St. Vincent and the Grenadines

We love this place! The people are friendly and helpful, and there is a lot of activity around. To get around you can get a taxi, kinda expensive, or take the “bus”. There are regular 30 passenger buses which go by occasionally, but the real work horses are privately owned, flamboyantly painted and uniquely named vans. They have names painted on them like Busta, or Sammy, or, Rapid. They are 12 passenger vans with seating for 18, including driver and helper, who tells the driver where to stop, calls to people to get them on the bus and collects the faire, but often have 20 people plus small children. To get from our marina to town, about 3 miles as the crow flies or 10 miles by road, is 2 EC per person, it’s 2.68 EC per dollar. Since they are private “buses” they waste no time driving the sharp turning, curvy, steep roads at high speeds and passing others on these two lane roads while approaching or taking a hair pin turn with a “beep beep” of the horn. I guess the horn is to let any oncoming vehicle know they are about to be in an accident, although, you don’t see many accidents.

We met a family cruising from Wisconsin and explored Young Island then they said they we going up Ft. Duvernette for sun down.

 We went back to our boat and bought a couple of bottles of Champagne and put them in a bucket of ice. Then before sundown we took the dingy back to Ft. Duvernette and climbed the fort, met the family at the top, poured Champagne for everyone and watched for the elusive green flash. Being an unbeliever, I was not disappointed when no flash occurred. I guess I didn’t drink enough champagne!

The next day they were leaving and shared left over stores with us.  The cruisers way. The next morning we left for Bequia, but didn’t get far as the port engine alarm kept going off. I finally saw which light was causing the alarm and Leslie looked it up. “The Sail Drive has water in it!” she said. So we turned back and called SunSail. They put us on a mooring and checked it out. They explained it meant there was a leak in the bottom seal, very bad, or water was coming in the top seal, not so bad. So they checked the bottom and found nothing. Then checked the top and it was loose so any water could go in. They dried it out and said keep an eye in it. We left for Bequia the next morning and made a quick trip in 20 knots of winds.  Put down the anchor and checked the port engine, still some water in the sail drive.  We will definitely have to have this checked in St. Lucia when get up there.  The only place to haul multi-hulls in this area is Grenada and St. Lucia.  We hope to meet Simon and Kim at the base there as Simon has business to take care of at the Moorings Base in Marigot Bay.   

Mr. King's Turtle Sancuary

We checked out on Monday, and spent the day enjoying the island as the wind was blowing 40knts on the nose to St. Lucia. Our explorations included a walk to the turtle sanctuary, and a stop at Dawn’s for lunch. Leslie ordered wisely, a lobster sandwich on fresh made bread. I was jealous. 

We were anchored off our favorite beach, Princess Margaret Beach, which is all sand and has caves in the bluffs on the end.

Princess Margaret Beach

Kids Sailing

We also had the opportunity to watch the local kids sail their Optimus boats around the bay.

We end the day with a drink at the local watering hole, The Whale Bone Inn. Notice the seats are whale vertibre.

Early in the morning we hoisted anchor and began our journey North. Off at last! It was a great sail tight hauled into 20 kts of wind going 9 kts! Until we got in the lee of St. Vincent. Now we are motoring at 6 kts into a 1.5 kt current all the way up the coast. As we popped out of the lee of the island with a reefed main and jib we were hit with 25 kts of wind! We had 25 miles to go so we motor sailed tight hauled into the wind toward St. Lucia fighting a current and 6’ seas!

St. Lucia

When we entered the lee of St. Lucia the waves abated and the wind dropped to 15 kts, but turned so now we are motoring right into the winds with just a reefed main for shade from the sun. We arrived at Marigot Bay at 1600 and were able to get a dock spot at the Moorings Charter Service by 1630, which is quitting time. The manager, Lene, told us to relax and she would discuss our seal problem in the morning. 

Leslie with our guide Ricky

 The mechanic found water in the sail drive and a floppy top seal so off to the Shipyard at Rodney Bay we go to be hauled. Could not get apt. on Wed. so decided to take a Rain Forest Tour, spent 3hrs on bikes riding thru the rain forest and learning all about the medicinal as well as edible properties of the fruits and veggies grown on island.

 Carl also rode the zip line (12), a one hour over the tree canopy and river.   Having met some cruisers at the local bar, we decided to stay in the water a few days longer and sail to the Pitons in company with Tino and Petra from Switzerland.  What a story their life is, sailing 6mo. then in an RV they keep stored in the US. 

Anchored for three days in the shade of Petit Piton, we hiked to hot springs and visited the fish market in Soufriere. 

Hot Springs

Returning to the base, Lene made an apt. for us for two days hence so we obviously go to the local drinking establishment where we met Simon and Kim from England and decide to go exploring with them the next morning as we have not explored much of Marigot Bay area yet.  The next day we walked “just down the road”, at least 5 miles to Rhythms of Rum, the local distillery.  Good tour, GREAT Tasting Room. 

 Fun ended, now must go on the hard.  We motored up to Rodney Bay and were out of the water 48 hours during which the port sail drive was removed from Frolic and all the seals and gaskets replaced.  Now back in the water we will explore Rodney Bay.