Windy and Rainy Day in Union

Monday morning we had a few last minute errands on Bequia shore...eggs, necklace seeds, nuts for banana bread (with all these bananas...yes, I'm making banana bread again!), and Internet to post blog...and email. We also chatted with P&J, they suggested stopping at Friendship Bay on Canoun Island for a night about an hour closer than Salt Whistle Bay, Mayreau. Paul set the course and off we went. Delightful sail...Yes, that is me on deck...pulling the preventer...winds a little too light for this heavy boat...12-14 knots...but we were able to get between 5-6 knots from her under full sail. I was taking pictures of Delphinis, and they were taking pictures of us. J even took a video of the Lady H under sail...she is always one step ahead!!So a bit slower than usual but still ahead of Delphinis, we rounded the turn and went between a rock (starboard) and the island (port)...the charts said we should have 2 feet more than the Lady H's 7 feet draft....well... there was quite a current ripping through...waves breaking to starboard on a reef near the rock (small island)...when we got to .7 feet under us I jumped down to the nav station to see what course in degrees we should be on...yep...the current had taken the us back and to port too far...Paul increased speed on course and whewwwwww...back to enough water!!! P&J saw our little sideways fiasco...and even with only a 6 foot draft decided to go around on the outside! As we went in to Friendship Bay (with a direct view of the Tobago Cays - lots of masts there), P&J radioed that it looked like the anchorage would be very rolly...as they saw our mast tip side to side...and yes, it would have been a rolly night...so quick decision...we turned around and both of us off to Salt Whistle Bay after all! J went ashore for a walk on the beach, P & I went snorkeling, and Paul...well...he did some boat chores. Happy hour on Delphinis and watching a French charter boat come in to the anchorage AFTER dark...and cause quite a stir...perhaps a few bumps...oh, heavens...evening entertainment again!!! Beautiful sunrise...then as the charter boats left we were able to re-anchor at the front of the Bay. There are always chores to do...and this day I was not going to have Paul do the chores and then be too tired for a nice snorkel...so off I went in my skin and hood and scrubbed the waterline. It had all sorts of growth and discoloration on just the water-line...and it took a lot of scrubbing!!! I must have been in the water two hours or more! Then after lunch P, Paul and I went snorkeling off the other point of Salt Whistle Bay.We found this Ray in fairly shallow water! Then an enjoyable evening of J's cooking, Paul's garlic bread...and Mexican Train (renamed by P to Snake - leave it to a Brit to need to change the name or pronunciation - Ha ha ha). Discussion of when to leave Mayreau...we wanted to get to Tobago Cays the next morning and enjoy it before the winds picked up.Beautiful Mayreau sunrise. Off we both sailed the next morning...well, motor sailed...well, mostly motored...it was only 2nm to dropping the hook! And, yes, as P had warned us this year there were MOORING BALLS everywhere!!! Paul was determined that we would not pick one up (they do charge)...and we saw other cruisers anchored here...we went over to a spot out of the way of the charter boats and anchored. My note here is....this is a beautiful Marine Park declared a wildlife preserve by the Government in 1998. The Park includes the island of Mayreau although they do not charge "entry fees" to anchor on the Salt Whistle Bay side. The very small islands of Petit Rameau, Petit Bateau, Baradel, and Jamesby (where we have anchored close to for the last two years) are half-mooned by Horseshoe Reef. There is Petit Tabac outside Horseshoe Reef that is seen in the above pictures as well. To have the moorings here for those that do not know how to anchor (what we call our evening entertainment) is a good thing, in fact I believe that all charter boats should have to pick up a mooring...and I don't mind paying the entry fee ($10ec per person per day) if indeed it helps to protect the area...it is very beautiful here...but, it also means that Paul and I don't stay here except one day...we see, we enjoy, and then we move on...that is my note. So, with only one day in the Park...up J and I went to the top of Jamesby Island for pictures...then P&J and I took Little Bit over to Baradel to snorkel with the Green turtles. They were all munching on the grass until they had to go up for air and for the most part ignoring us...so it was fun to get some pictures! I also came across this Flying Gunard... After lunch, we all went over to the Horseshoe Reef for snorkeling (diving is not allowed unless you are accompanied by a local dive operator - and Paul and I went last year - one dive on Horseshoe Reef and one the Wreck of Purina). We had heard that there was a current over on the Horseshoe Reef so we took both dingy's and snorkeled from one to the other on the dingy moorings! Very nice snorkel...although both Paul and I prefer the diving...and Paul even spotted a Spotted Eagle Ray...J followed him/her and kept track of him while I came over with the camera....which I then zoomed after with my camera...I had to zoom after him/her a few times - oh how I like these fins!! I actually got a few good pictures even though the visibility was not the greatest! I have also determined that taking pictures with the new camera snorkeling is much harder than taking pictures while diving. It is so heavy and bounces with every wave!! During the night the wind started and by morning it was pretty choppy in the Park...so P&J decided to follow us to Union after all and not stay in the Park for another night. It was a motorsail to Clifton, Union, again, only 2 miles...a VERY DEEP anchorage (well, 35 feet or more where we wanted to be) and contrary to what we had heard up island...the Joyce boat is running...with diesel from Trinidad not Venezuela...so Paul is happy and we will get more fuel before we head out.... All around the Clifton anchorage are very shallow reefs. The above is looking from the Clifton anchorage looking over to the Tobago Cays. We were only stopping to get bread since we were out, to call Matt as he had had surgery on his knee, and check out the scuba tank air refill cost. J and I went in to Clifton and walked into the grocery stores...not real well stocked...but J did find some nice tomatoes in a small open air market and we both found some bread and buns. P&J were able to get really good Internet on their boat so they stayed at Union for the night. Paul and I sailed (and then motored) over to an anchorage on the west side of the island - Chattam Bay - an hour away - hook down before four o'clock. Here, there were only 7 boats when we arrived. Nice quiet Bay and quiet anchorage. Very steep beach's and nothing on the beaches except a few huts, of course that may have to do with the fact that a road was built only a few years ago...not sure what the road looks like as this Bay is surrounded by tall hills - in other words it may not be a road I would want to travel! Next morning we chatted with a couple from Nova Scotia as they snorkeled by the boat...they said that the visibility was not the greatest...so I decided not to get wet. P&J were going to join us here but called on the radio with transmission issues. Paul gave P a quick fix...but they now will be heading for Prickly Bay, Grenada early Saturday morning to get repairs done. We were planning on a Friday night BBQ on the beach with an entrepreneur...called Shark Attack...he came by the boat and we fixed the price and ordered lobster. He then came by later with them for our approval. We were to go to the beach hut at 7:00pm - got into Little Bit about 6:15pm and headed in. Just as we were thinking about where we should land the dingy on the beach (there is no dingy dock here) three HUGE swells in a row broke on the beach and almost took out one of their boats (because the wind shifted to NE 15-20 the swells curve around into this Bay). With it getting dark...and the swells only suppose to be getting bigger...we thought better of having our lobster dinner and went back to the boat! The owner of Shark Attack appeared around 6:45pm with our dinner - cooked lobster on plates, rice, salad and potatoes!!! He understood with the swell that it was unsafe for us to come in to shore...so he brought dinner to us!! We transferred all the food over to our plates, gave him his plates back, paid him, thanked him for his extra effort and ate dinner!! This way we even have LEFTOVERS!! Very cool...and VERY GOOD! We motored over to Union to meet up with P&J who didn't get out of Clifton on their way to Grenada today...Paul is over helping P now....it is blowing to 30 knots and raining off and on..."Snake" on the boat later this afternoon with P&J then Paul's spaghetti and garlic bread. Tomorrow depends on the weather.....