St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Captian's Log

Friday 22 Nov: We met at the airport for our 7:46 am departure with the exception of the Bell family who had an illness and would meet us Monday at Mustique. Our flight was delayed due to a low nose strut and they had to return to the gate to get it pumped up. The resulting delay caused Bob, Nabi, and me to miss our connecting flight as we split in San Juan on three different flights to get to our final destination - St. Vincent. Only half of our group made their scheduled connection while the other half made it to St. Lucia and had to spend the night. We got vouchers from the airlines for ground transportation, hotel, and food though it did take us several hours to locate our luggage. The skippers did not contact the charter base to report their situation so we would have transportation upon our arrival though I was able to relay enough information for them to make arrangements. The three of us who stayed in San Juan, enjoyed an excellent evening at the San Juan hotel which was quite luxurious and almost worth the delay.

Saturday 23 Nov: We checked with the charter base who had now word from the others. We had breakfast, drove around San Juan, and made our early afternoon flight. The hotel was quite spectacular with several swimming pools, bars, five restaurants, a shopping mall, several jaccuzi's, pool bars, beach bars, live entertainment, gambling, groomed beaches, and convenient walking to nearby attractions. The weather in San Juan was cloudy with occasional rain. The weather improved to mostly sunny with temperatures 85 degrees.  We discovered a national park with small mountains and a rain forrest.  The roads were well paved while the local roads were narrow and full of pot holes. We only had a couple of hours to tour which was not nearly enough.  There was a lot of traffic in town and was much like a suburb of Miami. Puerto Rico has 3.5 million people and is around 00 miles long.  San Juan is the biggest city and very crowded. Next time a visit to Old San Juan would be good.  AT&T rental car rates applied to our rental car ($37 for a full size car).

We were fortunate to have our boarding passes from yesterday all taken care of. It's a good idea to do this because there was a long line and the plane was overbooked.  Though, when we got on the plane it was half full. Our stay in San Juan was most enjoyable.

We arrived in St. Vincent where a taxi was waiting. Everyone was at the charter base and we were the last ones. Half the group made it on Friday night and the other half stayed in St. Lucia at the airline's expense. Nobody called the charter base as instructed making it difficult for the folks expecting us. Everyone was in good spirits. Half my crew, Rachelle, Mike, Norm, and Martha arrived Saturday morning and got a briefing (or part of one) from the charter company.  We were quick to stow our gear and move the boats off the dock to the moorings.

The marina is very beautiful.  Doug had rented a car to get provisions though he was the only driver hence he was on the critical path for both shopping and preparing his boat for departure.  He was very busy. I organized a small swimming party and we took the dinghy out to the ocean for clean water swimming. The water was quite warm and wonderfully relaxing after the long journey. The weather was much nicer than San Juan though it has rained several brief times.  The sky is 70% cloudy ith a light breeze in the marina.  Our boat ate on board while the other two ate ashore.  We went to shore after dinner to have drinks but most of them had taken off for another restaurant and left no word.

The moorings were quite comfortable with a light breeze.  We were perhaps 130 meters from the dock.  There were no problems with our boat as it was only a few months old. People got acclaimated pretty quickly though my first mate, Bob, was not feeling well (better in a day).  We all slept well that night.

Sunday 24 Nov: It rained last night - just long enough to motivate Bob and Norm to come inside.  It left the deck wet. We had our chart briefing at 8 am with recommendations very close to our proposed float plan.  We did learn about a couple anchorages and restaurants that were worth checking out. The Bells are flying in on Monday, spending the night, and flying to Mustique on Tuesday afternoon. Another boat, Veledire, departed for Bequia the day before and had a problem with their fresh water pump so we were glad to bring a spare pump and accessories for the charter company. Besides, my good friend Chris Winter was her skipper and we were planning on a big dinner together.  Several of their crew members has joined Chris on our sail a year earlier so it would be good to see some old friends.

We left our mooring at 10 am with winds from the east at 14 knots and seas 1-2 feet. Doug was close behind us and Tom will follow shortly. There was a narrow channel to get out of the lagoon with reefs on either side. The depth is only about 8 feet in the center. Just outside the bay, we set our sails and practiced tacking and jibing while Doug set his sails and Tom motored out. Once all the boats were sailing, we turned south towards the northern point Bequia.  We were making good time and decided to do a few more tacks and jibes and tried to get the other boats on the radio.  Doug sailed past Bequia and Tom called on the radio to see what we were up to. The weather was so excellent that we did not want to head in right away so Tom's boat and my boat played in the eight miles of ocean between St. Vincent and Bequia while Doug's boat disappeared in the distance. After a half hour, we started to work our way torwards Admiralty Bay on Bequia and Doug's boat reappeared and we rendezvoued inside harbor.

We were hailed by my friend Chris as we entered the large harbor.  He had heard us talking on the radio. They were on a mooring well inside the bay and it was a matter of minutes before we were moored along side.  They had spent the previous night at Princess Margaret Beach, recommended by the charter company, but the found it rolly, loud, and far from the dinghy dock so they move further in to the moorings. I spent some time helping Chris who enjoyed my company, as I did his.

Back aboard my boat, we quickly organized a snorkeling party and dinghied to nearby Princess Margaret Beach only to find low vizibility and little to see.  Shortly, Doug's dinghy approached with snorkelers and together we dinghied across the bay to the entrance where we found excellent snorkeling at Table Rock by the channel marker. In fact, it was the best we found on the island with lots of fish and bright coral. We spent the rest of the afternoon until the light started to get dim and then headed back.

Back on board, we all did the joy path thing and got ready for dinner.  Chris Winter had investigated the local restaurants and determined that they were all too expensive, except for Coco's which was a favorite of the locals. They could also accommodate our group of 30 people.  We made reservations for 7:30 pm. The taxi's are like pick up trucks with benches in the back.  The cost was $2US for the short ride. The view from Coco's overlooks Admiralty Bay and the open air restaurant sports a gentle breeze. The food was good and the service very slow. The accounting that night was not very good and Doug, who paid last, got stuck for things which he did not have.  We got back around midnight and a good time was had by all.  Chris would depart for the Tobago Cays and Grenada the next day.

Monday 25 Nov: Our boat awoke early for a morning hike. It is the coolest part of the day.  We were hiking by 7:30 am and walked to the fort which overlooked Admiralty Bay.  There were a few cannons there which were used for protection a long time ago. It is located just above Table Rock, where we enjoyed snorkeling the afternoon before. We picked up a Moke (small open vehicle).  Our first stop was Moon Hole on the southern tip of the island just past the airport.  The sand road ends by some beautiful estates with extraordinary stone masonary.  They are spectacular and blen in well with the vegetation.  Our next stop was Friendship Bay which was quite beautiful.  We went back to the boat around noon for lunch.  Next we drove to Industry Bay in search of good snorkeling but there was none.  Hope Bay is a most beautiful beach.  There is a sea turtle farm in Industry Bay.  An old fisherman raises and releases sea turtles because he wants to do something good. He's putting back into the sea that which he took as a young fisherman.  The sea turtles are almost extinct.  The Mokes are very uncomfortable.  A towel to sit on helps.  Back to town we picked up some more water.  Back to the boat we thought we might eat out sow e could save our meals for the Tobgo Cays.  But the others were eating aboard and we were lazy so we decided to eat aboard.  Norm cooked pasta.  Rachelle slept.  I went to bed early.

Tuesday 26 Nov: Another beautiful day in paradise.  Mostly sunny skies with typical tropical weather.  It rained last night just enough to drive the deck sleeprs inside. Bob cooked great pancakes this morning and everyone wanted to spend a couple hours in town shopping so they left early.  Back aboard by 9:30 and underway by 10 am to pick up the Bells who would be arriving on the 12:15 flight from St. Vincent.  We motored around the southwestern part of Bequia and then east into the wind between Sempler's Cay and Petit Nevis.  The current was 2-3 knots towards the west and somewhat choppy. Through the channel, we set our sails and made good time to Mustique.  We contacted Mustique Water Sports and arranged for scuba diving upon our arrival.

We anchored in Britannia Bay close to shore and set a second anchor to keep us off any coral. We dinghied our divers to the Cotton House which is a five minute dinghy ride to the next bay where they would walk to the dive shop. Snorkeling by the boat was excellent.  We went to pick up the Bells at Basils at 1:15 and drop folks off on shore. Some folks went snorkeling. The Bells were having lunch and were looking quite relaxed after their long journey. After lunch, we dinghied back to the boat stopping along the way to introduce them to the folks still aboard the other boats. While they stowed their gear, Doug was rigging a sailboard and a few people were windsurfing.  There was little to no wind. Ian tried windsurfing while I dinghied alongside with Doug who was giving pointers on how to windsurf. About the time the divers cambe back, I was ready to snorkel and explore the underworld. Ian joined along with Tom, Diane, Dionne, and a few others. The coral and fish were excellent and plentiful just off of the beach near the boats. How convenient.

After snorkeling, a few dinghy rides between shore and the boats, there were several people exploring the little village. Soon, we were all aboard planning our dinner strategy.  Doug's boat will eat on board, Tom's boat will eat at Basil's, and my boat will eat at the firefly, except for me who was tired so I went to sleep. The report is that the Firefly is the place to eat and is comparable in price to Basils. A  good time was had by all and they were back aboard by about 10:20.

Wednesday 27 Nov: Awake at sunrise. The day brought mostly sunny skies and 85 to 90 degrees. Wind from the east at 11 knots and seas 1 foot. I dinghied to Mustique at 6:30 and hiked for an hour. There is a road around the island.  Go up the main road, up the hill, down the hill, turn right at the bottomm, and take the first road to the left. Walk for a few hours. Best to be done as early as possible. It gets hot early.  I was back aboard by 7:30 and underway by 8:30.  Doug was also underway at the same time.  Two people from Tom's boat went horseback riding at 8:30 and did not get underway until between 10 and 11 am.

The sail to Canouan was a pleasant 2 hours.  We arrived at the dinghy dock at 10:30.  Water is available from 8-10 and 2-5.  Their water pump was not working when we arrived so we filled gallon jugs and carried it to the boat.  It took a half hour and 48 gallons.  We were doing well on water consumption.  We left the dock and picked up a mooring after Bob returned with dinghy fuel. Fuel is over the hill and requires a taxi ride.  The cost is $8.50 EC per gallon. On Bequia it was $6.50 and convenient to the dock.  We only needed 2 gallons and should have gotten it at Bequia.

We had lunch on the mooring and got underway at 1:30 when we met Tom coming in.  Doug would be about a half hour behind us.  We made the Tobago Cays in 1.5 hours under power.  We anchored on the other side of Baradel Island in about 8 feet of water in an area where there are no other boats.  It was mid afternoon when we went snorkeling. Many started out from the yacht and swam towards the reef.  Some stayed aboard and went shopping - the boat boys showed us their wares.  Our favorite, Goldfinger, had some excellent lobsters which we negotiated down to $12 EC/pound.  Doug's boat would join us for the lobsterfest and Tom was still in Canouan but said via the radio that they would also join. We bought 53 pounds of lobster and they would grill them on the beach for us. We calibrated their scales by weighing a gallon of water. We discovered that Tom would not be joining us as planned.

We dinghied to the beach after our joy baths. We brought plates, forks, kinves, drinks. We beached the boats with no problem and enjoyed an excellent lobster dinner.  After dinner, we walked on the beach, up a hill, and watched the moon rise. It was SPECTACULAR. We could see our boats below us and the reflection of the moon in the ocean to the east.  It was one of those moments that would live on forever in our memories. I talked with Dexter for a half hour who was one of the boat boys who helped with dinner. Dexter is 20 years old, left school at 12, did odd jobs, and had a hard life growing up. He was born on Union Island, the island we could see to the south, and has been as far north as St. Vincent. He now lives aboard Goldfinger's boat and works in the Tobago Cays as a boat boy. For fun he enjoys racing sunfish, spear fishing, and fishing.  Life is good now.

This anchorage is most excellent.  With two anchors deployed in shallow water and sand bottom.  The aluminum danforth is very big and easy to set by dinghy.  It has great holding power. This is truly paradise. The boat boys bring you everything you need but it's a little expensive (like back home).

Thursday 28 Nov: Still anchored east of Baradel. Mostly sunny skies, temperature 85 degrees, gentle breeze from the east. Larston Brown on boat "Velocity" is a most excellent craftsman who negotiates like a true businessman. We brought black and brown coral at a fair price.  I bought a tiki pendant and a little thing that stands about 2".  Paid $60EC which was cool.  Tom's boat arrived shortly after 8 am.  Bob made some excellent pancakes for breakfast.  Cool snorkeling starts in a couple hours.  We'll dinghy to the outer reef.

We set out on our snorkeling adventure at 11:10 am and dinghied through a very narrow channel to outside the reef and picked up a dinghy mooring. The best snorkeling was right by the mooring and along the shallows.  There was good coral in 15 to 30 feet.  Large sections of dead coral with large sections of excellent coral are typical of the entire area.  We came upon a marker that said, "Tobago Cays Marine Park." We were out for an hour.  Dougs boat joined us.  Tom snorkeled inside the reef. Bob said the snorkeling in front of our boat on the inside of the reef was excellent. We visited with Tom and invited their boat and Doug's boat over after dinner for a party. We came back to the boat before 1 pm for lunch.

Tom spent the night at Canouan.  They had to drill a hole in the lock for the water and Tom's tanks were empty.  By thte time they were ready to go it was too late so they spent the night at the moorings in Canouan. We plan to eat the left over lobster with pasta for dinner so nobody aboard our boat is complaining.

The afternoon was very lazy. We dinghied to a nearby island to check out T-shirts.  Nothing there that we did not already see from the boat boys.  Back aboard, folks were wind-surfing.  Some were snorkeling.  Some swimming.  Some reading.  Some napping.  Bob was making chocolate chip cookies.  The afternoon disappeared. Joy baths were taken. Deep philosophical conversations examined the world's most controversial topics as well as some trivial ones. Goldfinger finally came by to collect for last night's dinner.  We left him a handsome tip because they did an excellent job cooking and entertaining us. He was happy.

We met Yellowman who knows the charter base manager and helps with boat repairs. He had some unique handbags made out of coconuts and wood. Tom's boat is planning a beach lobster cookout. Doug's boat will eat steak and chicken aboard.  We will have dinner aboard and make something with our left-over lobster, pasta, and some sauce made by the world-renouned chef Stephanie Bell. Bob Bennett is going to Dou's boat for steak and Michael will join us for pasta with lobster sauce.

This place is truly paradise.  Excellent snorkeling and a very laid pack place. The folks aboard are most excellent.  Dinner was exceptional.  We enjoyed the lobster and pasta. Doug's boat came over after dinner to party.  Tom's boat decided to eat aboard. Only Laura, Cindy, Bill, and Stan came over to party.  Our traditional Thanksgiving gathering did not happen.  We partied until a little after 11 pm. Our plan is to go to Canouan tomorrow at 2 pm after our noon snorkel and lunch.

Friday 29 Nov: Another beautiful day in paradise. This is the second night in a row that it did not rain at all. We are expecting mostly sunny skies, temperatures between 85 and 90 degrees. The wind is from the east at 13-14 knots.  Our anchors are hholding quite well just east of Baradel in the Tobago Cays.  Two nights and three days is about right for this anchorage.  Long enough to relax but not too long that we get bored. There are many more catamarans than in previous years. The Horseshoe Reef protects us partially from the seas which are less than 1 foot at anchor. We have two people sleeping on deck - Bob Bennett and Ian Bell. Martha is sleeping in the Saloon.  SOmetimes Norm sleeps on deck. It's very windy on the foredeck so the cockpit is the preferred area. Laura brought some cigars over last night which were fun but they left ashes on the aft deck and a bad case of the zacklies.

Sunrise at 6:10 am over the ocean is beautiful. My crew is very well organized and neat.  The boat usually is clean with everything stowed properly.  They sail quite well and like participating. Doug is doing quite well for his first time as one of the skippers.  He has been sailing for many years and owns a small boat. He is very cautious and everybody aboard is having a good time.  Nabi, Doug's first mate, reports that he is quite careful and good running the boat. They have been very conservative with water and have not picked up any water on the trip. Tom is enjoying the trip and basically has no rules aboard.  We fondly call it the party boat though they have kept to themselves more than usual on this trip.

The Tobago Cays are a good place to write post cards, read a book, do little, snorkel, perhaps dive, write. Do little or not much are the choices. The day fills up quickly and the worries of life back home seem so insignificant. There are no bugs here which is unusual in paradise. There is also no place to hike.  The best exercise is swimming and wind surfing.  The water is warm.

Our plan was to leave the Tobago Cays at 2 pm and sail to Canouan for the evening. We decided to snorkel at 10 am and get underway a little early so we might have a little time to hike the island for exercise. We first explored the undersea world by the boat which was most excellent and got underway by 12:15. At Canouan we picked up a mooring outside of the Tamarind Bay hotel arriving at 1:30.  We were ashore shortly after and hiked through town, up a hill, and past the church, past the airport, beach, and a garbage dump.  The island was very unspoiled with no other tourists in sight. A 16 oz coke was $1.50 EC or $.60 US - the cheapest we saw anywhere.  We stopped at the grocery for ice cream and drinks near the edoge of town.  It was about 4 pm.  We then headed back to the boat, bathed, and got ready for dinner we tried to get people psyched for a night sail and it looked like most of the folks were ready for the event. 

At sunset, Doug's boat ate aboard, Tom's boat ate at the bar restaurant, and my boat ate aboard except for Bob, Martha, and I who joined TOm's boat ashore. Dinner took longer than expected and folks started to come to shore for drinks and the night sail became a fading idea. After several drinks we concluded that it was another great day and a good time was had by all.

Saturday 30 Nov: We awoke at 6 am and were underway at 7 am.  Another night without rain but it was quite windy at times in the anchorage. Te wind during the day was 18 knots from the east and we would be on a close haul all the way back to St. Vincent. Sunny skies and temperatures 85 to 90 degrees. Doug's boat was underway minutes behind us.  We set our sails immediately and Doug motored around the northwest side of the island heading upwind. We made about 5.5 knots towards the southwestern end of Bequia.  After one and half horus we decided to head towards the northeastern side of the island and go to windward of Bequia. Doug continued towards the leeward side.  We had to do a couple long tacks to get more upwind but were able to make the windward side in good time and then flew to Blue Lagoon arriving at the mooring early. At 1:30 we were secure.  Bob and I went shopping for the second week while the rest of the crew ate aboard.

The sail was most excellent.  It was about 28 miles from Canouan to Blue Lagoon.  A perfect way to end an excellent week. Everyone enjoyed the long sail and working the stations.  The sea was slight and the wind perfect. Navigation was easy as all the islands are clearly visible and close together. Bequia is about 8 miles from St. Vincent, Mustique 8 miles from Bequia, and Canouan another 8 miles. The Tobago Cays are only a few miles from Canouan.  Visibility on the water is typically 17 miles. There are only a few dangerous reefs and the ocean is usually deep close to shore.

Back at Blue Lagoon, the crew went to shore, got a taxi, and went for a tour.  They saw the botanical gardens and a few other things.  Bob and I returned in about 45 minutes.  Cleaned the dirty lunch dishes and stowed theprovisions.  We had lunch and cleaned up a little.

Bob, Michael, and I dinghied over to Fort Duvernette and climbed to the top, about 230 feet. The stone masons rebuilt the stairs which are very steep.  On top are cannons facing the island.  There is a great view of the lagoon and Young Island cut. We were back at the dock at 5:15 where we discovered that our second week crew arrived early. Cathy, Steve, and Stina arrived about an hour earlier and were relaxing at the bar. We went to the pool, then back to the boat, and got ready for dinner. On the dock at 7 pm, our group of now 29 took taxis to the French Restaurant, had an excellent dinner, and made it back to the boat at 10 pm. A  good time was had by all. The French Restaurant was good and the portions generous.  Entrees are $18-$20 US. We did separate checks which is the way to go. It was great to see Cathy and the new crew.  They had no problems with their connections.

Blue Lagoon is very pretty and peaceful. It's well protected. It will be sad to see folks leave tomorrow. We had very little opportunity to spend much time with people on the other boats.  Doug did an excellent job skippering.  Everyone aboard had an excellent time.  They never took on water which seemed to be okay with everyone (natural sailors).

The Second Week in St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Sunday 1 Dec: Yet another beautiful day in paradise.  No rain last night.  Bob, Ian, Norm slept on deck. A few were up at sunrise and all were up by 7 am. Lots of busy people packing. Sad moments when we said goodbye. We were busy getting ready to get underway.  Busy saying goodbye. The first group of travellers, about half the group, were on the 10:40 am flight.  They had to be at the airport 1.5 hours before the flight. The taxi left at 9 am. I dinghied folks to shore.  We soon moved the boats to the dock. One of the dock boys at the helm of Doug's boat backed Moonbeam into antoher boat and cracked the fiberglass by the dinghy hoist.  It took them a week to fix it. We refilled our water bottles, raided the other boats for food, and got underway at 2 pm. We had a sailboard for week two. Michael wanted to stay a second week but could not work out the flight schedule for his return a week later.

While sailing to Wallilabou (western coast of St. Vincent), we passed through a large school of dolphin. It was great to see them jumping in unison. Wallilabou was not too bad for boat boys as we were led to believe from the cruising guide.  We picked up a mooring and relaxed while we swung.  Another boat came in and we watched the boat boys tie the line stern to a tree.  There were rollers coming in and it was rolly.  Big waves were crashing on the rocks, over the wall, and onto the restaurant. We gladly paid $10EC to have a boat boy take our line to shore and tie it to a tree.  We used our second anchor line.  Joy baths.  Dinner.  Sleep at 7 pm. Others went to bed at 9 pm. It was rolly all night. I bought an Ivory Tiki for $16EC.

It was a busy day. In addition to briefing the crew I had to start reminding people not to slam the drawers and doors, be careful about not getting sand aboard the dinghy nor aboard the boat, and to stow their gear securely.  I think that folks get tired of being reminded of this when the slam a door but after a few days they remember. We went through how to hoist and lower the sails, secure the lines, and the location of important things like boat hooks, fenders, lines, and other gear.

Monday 2 Dec: The anchorage is very rolly. It got worse over night. Cloudy.  Rain. The dinghy dock was washed away and the only way to get ashore is to beach the boat. Up at sunrise and organized for a hike by 7 am. We (all but Ramon) beached the dinghy successfully and hiked up the road to the top. Another 1.5 miles would have taken us to a village with sodas but that would be down the other side.  On the way up we stopped under a big tree to wait for the rain to stop.  We chatted with a local man and woman. He had three children and she one.  They were going to get their bull and bring it back for their Christmas dinner. They grow one each year for food and slaughter it about this time of the year and prepare for a Chirstmas feast. They were happy and they called the drizzle thick morning dew. The rain stopped.  We hiked to the top and back in under 2.5 hours.  Our locked dinghy was still there.  Back on board we paid to have the line untied for $5EC.

We soon got underway for Cumberland Bay. Approaching the Bay it started to rain.  We picked up a mooring by 11 am. Had lunch.  Very beautiful.  Surrounded by mountains and a beach lined with palm trees. Valleys with taller hills in the distance.  It's one of those places that you want to remember forever. We weighed anchor at 1:30 pm and motored to Petit Byahut arriving at a solitary mooring by 2:30 pm. The wind was calm and there was a very slight ocean swell. Inside the small bay there was barely a breeze and a gentle rocking of the boat that was quite pleasant.  There is a small black sand beach with coral in 2' of water and continuing down as the water gets deeper. Three rope hamocks tied to palm trees are excellent for relaxing  Small hills surround the bay and are covered with green trees and vegetation.  The restaurant on the right side of the beach and house just aobve make this spot quite picturesque.  On both sides of the bay are snorkeling with the north side far superior.  The guide book describes bat caves but when we went to explore we found the surf was rough and visibility poor. Back at the boat, a few of us snorkeled while I took the dinghy out for a few pictures of the boat with the beach and hills in the background.

Cathy and i spent a little time snorkeling.  She is just learning the sport and likes it.  We snorkeled to shore and layed in a hamock. Most excellent.  We examined the beach noting the coral and rocks and wondered where to beach the dinghy when we came for dinner. Charles, the proprieter, says to go to the south of the dinghy dock and north of the blue boat - which we could see at the southern part of the bay.  Back aboard, we prepared for dinner and dinghied to shore finding the beach landing just south of the dock remains easy. 

Petit Byahut restaurant is open on three sides and surrounded by plants.  A tour of the accommodations were quite impressive. There are six or seven open-air suites for guests. The bathroom is open, the sitting room is open, and the bedroom is open except for a screen tent protecting the queen-size bed from misquetoes. Privacy is offered by thick jungle and distance. the 12 volt lights are powered by batteries charged by solar panels.  Water is collected from roofs and pumped from a well using solar power. Pumps transfer water during the day to fill the tanks at the top first.  They use propane to cook.  The stone masonary is beautiful. Dinner each night depends on what was caught that day.  Sharon, Charles wife, is from Canada and Charles is from California.  They have no telephone. They do have plumbing. The cost is $290 US per couple per night including food. No roads, only access is by boat. We concluded that if we were interested in a land-based adventure this could easily be the place. Their web site is http://www.otahere.com/.

We arrived at 7 pm and sat down to dinner after our tour at 8 pm. Our three course dinner included either kingfish or chicken.  We rated it five stars and the best dinner we had in the Caribbean this trip.  Appetizers included smoked fish and eggplant with garlic.  Begetables came with dinner and dessert was passion fruit pie.  The price was reasonable ($30US) for the excellent quality and service and atmosphere. We had no time to nap at dinner.  Charles and Sharon are impressive, fun to talk with, and very much into their lifestyle. There are typically 3 boats on moorings and they are mostly full between January and March. They are open from November to July 1. First, they decided they wanted to live on St. Vincent and then decided on an occupation. They picked a particularly pretty little cove and spent the last decade creating an environmentally friendly, comfortable place.  Everyone concluded that it's a major attraction to return to in a few years.

Charles made arrangements for us to hike the volcano on St. Vincent the next day. Our price would be $42 per person which included a taxi ride to the east side of the volcano, lunch, a guide, and a boat ride back to our boat at the end of the day.

Tuesday 3 Dec: YABDIP (Yet another beautiful day in pariadise.) No rain last night. A wake at 6 am we were preparing for a hike up the volcano.  We all had a hardy breakfast and were ready to go at 7:45 as requested.  Charles arranged for a guide, taxi drop-off, and boat pickup.  The cost was $180 US plus $15 per person so the total cost would be $42 US per person plus a $5 tip for the guide.  Good plan.  Charles would provide lunch, day packs, and water canteens.  Sharon told us that it was a five hour hike.  We would be picked up by boat at 5 pm and back at our boat by 6 pm.  We could expect dinner by 7 pm, or thereabouts.

Their big boat came by at 8:05 am.  Took us around the corner to a dock.  Robert's taxi picked us up.  We got a nice tour of the south and east side of the island.  The Botanical Gardens are quite large and impressive and beautiful.  There are trees and plants from around the world.  We saw many towns and villages. Total population is 115,000 on St. Vincent.  There is an industrial town where they make beer, soda, roofing material, etc.  There was a banana boat that comes once a week to export bananas to the UK.  It's a pretty big town.  Kingston is also a big town with lots of shops and lots of people.  The eastern side of the island is very different.  It is less hilly with fields, orchards, estates, and gentle rolling hills.  The shore is quite rugged and rocky and somewhat dramatic.  A few beaches at the base of steep hills and cliffs are picturesque.  Less traffic, fewer villages, less people.  The whole island is very green.  We drove to the volcano and stopped in a little village at a store for snacks. Then we drove up towards the volcano until the road ended. Lots of bananas.  The volcano is a national park. It's called La Soufriere.  We started hiking at 10:30 am.

The trail up was quite nice.  Our guide was named Halte. It was a little steep most of the way and the sun was hot.  The rim is 3.5 miles and it took a couple hours to get to the top. Excellent views along the way.  It is a rain forrest. Many parts of the trail are on a very narrow ridge made from lava.  The vegetation was so thick that we were only barely aware of the stoop drop-off on either side.  The trail is a pleasure to hike. As we gained altitude we entered the clouds.  There always seems to be clouds surrounding the volcano top.  We finally reached the rim.  It was windy, misty, with occasional drizzle. We all peered in, took a few photos, then continued on.  Stopped for lunch just off the beaten path.  Excellent.  We ocntinued around the rim.  Light rain, drizzle, mist, sun came and went continuously. There were some steep parts but it was all walkable.  On the other side of the rim was a rope that went into the crater.  There was a little steam coming out of the crater.  Halte and I went down into the crater and Stina followed shortly. It was much farther down that it appeared perhaps 900 feet. Perhaps more.  Perhaps less. From the bottom the volcano looked very impressive.  We touched the hot rocks and smelled the sulphur.  There was a small rock shelter that one of the natives sleeps in when the moon gets nearly full.  He is afraid to be around people then.  It was a tiny hole in a rock barely big enough to crawl into but there was signes of occupation. It was getting late and Stina had not made it down yet.  We started back.  We were at the top of the rim and hiking again by 2:46 pm.  We could now see the ocean on the western side.  The hike down was long but easier than coming up.

Halte, our guide, was interesting.  He remebered all of our names. He described a lot of the plants and a little history of the area and of the people.  Halte seemed like a very happy person.  He was 19 years old.  We passed many plants which he described.  As we got lower we passed fields and gardens.  They prefer to garden on a hill because they do not have to bend as much.  Most of the natives hike around barefoot. It was getting late.

We reached the beach at 5:46 pm.  The beach between the lava flow and the radio masts.  There was no boat.  We waited fifteen minutes. Then, as it was getting dark, we hiked along the beach towards the radio tower.  Crossed Wallilabou river, found a taxi, and drove to Buccament beach stopping at Layou police station to ask them to radio Petit Byahaut.  We waited for the boat but it never came.  The bay is just north of Petit Byahaut.  The police came to check us out and then tried to contact the base radio for us.  Still no boat.  We borrowed a couple flashlights and hiked along a trail to Petit Byahaut which only took about 45 minutes.  We arrived at the restaurant at 10 pm.  The crew ate ashore while Cathy and I returned to the boat. The others returned about an hour later.

The hike was well worth the money and we each gave Halte $5 tip. He was a great hiking companion and guide. We all liked the hike and others, as they heard about it, were jealous. It would be good to have good hiking shoes or boots. We hiked perhaps 9 miles.

Wednesday 4 Dec: We all slept well.  No rain last night.  I got up at 7 am and we are still at the mooring by 9 am. The early morning was cloudy and now the sun is shining through.  It's a lazy morning.  We were underway before 9:30 and motored to Blue Lagoon to take on water and drop off garbage.  It was on the way.  We pulled alongside Valadere on the dock and were quickly underway.

Clouds dominated the sky today with some rain.  The wind was from the east at 18 knots. The seas were 2-3 feet.  A 3 knot current towards the west helped us make Bequia in good time. We picked up a mooring in Admiralty Bay near the dinghy dock and restaurants.  Steve and Stina went wind surfing, Bob baked, Ramon, Nabi, Cathy, and I went to shore for a couple of hours.  We bought groceries, post cards, and enjoyed a drink at the local bar. Back aboard. Another drink. A nap. Dinner aboard. A joy bath. And a night on the town at 9 pm only to find everything closed.  Back aboard by 10 pm. Ramon wanted to scuba dive but the weather was not favorable for diving.We'll try for a mornig dive and then head to the Tobago Cays.  We saw very little of Bequia. At night when we dinghied to shore a native extorted us wanting to watch our boat.  AAAfter we locked it he suggested the paddles might be gone when we came back. We found him to be in poor taste.

Thursday 5 Dec: Another cloudy date in paradise.  We all slept late. Heavy rain before sunrise. Up at 7 am. French toast for breakfast. Ramon will go dive at 9 am and is expected back by 11 am. Ramon and Nabi went diving and were back shortly after 11 am.  Nabi is not certified and Ramon is.  An instructor was with Nabi and they went to 60 feet. It was awesome. Nabi wants to get certified next summer. They went to Flat Rock and really liked it.  Steve went wind surfing. C athy, Stina, Bob, and I went to shore to shop.  I bought a framed post card for my office.  We bought stuff for dinner.  Back aboard at 11 am Steve was ready witht eh sail board stowed.  We made chicken chili for lunch and rice piloff.  A big hit. Underway by 12:20 pm.  Mostly sunny skies.  Wind from the east at 17 knots.  Seas slight.  Boat speed average 6 knots. Bottom speed 7 knots.  A 3 knot current to the west.  Arrived at Canouan and on the mooring by 3:30 pm. Wind surfing, cooking, swimming, playing, a fun time.  We will eat chicken soup and other good things aboard and do drinks ashore after dinner. Gusty at the mooring. Very beautiful here.  A few went to shore. A te dinner and went to bed early. Cathy wanted to go dancing ashore but was bummed because we all pooped out.  Brief rain but cleared for the night.  WIndy with storn gusts.

Friday 6 Dec:  ABDIP.  Blue skies and some clouds in the distance.  Windy with strong gusts between 4 knots and 20 knots with occasonally greater winds.  There is a very gentle rocking that is barely noticible after two weeks aboard.  We will have a liesurely morning.  We were underway by a little after 9 am and at the tobago cays near where we anchored the first week by about 10:30 am.  Both anchors were set by 11 am.  Negotiating for T-shirts and making chili for lunch.  We snorkeled for an hour at noon and then retired for drinks, reading, and lounging on the boat for the afternoon.  I continue to write post cards.  This morning we all addressed post cards to ourselves and wrote messges to each other.  I have 16 more post cards to go.  I wrote a lot of post cards.  We're hoping for a good deal on lobsters for dinner.  Yellowman just came by with lobsters.  We talked him down from $15EC to $12EC a pound and then explained that a gallon of water weighed 8 pounds, not 11.  This week, my crew had compasion for the native and took his side so we paid a premium for the lobsters.  Though he did cook them for us.  Just finished my two day writing binge of post cards.  Perhaps next time mailing labels would be a good idea for the addresses.

There are parts of the underwater marine park that are beautiful and large areas of dead coral.  Some places look like a baren waste land of dead coral though the coral in the shallow water seems to be more uniformly alive.  Lots of fish and I mean lots.  Everyone likes it here, even Bob, Nabi, and I who spent three days here a week earlier.  The holding in the tobago Cays is excellent and both anchors hold the boat with both engines in reverse at 2,000 rpm.  When we snorkel on the anchors they are well burried.

We're expecting to depart at 7 am tomorrow.  It could be an 8 hour sail depending on the wind and sea.  We will likely try to go to the windward of Canouan and Bequia and just to the leeward of Mustique.  We will be on a close haul all the way.  Lobsters are coming soon...  Yes, and they were very delicious.  We had all we could eat and our cost was $12US each.  My opinion is that meals aboard are at least as good as meals ashore, on the average, with the exception of Petit Byahaut which was exceptional.  We all tried to stay awake until 9 pm as we were very tired. Great day.

Saturday 7 Dec:  Awake before 6 am and underway from the Tobago Cays.  No rain last night but winds 18-22 knots from the east, northeast.  We followed the passage out of the Cays to the north and motored into the wind and current to get to the windward side of Canouan.  The winds were from the east northeast at 22 knots and seas 5-7 feet.  We headed towards Mustique on a close haul making 4.5 knots.  We passed to the windward to Petit Canouan and the leeward of mustique.  It took 4 hours to get to Mustique.  We turned to a beam reach and made 7-8 knots in rising seast to 8 feet.  We went through four rain showers with winds reaching 30 knots.  Our boat speed was 8+ knots with a max of 8.9 knots.  We had one reef in on the way to Mustique but took it out at Mustique.  We passed to the windward of Bequia and made Blue Lagoon in 2 hours from Mustique.  The distance was 30 nm which we made in 6 hours.  This was good considering the 2-3 knot current that was now working against us.  We were on the mooring in Blue Lagoon at 12:45 pm and ate lunch.  Cathy was not feeling so well as the seas were rough.  We now relaxed for a bit and then planned to go exploring on shore.

Everything in Kingstown really closes at noon on Saturday except the market.  The market and fish market are people on the street selling food.  Lots of local fruits and vegetables at very cheap prices.  It's a great place to shop if you know how to prepare food.  We only stayed for two hours, had a drink at Basil's bar, and walked around town a little.  We visited a church.  It was plain but beautiful.  The streets were closing up at 5 pm where the market was.  People were cleaning the streets.  No garbage cans and the residue from the veggies were being cleaned.  Mostly organic garbage so not really a bad thing.  We returned to the boat shortly after 5 pm after buying Joy's Hot Pepper Sauce from the grocery by the airport.  They make it right next door.  We also bought a small bag of plantain chips - fried in coconut oil.  Very tasty.  We did our last Joy bath, got ready for dinner, and went to the Sunset hotel Bar and Restaurant where they had chicken, fish, and steak buffet with a steel band for $18US.  It was quite good and service was fast.  We were back aboard by 9:15 and sleeping around 10 pm  It was a great day and good to have time to relax before our trip home.  There are moments of sadness as we get ready to go home.  Blue Lagoon is quite beautiful.

Sunday 8 Dec:  The flight home was relatively uneventful.  Our group was split between two flights but we rendezvoused in San Juan.  Cathy, Steve, and Stina departed on the 10:40 flight via St. Lucia and Bob, Nabi, Ramon, and I departed on a direct flight to San Juan at 2 pm.  We basically cleaned the boat and went to the Lime 'n Pub for lunch.  We had to check in 1.5 hours before our flight.  I went to visit the control tower as I may wish to fly down that way sometime in the future (got the inside scoop).  Our flight was okay but we only had 15 minutes to make our connecting flight.

Epilog