Grenada to Bequia

Windward Islands

Our first leg north from Grenada was to Bequia in the Grenadines.  We could have stopped in Cariacou which is part of the country of Grenada, but we have been there before (see: archive posting, Migration North, dated 12/2/2012), and frankly we were not enamored with the island.  Other cruisers enjoy the island and stay there for extended periods.

Clifton Harbour

Most cruisers stop at Clifton Harbour at Union Island because it is the first (and last, south bound) place in the Grenadines that you can clear customs and immigration.  On previous stops there we found it a little rough around the edges with aggressive and unscrupulous boat boys. Additionally, a recent security event there (see; archive posting, The Dark Side of Cruising dated 10/9/2012) dissuaded us completely.

The islands North of Union Island in the Grenadines that are visited by cruisers are Mayreau, Tobago Cays, Canouan and Mustique.  Previously we have skipped Mayreau and Canouan due to security concerns.  Mayreau’s Salt Whistle Bay has unfortunately gained the nickname “Robbers Bay.”  Tabago Cays requires very settled weather to be enjoyed (see: archive posting, Turtle Watching dated 7/14/2013).  Mustique is interesting and should not be missed (see: archive posting, Mustique dated 11/26/2012), but for us it did not have much replay value.

Shipwreck near West Cay with the cruise ship Silver Whisperer in background anchored in Admiralty Bay.

So, we skipped most of the Grenadines and headed straight for Bequia.  We have visited Bequia three times before (see: archive posting, Entrepreneurial Island dated 6/22/2012) and have found we enjoy the island more with each visit.

 The Frangipani Hotel and the Whale Boner Bar

What is not to like?  The eastern shore of the well protected Admiralty Bay is lined with restaurants and bars.  Most are good, but I would give Tommy’s Mexican Food a pass, especially if you have spent any time in New Mexico and are use to really good Mexican food.

Motivator’s Verde Chicken Enchiladas

We were so disappointed that we had to make our own Mexican food a couple of nights later on Motivator.

 Fritz on Phat Shag (PIC, politically incorrect)

We met the larger than life Fritz on our first visit to Bequia, every time since we have used one of his moorings.  When you see Fritz regularly don a scuba tank to look at the moorings, you feel comfortable with their use.  Besides, it seems if you are a Phat Shag customer, no one is going to mess with you.

Everything you need is a short dinghy ride from your boat.  The town, Port Elizabeth, has several small grocery stores, ATMs, and a drug store.  There is a large Rastafarian produce market, but we have found they try to “rip your face off” with their prices, so we use the smaller ones east of the ferry dock (Blackie’s is best).  Tony Gibbons Beach (or Prince Margaret Beach depending on who you ask) is a nice place to swim and cool off.  You can tie your dinghy to the dock adjacent to Jack’s.

The French Navy under the watchful eye of the St. Vincent and Grenadines Coast Guard delivering a canoe for the Bequia Maritime Museum.

Just being in the harbor watching all of the activity is a real treat.  Yes, there is the occasional wake from the ferries, but we have had much worse.  Watching the charter boats come and go is always entertaining.  The vendors selling bread, produce, fish, laundry service, and yacht cleaning are always polite.

Moonhole, ‘70s utopian housing

We had planned on only being in Bequia a few days, but there were strong winds and waves predicted, so we decided to stay on a little longer.  Then Pollie discovered there was going to be a book signing for Moonhole: The Rise and Fall of an Island Utopia, by Charles Brewer.  “We must stay!”

I decided to use the delay as an opportunity to have a sunshade fabricated for the stern of Motivator.  It seems that here in the trade winds we always have our stern pointing west in the afternoon making the back deck untenable for reading.

Chris

Chris and staff at Bequia Canvas measured, fitted, and sewed up a shade in only a few days.  Why didn’t we do this on one of the other three visits to Bequia?

Coconuts 101

Pollie drinking coconut water from a coconut that I removed the husk from

(with Faye's help!)

Click here for the November issue of Caribbean Compass, and then see page 33 for my article on "Coconuts - the history, uses, and dangers."

Amplified Music

The bane of the Caribbean is amplified music.  It is not enough that most rum shops (neighborhood bars) have it blasting from every opening, but they have figured out how to go mobile.

The blue box with speakers lashed to it is a large generator.

The truck with the generator is pulling a trailer with the soundboard, more speakers and the “DJ” (the guy with the funny hat).

   Carnival in Bequia

Dancers are expected to follow the truck and trailer with the speakers pointed at them.  The volume is cranked to a level causing what the National Institute on Deafness calls “noise-induced deafness.”

Like the other bad things in the Caribbean such as saggy pants with underwear showing, amplified music is a U.S. export.  The Grateful Dead’s audio engineer, Bear Stanley, is credited with building the 75 ton “Wall of Sound” that required 4 semi-trailers and 21 crew members to haul and setup.  Prior to designing The Wall, Stanley had been in prison for possession of 350,000 doses of LSD and 1,500 doses of STP that he claimed were for his personal use.

Even out in the forest, they figure out how to get speakers going at full volume.

As visitors to the islands all we can do is grin and bear it.  Normally we can just move away from the speakers, but why do they always have to put them right next to where the beer and food is sold?

As cruisers, we feel especially assaulted by the amplified music.  Many nice anchorages are polluted with “music” from shore.  Sound, like light, normally travels in straight lines and should quickly disperse above the anchorage.  However, the sound that “should” rise up curves back down to the water.  Therefore, it sounds louder than it should and is somewhat distorted.

A sound truck for Grenada’s Carnival makes Bequia’s seem pathetic.

Grenada’s Carnival is already in full swing, with August 12th being the day requiring ear plugs.  Last year our boat was vibrating at 4:00 AM.

There is some good news, however.  A recent study published in Science Daily states, “Contrary to conventional wisdom, short-term hearing loss after sustained exposure to loud noise does not reflect damage to our hearing; instead it is the body’s way to cope.”  As sound levels rise, the cells in the cochlea release the hormone ATP, which binds to a receptor causing the temporary reduction of hearing sensitivity.  The study goes on to say chronic exposure, depending on your genes, can cause problems years later.

Question: What did the islander say after he got out of rehab?

Answer: “This music sucks!”

Migration North

Grenada Sunset

With hurricane season officially over, according to the insurance companies, most boats departed Grenada and headed north.  A few are planning to head north then west to cruise the Western Caribbean.  Few of the U.S. or Canadian boats we met were headed home.  Most plan on staying in the Caribbean.

One boat we met is headed east.  Their first leg is out of Martinique where they will be place on a Dockwise Yacht Transport that will take them to the Mediterranean.  There they plan to enter the Eastern Mediterranean Yacht Rally.

Sandy Island

Our first stop was Sandy Island near Carriacou which is still in the country of Grenada.

Mustique

Because all of the boats travel at different speeds and the crews have different agendas, it does not take long for the boats start to disperse themselves to different anchorages.

Bocce Ball on the Beach

However, it was Sunny’s 50^th birthday on November 21^st, and we were all invited to Bequia to help her celebrate.  The celebrations began with “beach games.”

Sunny Abercrombie

That night at dinner, the birthday girl got the two things she has always wanted, a machete and a coconut bra.

The next day we all celebrated Thanksgiving together with a very traditional meal prepared by one of the local restaurants.

Admiralty Bay, Bequia

Bequia in the Grenadines is a popular anchorage, but soon it was time to move on.

The Pitons

Our next stop was on the island of St. Lucia at the town of Soufriere.

 Soufriere seems to be the bedroom community for the nearby resorts.

Sugar Beach Hotel

The contrast between the town and the resorts is rather striking.

Our next stop is one of our favorites, Marigot Bay.  This small hurricane hole in the mangroves is home to a Moorings Charter base and has several nice restaurants.

This time we discovered that our mooring fee entitled us to use the pool at the nearby hotel.

  Jeff from Izzy R crewing on Loose Cannon

We managed to get to Rodney Bay just in time for the Mango Bowl Regatta.  From here we plan on heading to Martinique.   The prevailing wisdom is that we need to be out of the Windward Islands and into the Leeward Islands before the Christmas Winds. 

Entrepreneurial Island

Photo courtesy of Kenmore Henville

www.bequiaphotoaction.com

As we approached Admirality Bay in Bequia, a crazy man in a dinghy started circling our boat.  He was standing up, jumping waves, driving with one hand, taking pictures with the other, and blowing a whistle to get our attention.  Soon he waved, and then took off to intercept the next boat.

Kenmore was just the first of many small boats that came by to offer us services from laundry to teak refinishing.  All were very polite and professional.  The morning after our arrival, Kenmore stopped by with a framed proof and USB drive with about 35 shots of our boat for our perusal.  He later dropped by to take our order.  We now have the photo for our Christmas cards.

Fuel, water and ice were available from other vendors. Frizy, on Phat Shag came by and collected money for the mooring ball. They would even take your garbage so you would never have to leave your boat.

Except, you must find this building to check in to the Grenadines with customs and immigration.

Then you are free to roam the island.

Bequia is a popular dive destination with many nearby sites to explore.

The hotels for the divers are fairly low key.

As well as the eateries.

Unfortunately, we never did find the Whaleboner Bar open.

I did my own diving while we were there, breaking out the compressor to clean the bottom and check the zincs.

Soon it was time to move on, so we moved on down the Grenadine chain of islands to Union Island to check out.  There we had to anchor in fairly deep water (27’) behind a reef.

 

Union Island does not have much to offer the cruiser, but we did have fun meeting Bill and Debra and having drinks on their great yacht Renegade.