Monday 27/12/10
Had breakfast on board, cereal, grapefruit, and sour sop. The thing about sour sop is it is rock hard for days on end then without warning turns ripe and 10 minutes later it is a rotten mess, at least that is the way is seems. Tastes like a sweet grapefruit. We sailed under a fresh breeze to Salt whistle Bay in Mayreau. A very beautiful anchorage, but it can get crowded. Had a lunch of cold lobster salad with whole wheat pita bread. Went ashore for a couple hours, the beach and swimming were very nice. Walked over to the windward side and it was one empty beach after another around each bend. The water was every shade of blue you could imagine. We headed over to Canouan to anchor for the night. Dinner was a delicious Dorado that Will had caught on the ARC with rice and local pumpkin. Sundowners were gin and tonics, the perfect afternoon drink in this heat IMO. Nick was the only one to go to shore, he heard music coming from the bar and it was like the sirens call. He changed the TV channel to Monday Night Football, just to be met with the entire bar clamoring for the cricket game to be back on. On board we enjoyed some beers and some of the crew played a game of scrabble. Since the majority of the crew speak English as opposed to American I opted out so as not to create an international incident. We took a mooring, $40 EC, since the holding was not that great; a couple of boats next to us started out on their anchors but switched to moorings after they started to drag in the fresh breeze. I would recommend taking a mooring from the start just for the peace of mind and a good night’s sleep.
Tuesday 28/12/10
We left Canouan early for a long leg to St. Vincent. The wind and sea were lively so we enjoyed a fine sale. We made a lunch stop in Petite Bayhaut. The bar listed in the guide book is closed and was beginning to show signs of neglect; becoming overgrown with vines and some roof damage. The snorkeling was alright but not worth a stop if that is the only reason you would go there. The bay is very beautiful, palm trees grow down the mountain slope right to the edge of the water. It was a very idealic stop until a couple charter cats from Martinique and a day boat of cruise shippers. We had lunch of shrimp salad wraps with a cocktail/mayo sauce topped with some homemade salsa I brought along. We decided to try Cumberland Bay in St. Vincent. We usually stop at Willalabou but it was decided that Cumberland will now be the place to go. A couple of young boys paddled up and asked for some fishing line. I spooled some on a cork and added a new worm harness, their eyes lit up like it was Christmas. We arranged for a roast suckling pig from Abe (pronounced Abby). He went directly to the farm to pick it up, most of the crew passed on seeing it before they killed it on the beach. Let me tell you this meal rivaled the lobster BBQ in the Cays. We would finish one tray of meat and he would remove another from the grill, this went on until all nine of us were stuffed. A lot of locals hang out at the rum shack the meal took place at and that just added to the atmosphere. The people were genuinely friendly, just as described in the guide. If you are only going to make one stop in St. Vincent this would be the place. There are no customs facilities at Cumberland but the one in Willalabou is just a short dingy or bus ride away. The cost for the pig roast with rice, potato salad and raw salad (cole slaw without dressing) was $450 EC, a very good deal split 9 ways. We had nightcaps of Chairmen’s Reserve Rum and made it an early night in preparation for our hike up the volcano tomorrow. As a side note we earlier stopped in Black Barons Bar for mojitos and wifi. The drinks were horrid, Nick didn’t even want to finish his, and the service was rude.