26 August 2011

Grenada to Mayreau: 25/08/11 – 26/08/11

By the morning the swell has calmed down somewhat and getting on and off the boat is a little easier.  There’s provisioning to be done so the office get us a taxi and off we go to Spiceland Mall via the police station to report the theft in Ann’s luggage.  As we thought, the police don’t want to know as it is down to the airport authorities in New York. 

Rock (our lovely taxi driver) waits for us while we go around the supermarket which is well stocked with things from Tesco and Waitrose (strangely).  We get everything we need and stagger back to the boat with the bags.  Then all we have to do is wait for the laundry to come back and we’re off.

P1080845Photo:  Ann on the back of Jeannius

P1080847Photo:  Leaving True Blue Marina and the Dodgy Dock Bar

It’s a cloudy day and a little rough as we go around the corner to St George’s, the capital of Grenada.  Instead of putting the anchor straight down in the anchorage outside, Mike motors slowly around the Carenage, the main shopping area, so that we can get a good look. 

P1080856Photo:  The Carenage, St George’s

We discover that all the drinking water we made yesterday for the bottles has a sulphurous smell, somewhat farty if truth be told, although it tested as pure, so before we can hit the sack, all the bottles have to be rinsed out, the water maker flushed and the bottles re-filled.  There must have been an underwater volcanic spring near True Blue (the water did have a yellowish tinge to it there but I just thought it was sand).  This time the water tastes great.

P1080865 Photo:  My crew (Terry’s knickers acting as windbreaks on the port side of the boat)

On Friday morning we head on up to Carriacou eating luch on the way.  I make a couscous salad, forgetting how difficult it is to eat in the wind.  It seems that more ends up over the table and the cockpit than in our mouths.  What a mess. 

2011-08-26IMG_0833 Photo:  Alice and I trying to eat couscous in the wind!

While Mike goes ashore to clear out, Terry and I go for a wander along the main street. 

P1080866 Photo:  Arriving in the crystal clear waters of Carriacou

People seem very friendly here, especially a local policeman who chats to me before offering me tickets for a fundraising event to be held at the weekend.  When I tell him we won’t be there he asks me for a donation to the cause anyway.  I call Mike over and he pays up.  Well you have to, don’t you?  I tell Mike that next time I will just say we haven’t got any money on us and he points out that if I do that we’ll probably get arrested for vagrancy!

P1080870 P1080876 P1080872 P1080880 P1080890 P1080895 P1080888 Photos:  Life, signage and Jeannius at Carriacou

It’s then on to Union island to clear in.  One of the boat boys works hard to get us to take either the dock or one of his mooring balls for the half an hour we need – for a price – but Mike anchors us in front of Happy Island and shoots off in the dinghy,  arriving back EC$200 poorer (overtime starts at 1600 hrs!) in time to get the anchor up and get us over to Mayreau before dark.

2011-08-26IMG_0876 Photo:  Bathed in light from the setting sun as we approach Mayreau, Ann, Alice and I

Ann and Alice decide they want me to cut Terry’s hair and eyebrows – both are looking a little bushy.  Terry is unsure about both and gets away with it tonight as it’s too dark to do anything outside by the time the anchor is down.  I’m sure they won’t let him get away with it for long!

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