Dudley & Becky, S/V Altair picked up Carol in their dinghy at 0600 for our trip to St Vincent by the ferry. John wasn’t feeling well so he stayed behind on Sweet Caroline. If it was going to happen it did. (#1) We didn’t get very far in the dinghy before they realized that they didn’t have their lock for the dinghy so it was back to S/V Altair to see if they could find it. Guess what!! Becky found it in her back pack on her shoulders. (#2) We got back to the dock and were walking toward the ferry dock and Dudley said he didn’t have his billfold. So it was back to the boat to get that. Needless to say we missed the 0630 ferry “but not to worry”, Dudley said there was another one coming at 0830. We only had two hours to kill so we went to a place called the Gingerbread House and got some coffee. This time we made it back to the dock to board the ferry in plenty of time. Aboard the ferry you could go anywhere on the boat you wanted to. We found some seats on the open port side in the back of the ferry. We were all hyped to visit St Vincent and poured over the brochures as to what we wanted to see.
St Vincent, (Hairoun, as they called it, meaning Land of the Blessed), is called the big island or main island. It is one of thirty-two islands and the largest. The capital, Kingstown, which is a lively town and a throwback to colonial times complete with cobblestone streets and locals rushing about. Their language is English but most times it is hard to understand the locals. They seem to have their own dialect. It has been inhabited for some 7,000 years. Originally it was sparsely populated by the hunter-gathers Siboneys. Around 2,000 years ago they were replaced by the Arawaks, who moved up from present-day Venezuela. The raiding Caribs eventually took over from the Arawaks and held some of the island for as little as 100 years before the arrival of the heavily armed Spanish. Fierce Carib resistance kept the Europeans out of St Vincent long after most other Caribbean islands had fallen to the colonists. This was in part the cause why many Caribs from other islands fled to St Vincent after their home islands were conquered – it was the Caribs’ last stand. On the island, Caribs intermarried with Africans who had escaped from slavery, and the new mixed generation split along ethnic lines as Black Caribs and Yellow Caribs. In 1783, after a century of competing claims between the British and French, the Treaty of Paris place St Vincent under British control. Indigenous rebellions followed and British troops rounded up the “insurgents,’ forcibly repatriating around 5,000 Black Caribs to Roatan Island, Honduras. With the native opposition gone, the planters capitalized on the fertile volcanic soil and achieved the success that had eluded them. However, it didn’t last long; two eruptions of La Soufriere, the abolition of slavery in 1834 and a few powerful hurricanes stood in the way of their colonial dreams. For the remainder of the British rule the economy stagnated, plantations were eventually broken up and land was redistributed to small-scale farmers. In 1969, in association with the British, St Vincent became a self-governing state and on October 27, 1979 it was cobbled together with the Grenadines as an independent member of the Commonwealth. Hip-hop fashion has permeated the youth scene, with 50 Cent as likely to be heard on a car stereo as Bob Marley. American TV now dominates the airways and threatens to derail the cultural independence of St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG). KFC’s abound everywhere with also a lot of other US chains. Christianity is the dominant faith on the islands and the majority of islanders being Protestant, with Anglicans being the largest denomination. St Vincent is a high volcanic island, forming the northernmost point of the volcanic ridge that runs from Grenada in the south up through the Grenadine islands. It has a rugged interior of tropical rainforest, and lowlands thick with coconut trees and banana estates. The island of St Vincent makes up 133 sq miles of the nation’s 150 sq miles. The other 17 sq miles are spread across 30 islands and cays, fewer than a dozen of which are populated. The largest of the islands are Bequia, Mustique, Canouan, Mayreau and Union Island. Hairoun (pronounced “high-rone”) is the local beer and brewed in Kingstown. The light lager is a tasty drop and very popular throughout the islands. On St Vincent, tap water comes from a reservoir and is generally safe to drink. On the outer island water comes from rain collection, wells or desalination plants.
After docking in Kingstown, which is on the south coast, a taxi driver met us and we told him where we wanted to go and what we wanted to see and negotiated a price for the three of us. He quoted us ($ 400 EC-$148.81 US dollars) for an all day trip which divided three ways was pretty reasonable. Our driver’s name was Lyder Reice and his van had a sun roof that pulled back so Becky & Carol could stand up and shoot pictures out the top. It was quite a rush to be up there as we flew over the winding roads through the mountains. As we went along shooting pictures all the natives waved to us and probably thought “look at those crazy Americans”.
Our first stop was the Botanical Gardens. These gardens are the oldest such gardens in the Western Hemisphere. The gardens were founded in 1765 on 20 acres of land about one mile outside of capital Kingstown. It was to be used as a commercial breeding ground for plants brought from other parts of the world. These gardens were Captain Bligh’s original destination when the mutiny on HMS Bounty delayed his first scheduled arrival. He eventually completed a second voyage and a descendant of one of the original breadfruit trees he brought thrives in today’s garden. The Gardens are a historic landmark of major national, regional and global significance. They house an extensive collection of rare and exotic plants and trees – some such as a Spachea Perforata (The Soufriere Tree – National Flower) and the Bermuda Cedar – which is now extinct in their natural habitat. Through the trees, one can see Government House, built in 1886 as the official residence of the Governor General. Our guide there was St Clair and he was quite a character. He showed us all over the gardens and did many tricks with the flowers and herbs. There was so much to see and it’s hard to remember all that we saw.
Our next stop was the Montreal Gardens which not as well known as the Botanical Gardens. They were just as impressive with an array of exotic flowers, spices and plants interspersed with green foliage in an environment which is cool, misty and quiet. Here we meandered around all the walk ways, up and down steps and across bridges for a delightful visit.
Our next stop was lunch and boy had we worked up an appetite. We found a little restaurant along the road and all had Tuna plates complete with French fries and some local food I’m not sure what it was. As they say, wherever you are eat like the locals; at least try it. I didn’t say you had to like it but how do you know unless you try it. Be adventurous!!!
After filling our bellies we went to the Black Point Historic and Recreation Center. They were still in the process of completing the park but we were allowed to go thru the Black Tunnel which is about 300 feet long. The tunnel was constructed by the British with the help of slave labor around 1812 to speed up the transportation of sugar from the Grand Sable Estate to the ocean wharf at Byera Bay which is on the windward side of the island - so lots of surf. During periods of unfavorable weather, produce could be stored in the tunnel, as well as in a few nearby caves.
Wearily we were driven back to the ferry dock to catch the 1730 ferry back to Bequia. All in all it was quite a day and I wouldn’t have missed it for anything. Most cruisers do not bring their boats here because it is very unsafe with lots of boarding, rapes and murder. Most cruisers do what we did and take a ferry over for the day. Not once though did I feel unsafe, but then we had a very good driver who knew the island and where not to go. Never once did I get the feeling that I have in other islands – Yankee Go Home!
Stay tuned for more adventures from John & Carol aboard the S/V Sweet Caroline
We departed Mayreau 0945 Thursday May 27th and made it to the Tobago Cays in about an hour. The Tobago Cays are a cluster of five tiny uninhabited islands, collectively sheltered from the open sea by the appropriately named Horseshoe Reef. The Cays are a wildlife Reserve & Marine Park declared by the government with translucent waters filled with a kaleidoscope of colored fish, turtles and all kinds of coral. We were told the Marine Park has 57 coral species and is home to tropical fish of every kind. The Cays must surely be the jewel in St Vincent’s crown and one of the most magnificent settings imaginable. They are only accessible by boat and are one of the natural wonders of the western hemisphere. There was a sea turtle watching reserve near where we anchored which was designated with markers buoys around the beach of Baradal Cay. You could go over there and swim with the turtles.
After we anchored we took off in the dinghy to check things out. We decided it was too rough to snorkel and would do that tomorrow. We scooted around all the islands in our dinghy just to see all the beauty. It was really blowing out and when we got back to the boat the wind generator was doing its thing making lots of electricity.
The next day after breakfast we put our snorkel equipment in the dinghy and went out to the reef. They had moorings that your could tie off your dinghy to. We started getting our equipment ready to snorkel and Carol’s strap on one of her fins broke so it was back to the boat to get another one and fix it. We then went back out to where we were and got in the water and John’s snorkel mask was leaking and he couldn’t get a tight fit. We tried to get back in the dinghy to go back to the boat again and get another one. It was a comedy of errors and if it could go wrong it sure did! We finally got in the dinghy, (many bruises latter) and went back to the boat to get another mask for John. We then decided to go to one of the other islands and snorkel off the beaches. When we found a place that was sandy to go in without rocks and saw another 24’ power boat blocking our passage with people snorkeling all over the place. We decided to go back to where we were earlier and we then snorkeled in pristine, clear waters, over reefs with lots of coral and fish. For once we saw no sharks – but we were sure looking. We still don’t think the Tobago Cays compare to the Abaco, Bahamas, but that is our own opinion. There is a $20 EC ($7.45 US) charge per day to be in the Marine Park.
We departed the Tobago Cays 0930 on Saturday May 29th and arrived in Admiralty Bay, Bequia (Beck-Way), at 1500 which is the northernmost island in the Grenadines group, in the town of Port Elizabeth the Capital. Along the way we put out our fishing line but caught no fish. We had been to Bequia last year when we were on our way to Grenada but only was here for one day and that was Sunday so nothing was open.
Bequia, the name derived from a Carib Indian word meaning “Island Of The Cloud’s”, and lies nine miles south of St Vincent and is just five miles long and three miles wide for a total of seven sq. miles. Bequia is home to just under 5,000 people and the inhabitants, some of whom are descended from 19th century Scottish sailors, are friendly and easy going and always happy to strike up a conversation with visitors, a broad smile on their faces. The island is steeped in sea-faring traditions such as boat building, fishing and whaling. Bequians are a proud people and descendants of settlers who came from North America on whaling boats, from farms in Scotland, from France as freebooters and from Africa. The picturesque capital of Port Elizabeth has a sleepy, old-world ambience and you can walk from one end to the other in 20 minutes. There’s a great handicraft market, excellent fresh fruit and vegetables market run by friendly Bequians. Port Elizabeth is full of marine and land activity, Bars, Cafes and intriguing shops spread out along the coastal main street, overlooking a natural harbour. A narrow sidewalk along the shoreline at the south side of Port Elizabeth – known as the Belmont Walkway – provides the main access to many of the town’s restaurants and accommodations. In 1979, St Vincent and the Grenadines gained independence within the British Commonwealth. Bequia and the rest of the Grenadines, is governed from the “mainland” island of St Vincent whose governmental system is based on the Westminster style of parliamentary democracy. Bequia has enormous appeal and traffic has increased in recent years with the opening of their airport in 1992 and remains relatively untouched. Here in Bequia, change takes place at a snail’s pace without altering the magic and charm which prevails on this dazzling, sun-drenched little isle.
On Monday as soon as the stores opened we were off to visit the craft shops and check out restaurants. It had started to rain off and on most days as wave after wave (areas of disturbed weather) came through. So far no hurricanes and we were keeping up on all the weather reports via the Sirius Radio and the internet. We are finding dead squids on the deck in the mornings and they must jump up at night. We have talked to other boaters and they are getting them also. We have found prices to be reasonable but not as good as Grenada. We bought a hand fishing line and have tried to catch fish but so far – none.
Stay tuned for more adventures from John & Carol aboard the S/V Sweet Caroline
We pulled anchor May 13th and left for Clifton, Union Island in the Grenadines. It is located at the southern end of the Grenadines chain of islands about 40 miles south of St. Vincent and midpoint between St. Vincent and Grenada. It is sometimes called “Little Tahiti” on account of its high, almost vertical peaks which on a clear day are visible from St. Vincent’s Capital Kingstown. It features the highest point in the Grenadines, with its 1,000 foot Mount Tabai. It has about 3,000 inhabitants and approximately 3 miles long. The town of Clifton is full of color and local character, with a picture perfect little market around a green. It is the southern point of entry for customs clearance in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The Union islanders are very welcoming and friendly. Coming into the harbor we noticed that the 60 foot replica of a Kalinago dugout canoe called Karisko, that left Grenada on May 11th making stops in Union Island, Mustique, Bequia, St Vincent and Lt. Lucia en route to Martinique was just ahead of us. Boy that is some manpower of rowing. It was coming through Hillsborough, Carriacou before we left. The objective of the journey of the Akayouman is a symbolic re-enactment of an ancient Amerindian navigation route while linking the peoples of the Windward Islands. The Karisko project aims especially to create conditions for the Martiniquan people to re-connect with the Amerindian history and heritage of their island. Two boat boys met us as we came in and guided us to our anchorage. There sure were a lot of boats here and we were thankful for the boat boys guiding us in since we had never been here before and really didn’t know what to expect. They guided us to a nice sandy area near all the kite surfers. For those who have never seen them, they are on surf boards with lines attached to huge colorful kites. They were cruising in and out of the sailboats and at times I waited for them to get their lines tangled in the masts. If I was a little younger I would be out trying this. It really looked like fun. We were anchored near the S/V Scaramouch which is a West Indian Schooner used in one of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies. You can enjoy aboard this boat a daily trip to the Tobago Cays and play Captain Jack. After we got anchored we had the boat boys get us a bag of ice. When they came back they wanted $20 EC dollars ($7.44 US) and we thought we were getting ripped off. When we got to town we found that everywhere we went the bags of ice were all $15 EC dollars so we felt a little better about the boat boys. We walked around town checking everything out and found the price of food and drink was a lot higher than even Carriacou which was higher than Grenada. You don’t have much choice if you need something and even the selections were limited. We found some oysters crackers in one of the grocery stores and John bought all they had (4 bags). We found out later that this was a big mistake. They are really hard to find and every grocery store we go in that is the first thing John looks for. John can’t eat his Tomato Soup or Oyster Stew Soup without them. In fact when he was back in Florida he brought back about 6 bags. When we got back to the boat John decided to have some Oyster Stew and opened one bag of the oyster crackers and boy were they bad. The must have sat on that shelf for 3-4 years. We opened up another, and then another and all were the same. We threw them out for the birds to eat and I hope they don’t get sick.
One day we took a bus to Ashton and walked around. The main road was filled with bars and restaurants. We walked up a hill and saw a well that was built in the 1800’s and still used today to draw water. The houses all had cisterns to catch water on their roofs.
We were getting low on water so we pulled anchor May 19th and went over to Petite Martinique about 4 miles away. We pulled up to the dock and filled with water and got 3 bags of ice. It was a lot cheaper here and about a third the price than over in Union Island.
We left and headed for Chatham Bay which is on the west side (lee side) of Union Island with a large protected anchorage. It is a most beautiful yacht hideaway and dotted with local shacks which boasted great food and drink which we found out to be expensive at least more than we had been paying. There was no internet or cell phone service here. After anchoring we saw a few large turtle swimming around.
After a few days we decided to move a little north and go to Saline Bay, Mayreau. It is 1 ¼ square miles with a population of 250 people with a beautiful sandy beach. After anchoring we walked up the hill to the village. All along the walkways they had friendly bars and local restaurants. We stopped at one of the restaurants and had barbecue chicken and ribs. It was a great buy and the best we had seen since leaving Grenada. After lunch we continued up the hill to the quaint little stone Catholic Church (Immaculate Conception). We walked around to the back of the church and you could see the whole island. Boy what a view! The next day the mail ferry boat came from St. Vincent with about 100+ people aboard. We were told later they were here on holiday for a day.
Stay tuned for more adventures from John & Carol aboard the S/V Sweet Caroline