11/5 Monday

We got up early and dinghied ashore to do some walking. Walked along the beach and down the nature trail that circles around the salt pond. Returned via some of the roads. We had heard about bicycle and golf cart rentals, but when we inquired we were told that there were none yet available because it was early season. I wasn't eager to be nicked for the EC$75 "mechanical transport license" anyway, and never found out what the rental rates were. For now, walking would have to do.
By the time we were finished with our walk, the bakery had opened and we bought a few items to bring back to the boat. After breakfast I did some snorkeling and paddleboarding. There is decent snorkeling just south of the mooring field, and a dropoff where the reef extends into deeper water.
I brought a Suunto wristwatch which in addition to the altimeter feature also has a depth meter which records current and maximum depth reached. My maximum depth for the trip stood at 37 feet, and I decided to try to beat it. I got down pretty deep, but the watch only registered to 39 feet, showing just dashes below that. Maybe Suunto doesn't want to compete with its own diving products.

After lounging on the boat a bit, I went back ashore to do another hike on my own. Sometimes I wish I was better at relaxing, but I have a tendency to get restless. I walked north from the bay through the little village where a lot of the locals live, then past the airport and through the Cotton House resort. The Brits had had dinner there on their first evening and reported that it was very enjoyable but expensive (no surprise there).
The airfield is interesting, set in a swampy area inland, the runway curves up at both ends. The approach must be very steep, and there is a warning light telling you not to linger on the road crosses the approach path when planes are approaching; they have to come in very low over the road.
The whole island appears to be beautifully landscaped and there was constant traffic of workers in trucks and mules.

When I returned to the boat, Kenzo had brought out his kiteboarding board and was wakeboarding through the anchorage behind the 10hp dinghy. I would have like to try that too, but the little motor could barely get Kenzo out of the water and I knew I would be too heavy.

On the day we arrived in Mustique, we had done some snorkel exploration including dinghying out near Montezuma shoal, which lies about a half or three quarter miles outside the bay. On that day, the swells were breaking heavily over the shoal, with swells from different directions colliding and throwing up beautiful fans of glittering spray.
Now the swell had subsided, and since I saw no breaking waves all day I decided to go out and try to find the wreck of the Jonas that my guidebook said was in about 40 feet of water east of the shoal. Taking the dinghy in tow, I tried to follow what I estimated to be the 40 foot contour as best I could and started searching. I swam north against the current for a while, then doubled back in slightly shallower water searching the bottom. Visibility was quite good, and there was a lot of coral, but even more striking was some of the remains of what must have been an incredible reef. The bottom was littered with fallen pillar coral and there were standing remains of elkhorn of gigantic proportions. I saw a turtle flying by 25 feet below me unconcerned by my presence.
When some long objects came into view (spars from the superstructure) I knew I was close, and seconds later I saw the hulk on the bottom. It must be a fairly recent wreck, very much intact but encrusted in coral. A large barracuda hovered just over it. I dived down a few times, but was pretty tired by this time from fighting the current so I surfaced and tried sighting landmarks on shore as best I could so I could find it again to show my family.

After dinner aboard, we took our board game along and had a few drinks at Basil's Bar. I imagine this place is probably crowded in high season, but at this time it was fairly quiet. The drinks were good and pricey, but not outrageously so, EC$20 plus a bunch of tax and service charges.

Back on board I took the flashlight to do some night snorkeling... I intended to turn on the nav lights so I could more easily find my way back to our boat, but flipped the breaker for the nav instruments instead, so I had a harder time. Swimming among the boats in the dark can be a bit disorienting. It was pretty nice though, and I saw an eel which I'm not sure I've ever seen in the Caribbean before.

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