A Virgin In The Grenadines

Having bareboated in the Virgin Islands many times, my wife and I were looking for a new destination to explore this year. With the help of TTOL and Rob, Stinky, Herve and Seth I planned our trip to the Grenadines. My sailing experience is mostly on the east end of Long Island and New England and was introduced to Caribbean cruising in 1995 through my good friend and college roommate, Jim Fritz (www.flamboyance.com) in the BVI and can’t get enough of it now. The crew for our trip consisted of; my amazing wife Joanne, her brother Charlie, Charlie’s girlfriend Mary, and Bernadette and Darren our newlywed friends. We chose this crew based on a strict set of criteria, which included: their ability to laugh, make good drinks and have fun. Sailing ability was not a requirement, as I figured what they didn’t know they could make up along the way. In fact, this would be Mary, Bernadette and Darren’s first trip to the Caribbean and first time on a sailing vessel. I knew we selected the right crew when during our “manage your expectations” dinner the only questions related to going out at night. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/toast.gif" alt="" />

We departed JFK to Barbados on May 15th and planned on meeting the remainder of our crew on the Caribbean Star connection to St. Vincent. Our flight arrived a little late and Barbados airport was extremely crowded due to a 747 from England, which arrived just before us. After a very stressful check in process Caribbean Star held the flight for us, escorted us to the plane and made a maddening situation much better. Note to self: leave at least 2 hours for future trip connections. We were happy but the rest of the passengers were anxious to get going, but hey everyone appeared to be on vacation so there were no ruffled feathers in the end. Our crew was united and we were bound for SVG to begin our adventure. I was anxious to get provisioned prior to our arrival at the Sunsail base because we wanted to leave the dock at the crack of dawn and get the most out of our first day. Our arrival at the Sunrise market after 5pm on Saturday evening proved to be a mistake. They basically had little food; no fresh fruits (which I thought SVG was known for) and few drink choices. I was on beverage duty and made sure we didn’t leave without the required rum, beer and fruit juice provisions. Charlie and I were excited to find fresh nutmeg and fresh cinnamon even if we would be eating rice and beans all week. We made due and figured we could fill in the provisioning gaps along the way. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Banana.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pirate.gif" alt="" />

We arrived at Sunsail around 7PM and were impressed with their base, which was much nicer and larger than I expected. We were met, escorted to our yacht and began making ourselves at home. Our yacht’s name was La Gavolta Chieflada, a 2002 Lagoon 380, which became kind of joke for the entire trip because nobody at Sunsail or anywhere else knew what it translated to. It was more spacious than I imagined and the cabins were larger than comparable monohulls so everyone’s first impression was favorable. The only downside was the small refrigerator size. It was a beautiful night with clear skies and tons of stars out. We were all very excited to get going in the morning. We had dinner at the base and met the crew from a bareboat which had just returned from a ten day charter and they told stories of lots of rain and big seas which only made me think that since it rained all week before we should have a beautiful sunny week, right? We drank beers on the tramps, listened to music and star gazed until about 1AM at which time we called it a night. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/drinking.gif" alt="" />

Being my first experience in the Grenadines and first time sailing a catamaran I hired a captain for the first day. This allowed us to leave at the crack of dawn without a chart briefing in the morning, which would be done onboard, and I would gain some pointers on sailing the cat. We awoke to overcast skies and light rain. Everyone was a bit hung over and lost their excitement to shove off ASAP. I located our captain, Garret, and we were off. Garret ended up being awesome and I would highly recommend him to anyone considering assistance with his or her trip. After introductions I asked him if he knew Herve and Stinky of TTOL fame and he burst out laughing... It was apparent that they had met. We left the dock at 9AM with a very hung over crew as the skies growing darker and darker, not a good combination. We cleared the harbor markers and Garret suggested that we use a double reef to start, which I found a little suspicious since there was only about a 5 knot breeze blowing but I went along with it. Within 5 minutes it was raining monsoon type rain and blowing 27 knots gusting to 30+. It was exciting and cleared my hangover instantly. Who cares…we were on our way. Garret and I got the sails up and proceeded into the growing seas. After about an hour I noticed the crew was looking a little green. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Hangover.gif" alt="" /> Everyone was huddled inside trying to stay dry but as the seas grew most would be forced out to purge and begin anew. Garret and I were already soaked with a cold Carib in hand when we took a wave in the cockpit just before the bullet. This was not going to be one of those perfect starts to a sailing vacation but we had to get to Mustique one way or another. It was actually exhilarating climbing up the swells and surfing down their face but would have been better if the sun were out. With Beckett playing and cold drinks flowing we just kept trying to convince ourselves that the sun was going to come out soon. We arrived in Brittana bay and the rain finally stopped and the skies appeared to brighten....ahh the power of positive thought. I offered the suggestion that we go out to lunch and get off the boat, which was met by cheers. Since it was not a nice day we went to Basils and had hamburgers and some rum punch. Everyone was starting to feel a little better now. We decided to head to Macaroni Beach and hope that the sun comes out. A swim in the ocean always rejuvenates the soul. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" />

I found a phone and called New York to check on my parents and was informed that my dad had been hospitalized. My family encouraged me to continue my trip and that he would be ok but that I should check in daily. I explained the situation to Garret and asked him to join us for the remainder of our trip in case my wife and I would have to leave unexpectedly. He understood and was very accommodating but mentioned that he would like to fly back to St. Vincent and get some clothes and meet us in the morning. We had a quiet night in Mustique and no one was up for going up to the Firefly for a drink since they were still feeling the effects from the prior night and a rocking-n-rolling sailing day, besides it was raining again. We all had a great night sleep with no swell in the harbor and met Garret in the morning.

Off to Salt Whistle Bay, Mayreau. I was expecting this to be our best sail of the trip and got everyone excited to finally get in the sailing mode and forget the previous day. It was very dark at 10AM when we set sail and raining lightly but the seas were calm…too calm. After 2 hours of motor sailing in 5 knots of wind we were approaching Canouan and waiting for the wind to pick up so we could turn off the annoying engines and finally be sailing. These were the Windward Islands after all….right? At least everyone was feeling well. We had tunes cranking and were punching in anticipation of the sun which we still had not seen the entire trip. With little wind, it took us just over 4 hours to get to Mayreau and drop the hook. We were all anxious to get in the water and wasted no time. A good swim and snorkel, lunch, more punching and we were off to enjoy the island. The beach bar was very nice and we made ourselves at home. We met a couple from New Jersey who is retired and spending a month on a yacht to see it they want to do a live aboard which had us all jealous and inquisitive. That evening the French Switch.fr armada arrived with 4 large cats anchoring very close to the beach. A few of their crew arrived at the beach bar and were not very friendly. What’s up with the attitude while on vacation we thought? Anyway, back to La Gavolita Chieflada for dinner and drinks and our first meeting with Free Willy. Willy arrives and is welcomed like the rock star that he is. After being immortalized on the Usual Suspects website and by the Dude’s cruise II etc. he doesn’t believe the fame he achieved and got a big kick out of it. After five or six Caribs he was feeling fine and gave us the whole story about why is know as Free Willy. When I mentioned that I was supposed to buy a tee shirt for Stinky he began laughing and remembered the shirt. Just the mention of Stinky brings smiles to everyone’s face and a laugh of a good time experienced with him but also a look like, I can’t explain. It was getting late so Willy took off and promised to meet us in the Cays the next day. Dinner onboard and we were looking for some nightlife. Ashore we met Curtis the taxi driver who was great. He told us everything was closed but that Paradise Bar may be open and offered to drive us. We arrived and were the only patrons. Had two beers and left….so much for the nightlife. This was the first time I had drinks with my cab driver prior to getting a ride home. I doubt I’ll try it in New York City but it was all part of the adventure. Anyway we were excited for our first visit to Tobago Cays in the morning and praying for a clear day. Off to sleep, dreaming about the sun. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/toast.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Cheers.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" />

We awoke to a beautiful sunrise, went for a swim and I met Curtis on the dock for a quick provisioning trip to town. Not much to be had but ice, beer, bread and eggs. We were on the hook at the Cays by noon after a brief water stop at Union. With all the rain you would think you could catch some but the way the scuppers are designed on the cat we were not successful. Charlie attempted to design a funnel system but I doubt it collected much more than a gallon. We had a perfect sunny day at the cays and now everyone felt great. Snorkeling, swimming, catching rays, exploring the islands and hanging with the boatboys passed the time. The snorkeling was exceptional highlighted by a few squid, which I attempted to keep up with. We had a printout of The Usual Suspect’s “Boatboys of the Grenadines” and welcomed each vendor by their real names instead of the name on their boats. This became a fun game to play and the guys got a laugh out of it as well not knowing how we knew their actual names and enjoyed their newly discovered celebrity status. We bought a fresh black fin tuna for dinner and had the fillets marinating for our BBQ that evening. Willy stopped by at the end of the day and caught me during a siesta so I missed getting Stinky’s tee shirt but we held out hope for a visit from him at PSV. We had a great night on the hook while in the cays with about 10 knots of wind and no rain. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" />

The next morning we woke up and it was overcast and raining lightly….not again! We were off to Mopion and PSV for the night. We bid farewell to Tobago Cays and discussed the development projects currently under way by the SVG government. After visiting it is easy to see that they do not need moorings there but could use some supervision. Garret mentioned that the cays were not very crowed that day, there were about 30 boats and that there could be over 100 boats during the winter months. Even so it appeared that there would be plenty of anchoring space. I think most visitors would be willing to pay a fee to visit which would support a park ranger to maintain the integrity of this beautiful area to enforce fishing, dumping and littering regulations. Just my two cents... Our experience with the boatboys was great. I know other bareboaters have expressed some reservations about encounters with them but we found them polite and respectful overall. We purchased some items, gave others a cold drink and let others know we didn’t need anything at that moment. All our encounters were pleasant and courteous. We placed an order for some fresh bread and ice to be delivered in the morning and it arrived just as our morning coffee began to perk and it was still warm….life was pretty good today! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" />

We motor sailed through the rain to Mopion and upon arriving the rain stopped and the skies brightened just enough to entice us to pack the cooler and have a few cold ones on the beach. The snorkeling was great around the reef but very shallow. There was a couple from Seattle eating lunch under the shelter so we claimed the south side of the island. Soon we needed a bottle opener and I had to see if there really was one mounted to the shelter so we struck up some conversation with this couple that were guests at PSV resort. A great day on the sandbank was had by all and then we moved on to PSV for the night. With the rain holding out but overcast skies everyone went for a swim then a few of us took the dink to Petite Martinique for some provisions. A great little market and town exists there but because it is part of Grenada they don’t sell Hairoun or Carib, instead they had Old Milwaukee and Heineken. I could not bring myself to buy Old Swill while in paradise so we went with the Heineken. A sleepy little town with school kids playing cricket and boats being built, I would definitely recommend it as a quick provisioning stop and worth the visit. The market had a decent selection of frozen meats and a good selection of other foods and snacks. Upon our return we decided to visit the resort at PSV to look for our friends from Mopion. The beach bar was closed so we decided to visit the main resort bar where we were the only people there. Just as Rob’s website describes it is a pretty cool place. Open-air structure, hummingbirds flying around, lazy labs lying about and a nice upscale lounge area. We ordered some frozen drinks and let the reggae music take control. About two hours later and 3 frozen drinks it was time to head back to the yacht. Happy hour continued until it got dark with dancing on the deck and swimming between the hulls. We made a great dinner and were asleep by 10PM. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/toast.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Groovin.gif" alt="" />

We awoke intending to leave early but it was sunny and beautiful, the anchorage at PSV is fantastic. It is shallow all the way over to Petite Martinique so when the sun shines the turquoise water really shows itself off. We hung around swimming and left for lunch at Palm Island around noon. Upon our arrival it was overcast and raining again with little or no wind, just our luck. At this point we guessed that the name of our boat, “La Gavolta Chieflada” translated to the “bringer of the rain” and that the clouds were actually following us. Palm Island was a nice lunchtime stop, the food was good and not overly expensive but there are many signs restricting non guest from most areas on the island. It is a beautiful location with a fantastic beach, but a terrible anchorage. We stopped again at Union Island for water and left late for Canouan to overnight. We arrived in steady rain and everyone was tired so we had a simple dinner and called it a night. It rained very hard all night and we awoke to rain. Our plan was to get up around 6AM and be under way by 7AM to make the most of Bequia. I tried to prepare everyone for what may be another wild ride, which had the crew anxious. We set sail in the rain and 5 knots of wind and rain. It was as close to dead calm as you could imagine. The whole way to Bequia the seas were under 1 foot but no wind to speak of. Rain Rain Rain, Yuck! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cloud.gif" alt="" />I was trolling some lures I brought hoping to catch lunch but had no luck. We arrived in Admiralty Bay, took a mooring by the Frangipani and went to have an early lunch at the Green Bouley because I was talking about roti the entire trip and knew this would be the place to find the best. We found the restaurant but it was closed for a few days so we went to the Gingerbread which was great with some of the best Calaloo soup you will find but no roti and they make some great rum punches too. It was our final day so we started punching early and walked around town where we purchased a nice picture of the launching of Bob Dylan’s boat, which he had constructed on Bequia. It was overcast and raining lightly off and on. Finally we headed back to the boat for a siesta and some of us went to Princess Margaret Beach to pray for sun. The beach is beautiful but lined with Manchineel trees, which we were careful to avoid since it was raining. We went to happy hour at the Fragnapani while waiting for our reservation at Mac’s Pizza, which wasn’t until 9PM. After a few rum punches with Sunset rum we were all getting a little loopy. Sunset is interesting rum, it has many uses which include: nail polish remover, paint thinner, charcoal lighter fluid and of course additions to rum drinks. I doubt I’ll try it again for the same reasons I don’t drink grain alcohol but it was an experience. We were all getting very hungry around 8PM and discussing our reservation when the woman next to us overheard our conversation and claimed to be the owner of Mac’s. She mentioned that our table was ready and that we should head over. It seemed a bit strange but things just have a way of working themselves out sometimes. We got the whole story about Mac’s and got to meet a very nice person even if the Sunset made me forget her name. She did mention that she is from Toronto so I asked her if she knew Rob or the Usual Suspects. I figured everyone from Toronto knew each other, but she claimed to know the yacht better than Rob. Mac’s food was excellent and should not be missed if you are visiting Bequia! We sat next to a table of bareboaters from Sweden who we met at the Fragnapani happy hour. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/drinking.gif" alt="" /> They were a bit over served and challenged each other to a pizza-eating contest. In between drinks and pizza they would sing Swedish drinking songs and we kept encouraging them. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/toast.gif" alt="" /> They wanted to hear a good American song from us but the only thing we could all come up with was the theme to Gilligan’s Island. Lots of laughs were had as the night went on highlighted by their skipper passing out from eating/drinking too much. He won the contest but had to be carried back to their boat. Since lobster was out of season there was no lobster pizza but the fish pizza was outstanding. I know fish pizza sounds a little weird but it really was excellent and I can’t wait to attempt to make it at home this summer. Delicious! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/dine.gif" alt="" />I wish we could have spent about 3 more days on Bequia but it was time to head back to St. Vincent the next morning.

The next morning was overcast again but no rain. We had a beautiful sail up the coast of Bequia in 20 knots of wind with JB singing to us the entire way, sailed up through the Young Island Cut and were back at Sunsail by 11AM. Our crew scrambled to get their stuff together and get to the airport but my wife and I were spending three more days on St. Vincent to relax and seek out that elusive roti. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" />

Joanne and I stayed at the Grand View on St. Vincent, which is an old converted plantation house with lots of character overlooking Bequia and Young Island from the top of a beautiful dramatic bluff. The accommodations were adequate, the views excellent, pool and gym were great and restaurant was nothing short of top notch. They even made a great roti at their beach bar, so I was happy. The staff was excellent and took a genuine interest in our comfort. We had grand elusions of exploring the island but ended up just relaxing by the pool and beach for a few days. After all we were on vacation and the sun actually came out for us. We did make it to Young Island for lunch one day and ventured into Kingstown on another afternoon but that was the extent of our travels. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/circle.gif" alt="" />

All in all it was a great trip and I hope to return. The Grenadine Islands are beautiful and very green, especially after our week of rain down there. My favorite part of our trip was the people we met. All the locals we met were very friendly and welcoming, almost as if they already knew us. We met many more Europeans than Americans, which was a fun and an interesting change. It made me wish I could speak more than one language because the Germans, Scandavians, and Italians all spoke English adequately but we could not reciprocate. Well we tried but received more laughs than anything else. The French were more difficult and less open. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/usflag.gif" alt="" />Joanne and I love to meet people from other cultures and countries. We believe vacation should be a relaxing experience, especially in the Caribbean; after all we were in the land of no problems and good times. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" />

The weather was bad for most of our trip but we made the best of it. Our crew was great to say the least. For first time bareboaters they made the best of a soggy situation and their company and friendship remain unsurpassed. Joanne and I have done numerous bareboat trips and always discover something new. This trip we were sold on owning an Apple ipod. If you’re not familiar with these digital music players start learning. If you love music, go out and buy one. We have 8000 songs on a device smaller than a pack of cigarettes and it wirelessly connects (with itrip) to the yachts stereo. It saves space in you luggage and on the nav table, leave all the CDs at home, and you will never run out of your favorite music or have to change a CD during your entire trip. My dad is OK but being from a close family I found it extremely difficult to be on vacation during this difficult stretch. Adding Garret to our crew turned out to be a great decision. We had lots of fun learning about the local point of view of things and laughing a lot. He has never been to the states or a big city before and promised to visit us soon since he has other friends in NYC. Hopefully he will be visiting this summer but I had to promise to round up Stinky for the visit. He has delivered yachts to Greece and Croatia for Sunsail and shared many interesting stories regarding these destinations, which Joanne and I have been considering for future trips. My personal opinion of sailing a catamaran (floating RV) was less than favorable. I did not like the way it sailed with a jerky motion that I found unnatural, it doesn’t point up-wind well without the engines running and can’t sail down-wind. At anchor it easily surpassed a monohull with lots of room and plenty of space to layout on the deck and tramps with no spilled drinks. I would like to experience a larger cat in the future because I think it may sail better but will be on a monohull for my next trip. We were excited to find some Hairoun products in New York City. Our favorite was the bitter lemon drink, which is similar to Ting if you substitute lemon for grapefruit. If you have specific questions regarding this destination feel free to email, call or visit us in New York City. I welcome the opportunity to re-live the good times shared in Grenadines! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/toast.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Banana.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" />

Ken

Favorite Anchorage: Tobago Cays is the easy answer but I’m going with PSV.
Favorite lunchtime stop: Mopion
Favorite Snorkeling: Tobago Cays
Favorite Restaurant: Mac’s Pizza
Favorite Rum: Mount Gay Reserve
Favorite Beer: Hairoun Bottles
Favorite non alcoholic beverage: Hairoun Bitter Lemon
Favorite Beach: Palm Island
Favorite Beach Bar: Salt Whistle Bay Club
Favorite Boatboy: Free Willy a.k.a. Ken Williams
Favorite Local Food: Calaloo Soup
Favorite Local Saying: “Are you punching yet mon?”
Favorite Island: Bequia
Favorite Local Music Artist: Beckett
Theme Song for Trip: The Rain Song – Led Zeppelin

Some pics from our trip:
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