give us an eventing show.  They raced towards each other like a blue angels show and would leave the water summersaulting 30 feet or more above the water.

the one on the left is totally airborne

last night in Clifton

 We bought lots of fresh fruit & vegetables from the open air market and one of my new "friends" brought us a 6 lb fresh tuna and cleaned it on his boat before passing it over.  He used my filet knife that Sally's grandson recommended and liked it so well he borrowed it that afternoon to filet a #3 washtub full of red snapper, of which I didn't get a sample! That was sign, so the next morning we pulled out and went to Tobago Keys to dive with the sea turtles in a sea turtle sanctuary. No one told the turtles so we snorkeled for a couple of hours and saw not the first turtle.  So we left and headed to Bequia.

snorkling & cleaning the bottom at Sandy Island till 10/19

Just north of Terrel Bay is a well protected spit of sand that is a marine state park with mooring balls, named of all things, Sandy Island, go figger.

 It has clear water and seemed like the perfect place to get out the hookah rig and clean the bottom of grassy growth & a few very small barnacles.  Sally got to snorkel the reef and was excited enough to come get me to join her.  There were lots of small fish, a several schools (?) of squid with a blue luminance blue stripe down its back.

hog fish?

another hogfish?

squid

When I cleaned the bottom thousands of small fish came up to eat what I was cleaning off.

feeding time at the aquarium 

  One of our neighbor boats put up a whirligig and then another boat put up a larger one so we had dueling whirligigs but I only got a pic of my neighbor, the other boat departed, whirligig tucked between their legs.

Aloha, winner by far

On Saturday afternoon the local yacht club was out training the juniors in their opti's.  We were below and would have missed it except for all the kids yelling, screaming and laughing.  Nothing like a child's laughter of pure fun!

race is on

heading home

we were there for the full moon and the night before we left I was given a nice sunset

Carracou Monday 10-10

We were able to start sailing but was sorta mediocre to start but when we left the protection of Grenada we had to roll in half the foresail and still had water coming over the bow.  Shades of the Gulf of Mexico.  I neglected to close the port lites since the start was so calm and an unusually high wave sent water over the bimini and thoroughly soaked our bed.  We got into Terrel Bay which already had about a hundred boats anchored so we took the last open spot we thought.  Huge catamarans came in close behind us and dropped the hook.

Terrell Bay

Tuesday we walked a tenth mile up a sheer cliff of a driveway to get to the road to town, we only had to stop & catch our breath twice.  The little beach front town only has restaurants & bars with most being closed.  Luckily the marina restaurant was open for lunch and we had a Grenadian lunch.

another sunset

Wednesday we walked up the driveway (which somehow wasn't so steep today) and caught a bus (minivan) 3 miles to the next town of Hillsboro which has businesses like pharmacy, hotels, service industries, fish markets and as many bars and restaurants as any small town in Wisconsin. We tried to have lunch in a restaurant with balcony overhanging the bay but only got coffee & juice and after waiting 45 minutes for the waitress to return for our order, went back to the boat.

Grenada from the rest. deck

waiting on the waitress

Union Island, Grenadines from the rest. deck

 A sailing school schooner  full of college kids anchored behind us and spent 2 hours diving & swimming off the boat.  When they came back on board they scrubbed the deck before dinner, next morning they scrubbed the deck before breakfast.  None would take a job on my boat despite my insisting I could teach them much, much more.

recess, look at the bow

Thursday is wood fired pizza nite at the marina and we ate with new cruising friends, James & Charlotte Caldwell.  They have a gorgeous Sea Horse motor yacht which they sailed from Olympia, WA thru the Panama Canal, up the east US coast then down here on the same path we took.  Until she saw their boat, Sally was lusting after Katy Krogens, now she doesn't know which to covet more.

Sea Horse  M/V Pegasus.52

snorkeling on statues and fish friday

We said our final goodbyes to the marina so Joel & Derrick came down with a dingy to help us out of the mooring/slip.  Derrick, who is the dock master is probably the best boat handler I have ever encountered and he eased us out without a sweat.  Sorry to leave there but the immigration officer was threatening to keep my US passport and make me a Grenada citizen, which wouldn't be all bad.

We motored up the 3 nm to Moliniere Bay and grabbed a free mooring ball in the midst of a heavy squall.  We had high winds and rain most of the night with powerful rollers slamming against the rocks 100 yds from us.  I was wonderful music to sleep by but the same rollers made us hold onto the bed to stay in it.  We had a very fitful night.

Got up lazily and dropped the dinghy around 9 to snorkel the statues.  Runoff from the squalls last night had the water as pristine clear as chocolate milk.  I was able to hold the camera down arms length to take pictures of I didn't know what.  When we got back to the boat I was able to photo shop them to be able to see a few rocks.  Maybe this afternoon will be better.  

our lullaby

beetza

another one of them beetzas

This afternoon was a little better but still no statues.  Y'all should google them in case tomorrow is no good.Tomorrow was no good either, hope you googled it!  We tried twice to see them, could not although it was a little better.

at least I can identify

first sunset since June, could not see from the marina

A little after sunrise next day

At about 1500 hrs dropped the ball and motored to the next town, Gouyave, about 5 nm north.  Every Friday is Fish Friday, most of the town of about 3,000 turn out for a street party.  Many restaurants have a booth to sell seafood caught by the local fishermen.  It is not for the tourists but they tolerate us, and let us eat.  They usually have a steel drum band for entertainment. 

her excitement was overwhelming

When we pulled into their harbor a squall hit that lasted about 30 minutes and then rained off and on all night.  We were soaked to the bone so we got our dinners and went back to the boat to eat in the dry.  Evidently the steel drums might rust so the revelers had to make do with a dj & canned music.

the squall that welcomed us to Gouyave

a side street leading away from the  beach

about half of the fish friday booths

red lobster, grenada style

Sally's rain hidey hole

We decided to give the life-size statues one more shot and motored back to the park.  This time the water was more clear and we found them and had a wonderful time snorkeling among the rocks.  I felt it was much ado about nothing but it is promoted as a must see, so we did!

together we can't

together we can

more of the same

Sally's BFF fish

parting shot

About to head north

Time has come for us to mosey on up the west coast of Grenada.  We have thoroughly enjoyed every minute of our stay.  The marina staff have gone out of their way to make us welcome, they answer all my stupid questions and no matter how many questions are never outdone.  This place is absolute paradise.  We said our goodbyes to all the workers who went out of their way to make our stay so enjoyable.
Today we plan to take a bus to the south tip of the island where there is a decent (by caribbean standards) IGA grocery to provision for the low populated islands will little or no facilities that we are about to visit.
We will turn on follow-us-spot every time we are moving so y'all keep up if you want, and try to let y'all know when we start.
This morning the marina staff brought us fruit, herbs or bush tea as a send off, made me warm all over.

our bounty brought by the marina staff

another road trip, but up the west side

Saturday Oct 1, found us boarding a tour bus with Ed & Cheryl Carter for a trip us the west side of the island.  As before, it was absolutely gorgeous.  We hugged the coast going through many small towns that a pretty much like all 3rd world small towns, too narrow streets, too much traffic and too many people aimlessly wandering down the street, oblivious of traffic.

nothing wrong with her neck, it's alive (brought to mind several old jokes!)

took this just to show the sweet potato patch in the background.  The girl drank the coconut milk & then split the nut  to get to eat the meat.

Concord Falls

secondary fall

cute little fishing village beach

part of rum factory 

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Grenada lawn mowers

catholic church from mid 1700's

petroglyphs over at least two years old

he almost got the color right

We also went to a chocolate factory, rum factory and back to the same volcano crater lake.  Cutty would stop every mile or two to collect another herb or fruit and tell us all the good/bad qualities.  When we got back I was telling customs & immigration about it and the immigration lady gave me some herbs to make tea with. I googled it and I think if I drink it every day I will live forever.  It was Santa Maria bush and makes a wonderful tea, so I told a few people I liked it and tomorrow I am getting lemon grass, moringo leaves, big thyme, rosemarie and bay leaves delivered by the locals that work here at the marina.  Each person touted the qualities of their favorite herb and wanted me to drink it. On my way to infinity  or least longevity!