Captain Mark - who was your Dad? Joshua Slocum?! :-)

I will definitely come to your bar when I'm next in Dominica

I ended up settling in St Vincent because, like yourself I sense, I wanted to live somewhere that was more off-the-beaten track, and naturally beautiful with as little as possible "modernisation" or human intrusion.

I absolutely preferred Rodney Bay as it was 30 years ago, than as it is today - but that's a very personal thing: the truth is that 30 years ago you couldn't buy fresh milk or butter in Rodney Bay, there were 2 bars, two small hotels, and 3 restaurants. That was it. No marina, no boat yard, no mall, no traffic lights. A different pace of life.

When you live on mainland St Vincent, going to places like Barbados or Rodney Bay, St Lucia, really is like "going to the big city".

But at the end of the day, I think Rodney Bay gives most folks a very good balance - all the amenities and services, but without the fury of "the big city".

Regarding safety - the truth is that as tourism increases in poorer countries, so does crime. But the truth is also that crime remains pretty low in these parts and if you take "normal precautions" you'll be fine. I've cruised 3 of my own yachts here over the years and have never had any issue whatsoever (maybe the state of the vessels suggested, correctly, that I wasn't worth robbing...).