I’m looking down at the bottom of the ocean 30 feet below as we glide across small coral formations and a sand bottom. The ocean floor is rising from the depths as approach the Bequia shoreline with La Pompe directly in front of us. Our Captain, Alick, announces we will be tacking and the crew springs into action. While this scenario has been played out numerous times for many a captained charter boat, this time it is very special for I am a crew on a local fishing boat, Limbo Dance, and I’m racing in the 2008 Bequia Easter Regatta.



My 50 year old, 200 pound body is stretched out on the trapeze wire and my feet have just gone numb straining against the boat’s gunnel as a gust hits and I extend just a bit further outboard to keep the boat level. Behind us is the Iron Duke, one of the original whaling boats brought to the island from Nantucket over a century ago. Until this leg of the race the Iron Duke was leading, but after a 3 mile beat, with Alick’s skill at the helm and knowledge of the local conditions we were able to pass them and now held a strong advantage as we approached the next mark. The crowds above, lining the La Pompe shoreline, cheered us in recognition of this accomplishment as they have been intently watching the entire race. The crew is now busy shifting the ballast, 60 pounds of sand per bag to the center of the boat in anticipation of the tack. Alick tacks the boat and I get a 10 second rest as I scramble across the boat and hook into the trapeze wire. Then its out on the rail as the boat quickly accelerates on the new tack. The race was over 4 hours and the total distance was on the order of 25 miles and I’m beat as 6 bags of ballast are unloaded and 2000 pound boat is manually dragged ashore at the fish station below Paget Farm after the race. With the local party in full swing the boat is secured and put away, ready for tomorrow race and my attention returns to Darcy, who has been watching the race with Selma, Alick’s wife.

Darcy and I broke a pledge that we would never return to the same location twice for our vacation. Our reasoning was simple, there were too many islands to explore and you can never duplicate the fun you had the first time on an island. After last years vacation in St. Vincent and the Grenadines we knew we had to return and just having learned about the Easter Regatta, we booked this vacation around the event. The week prior, the two of us chartered a monohull from Barefoot Yacht Charters in St. Vincent and for the regatta we stayed in the Lower Bay at Keegan’s Beach Resort. Our home waters on Lake Minnetonka in the Twin Cities of Minnesota were still covered with 27 inches of ice when we left and we were looking forward to two weeks reconnecting with the islands and people of SVG. Darcy and I often discussed how much fun it would be to race on one of the fishing boats for the regatta, but the reality for me seemed a bit far fetched. I thought, at best, I would track down one of the ‘lead belly’s’ that entered the race that were looking for crew. Now, Darcy is one determined woman and put out e-mails to all the contacts she knew in SVG. Two responded with a recommendation to track down Alick at his sail loft when we hit Bequia. The first afternoon of our charter, a week prior to the regatta, we anchored in Admiralty Bay and proceeded to Port Elizabeth to buy some fresh fruit at the Rasta Market and to track down Alick. Darcy and I found his loft on Back Street and introduced ourselves. I explained to him how it was suggested we contact him should he be in need of a crew. I described the type of boats that I currently race which is the A Class Scow found in the inland lakes of the upper Midwest of the US, specifically in Wisconsin and Minnesota. These monohull boats are 38 foot with no ballast; a crew of 6 or 7 keeps them upright. You race them with the leeward rail just above the water to reduce the wetted surface and maximize their speed. With their masthead 1500 square foot spinnaker hoisted in a strong breeze, they have been clocked at 25 knots! Names such as Buddy Melges and Olaf Harken compete in this class and getting 30 of these speedsters for major regattas makes for some interesting sailing. Alick listened intently and said while his preference was to have a local crew; he did want to get out sailing to look at the new genoa he made. I agreed to meet him at the Limbo Dance the next morning for a sail. Our plan to depart for Mayreau the next morning was going to be delayed, but the thought of getting out on a fishing boat was too good to pass up. Darcy agreed.

The following morning Darcy and I arrived at the boat shortly before Alick. Darcy came to town to do some shopping and we would then meet after the sail. Alick and I rigged the boat and once complete people were cajoled to help launch the boat off the beach.



Once afloat, Alick went off in search of his crew which proved to be a difficult task. With it still a week before the regatta, crew was in short supply. Alick found two strong young boys to handle the jib and Darcy had just showed up and was invited along. As the boat headed out, Darcy and I knew we were in for a once in a lifetime experience. We sailed around the harbor and Alick found a couple of things with his new sails that required his attention. He asked Darcy to steer so he could take a closer look! Now Darcy’s total experience of sailing a boat with a tiller can be counted on one hand, but with Alick’s patience, she did a great job weaving through the anchored boats and gusts in Admiralty Bay. This experience came to an end as we informed Alick we really needed to leave for Mayreau so we would still make it with plenty of sun light. I told him I would touch base with him when we returned to Bequia for the regatta to see if he still needed a crew. As we sailed to Mayreau, we talked about how lucky we were to have gone sailing on a fishing boat and also to have met someone as special as Alick.

Darcy and I also reflected on our current vacation on the way to Mayreau. So far, any concerns with heading back to SVG were completely misplaced. Our flights down were flawless and Liat did a great job getting us to the island. Our first night was spent at the Barefoot apartment which we highly recommend. The room is great, it has an incredible view of Bequia, there is a wonderful veranda, and the bar and restaurant is right down the stairs. After a solid nights sleep, we enjoyed a quite morning as our charter boat, Three C’s was prepared. Phillip gave us a very informative chart briefing and helped answer some lingering questions from last year. With that completed, we boarded the boat and Chalkie reviewed the boat and all mechanical systems with us. Everything checked out to our satisfaction and the boat was loaded with our rum and 5 cases of beer. We’re off!

This vacation really should have never happened as Darcy and I had just purchased a house last summer and my old condo was still on the market when we needed to make the decision whether to go on vacation or not. The house needed numerous expensive upgrades, but our priority remained to somehow make a 2 week vacation work for us. As we reviewed our charter experience with Barefoot, they were the obvious choice for us and we also noticed they offer a “Value Line” of charter boats. As we investigated this further, the boats were older than 10 years, but the cost was substantially less than their premier line and other charter companies. It looked like this would work for us. Included in our rational was a desire to charter an older boat as our 10 year plan includes the purchase of a used boat to cruise the Caribbean. Chartering this boat would allow us to better understand what to expect in an older boat. Our goal was to also get a slightly larger boat to assure comfortable berths. As we reviewed our options with Seth, Three C’s, a 40 foot Benetau appeared to best meet our needs. It was recently re-powered with a 60hp diesel, the layout looked comfortable, and the price was great. In addition, large water and fuel tanks would allow us to easily complete the charter without the need to hit a dock. As we boarded the boat it became apparent this would fit the bill and we settled into our new home for the week.

During the chart briefing, Phillip informed us a low pressure system headed out to sea from Florida and would be affecting the trade winds, so we should expect lighter winds for the first half of the charter. As we headed for Bequia this became apparent as I would estimate the wind in the 12 – 15 knot range. We made our anchor in Admiralty Bay and to make sure our anchor was set, we enjoyed a beer in the cockpit and let an hour pass to make sure we were holding and to make sure we were swinging OK. This is a ritual we committed to every time we anchored. We went ashore and enjoyed our first stop at the New York Bar, a great little place not to far from the ferry dock were Ann served us a couple of nice cold beers. We struck up a conversation with Ann and it turns out it was her father that started the bar. He spent a number of years in New York City and upon his return to Bequia started this place. His love for New York prompted the name.

A short walk to the Rasta Market allowed us to stock up on some Mangos and other indigenous fruits. As we were making our purchase, he also asked us to try some ‘ganja root wine’. While a bit hesitant, he filled the small bottle cap with this concoction and I thought how much could this affect me? What felt like a minute later I was finally able to focus again….. That was some wicked stuff.

As Darcy (she tried some also) and I walked away, the effects lingered. In addition to tracking down Alick as described above, that night we hit Mac’s Pizza for an appetizer of conch fritters, then off to The Green Boley for their roti and then we checked out the Frangipani for the Thursday night jump-up. We were back at the boat at a reasonable hour in anticipation of our sail with Alick the following morning.

Leaving Bequia after our morning adventure with Alick we enjoyed a light air reach to Mayreau. As we approached Mayreau, it was apparent that Salt Whistle Bay was full so we headed to Saline Bay and anchored. Being in Saline Bay would allow us to walk up the hill to the village. It was good to be back on Mayreau as this is a special island for Darcy and me. We were looking forward to again seeing Robert Righteous and as we walked into his place for dinner he immediately remembered us and we sat down with him at ‘the conference table’, a recent addition to his place. Robert was serving fresh Red Snapper that evening so we settled into an evening of rum punches and pan fried snapper. Let it be known that Robert has an excellent cook, McIntosh, who not only knows how to turn out some excellent fish, but when the cooking is done he heads up the drums and provides rhythm by playing a metal ½ cup measuring cup with a table spoon as he sings some fun songs. After a great meal we retired to the bar to listen to the drums. As the evening wound down, we proceeded back to the boat. A notable improvement from last year was my headgear flashlight that lit our path on the way down the hill and allowed us to quickly unlock the dingy and get back to the boat.





We woke to another day in paradise and over some fresh mangos we decided we would spend the day in the Tobago Cays. With the lighter winds, the cays should be outstanding. We didn’t even bother with the sails as we powered out to the cays. We found a great spot in about 8 feet of water just above Baradel and we settled in for the day. One of the first boat vendors to approach us was Free Willy. We did not meet him last year, but we needed to do some business with him this year as Darcy needed to buy a sarong for a friend. Free Willy has the nicest sarongs and he did not disappoint.



Additionally, Prime Suspect Rob Charuk, speaks highly of Free Willy, so as he pulled along side we asked him if he wanted to take a break and enjoy a beer with us. Our timing was good as Free Willy climbed aboard and we all enjoyed a great talk. Our discussion turned to Prime Suspect Rob and all the past fun that Free Willy has had with him. It was apparent he missed an old friend. After the break, Free Willy went through his sarong collection and a purchase was made. We enjoyed the rest of the afternoon snorkeling with the sea turtles, walking around Baradel, and hanging out of the boat. That evening the grill was fired up and we enjoyed pork tenderloin we had packed in dry ice and brought along with us from home.

Two servings of humble pie please….. I need to eat some crow as last years trip report detailed some frustration with Union Island along with the local beer, Hairoun. My distaste for Hairoun last year may have been based on getting a ‘skunky’ bottle of the brew. Darcy and I again tried this local brew with much better results. As a matter of fact, we quickly dialed into the taste and we now preferred a Hairoun over the Heineken! This vacation just kept getting better as we headed out of the cays, around Mayreau, and onto Union Island in outstanding conditions. I’ll admit to a bit of hesitation stopping at Union, but it was high on Darcy’s priority list. As we entered the harbor it became apparent there were a number of open spots to drop an anchor and we promptly dug in near Happy Island. With it being Sunday, the harbor and all of Clifton was rather quite and a majority of the shops were closed. We tied up the dingy at the Anchorage Yacht Club and proceeded into town. After a beer at Lambi’s we decided we should make some decisions for dinner that evening. Our first choice was Lambi’s, but we stuck our heads into to Clifton Beach Hotel as we headed back to the dingy. We ran into Jeff who runs the place. Jeff’s family owns this facility along with another business or two in Clifton and Jeff had begun to manage the Clifton Beach Hotel. He is an engaging person and runs a very clean operation. We were impressed and decided to eat dinner here. A quick look at the dingy dock confirmed our decision. This is the best dock in the harbor with many improvements made to tie up and climb up from the dingy. That evening we enjoyed an outstanding Creole Kingfish dinner and after dinner Jeff joined us for a beer and great conversation. By this time Union Island was looking pretty good and we retired to the boat for a great nights sleep.

The next morning we headed back to Clifton to buy some ice and do some shopping as the stores would now be open. Arriving at the Clifton Beach Hotel dingy dock we were met by Pope, who runs the dock and is quite proud of his improvements. In addition to the great dingy dock, he confirmed charter boats can be brought in and water tanks can also be filled from the dock. After completing our shopping we bought two bags of ice and we were off. Leaving the harbor we set sail and decided to spend the afternoon in the Tobago Cays and then anchor in Saline Bay for the evening.

After a great afternoon in the cays we pulled into Saline Bay and set anchor for the evening. The trade winds were a bit confused as the wind as now due North. Everyone in the bay was taking this into account as they anchored with the knowledge that the winds would again return to the East during the night. We pulled out the grill and prepared a meal as the sun set and the anchorage became dark. It was about this time when running lights appeared and another boat entered the bay looking for a place to drop the anchor for the evening. As I watch the boat creep up on our stern about to drop their anchor it became apparent that should the wind shift they would be banging into an adjacent charter boat. I firmly informed them in no uncertain terms that anchoring there was not acceptable, especially if the trade winds were to re-establish themselves. While the other boat would have preferred this exchange in French, I held my ground and they moved on to harass another section of the anchorage. Still having a problem getting it right, they anchored too close to a Danish boat. Knowing what they were up against, the Danish family promptly pulled their anchor and moved to another location. Once they were set, I grabbed a couple of Heineken’s, jumped in the dingy and headed off to the Danes. As I approached them, I offered the beers to help calm their nerves. They appreciated the gesture and explained their boat was all they owned. Given the hand they were dealt that evening, they just felt it was best to move.

The next morning the anchorage was awoken to the ferry blasting its horn in an attempt to get the Switch charter boats to move so the ferry could land. After a 20 minute delay, the ferry finally had a path and the anchorage had gotten back to normal. Shortly thereafter, the Club Med cruise ship pulled in and the beach was quickly transformed into a rendition of Coney Island. We had fun watching the beach activities throughout the morning. Our plan for the day was pretty simple, enjoy the village in Mayreau and return that evening for another meal and drum session at Robert Righteous and de Youths. After securing the dingy we noticed all the school children were at the base of the hill for a ‘sports day’. They were having a blast running races and relays. Like any kid, it sure beat sitting in class. We walked as far as the Combination Café and decided it was time for a break. We ordered a couple of Hairoun’s from Kenta and enjoyed the stunning view from this location. We continued up the hill to the Catholic Church on the hill where the view of the Tobago Cays just takes your breath away. Walking down the hill we found Robert Righteous and McIntosh sitting at the ‘conference table’ and we were invited in. Prior to our vacation, Darcy bought a few dozen of plastic Easter eggs with treats inside for the children of Mayreau. Darcy presented to eggs to Robert and asked him to pass them out for us.



The rest of the afternoon we just hung out with these two characters. As the discussion turned to dinner, Robert informed us he again had some great snapper and we made our reservation – dinner would be at 7:15. As we approached the dingy to head back out to the boat, we ran into Winfield cleaning the snapper for our meal that evening. We couldn’t wait for sundown.



Returning to Robert’s, we enjoyed a delicious snapper creole dish along with a copious amount of rum punch. Once dinner was complete, McIntosh left the kitchen and got the drum band together. They were in rare form that night and we had an absolute hoot with them. As the evening progressed Darcy was given one of the drums and she joined in with the band. They may have gone a bit far when I ended up with a drum. With my total lack of rhythm, I struggled to keep up with these guys.







Gravity was working in our favor as we walked down the hill well after midnight to the dingy and a restful night sleep.

As part of the charter, Barefoot issues a cell phone and asks that you periodically check for any messages. Our goal for this day was to get to Bequia, which would give us a short hop back to the Blue Lagoon the following day to end our charter. As we were getting organized that morning, I checked the cell phone and saw three attempted calls from Barefoot. I gave them a quick call to see what was up. We were informed there had been a particularly nasty storm raging in the North Atlantic and there were 10’ to 20’ swells forecasted for the Caribbean. It was recommended that we head to the Tobago Cays, set two anchors, and ride the swells out there. After additional conversation, it was agreed we would high tail it back to the Blue Lagoon before this hit as we would only miss an evening in Bequia. Slugging it out northbound in a building breeze we made slow progress throughout the day. About 3:30 that afternoon we made it to the Blue Lagoon and Barefoot secured us to a nice mooring tucked nicely in the anchorage. In the early evening we took a dingy ride to the Young Island cut and enjoyed a great roti dinner at the Lime N’ Pub.

The following morning was spent turning the boat in and beginning the second half of our vacation on Bequia. Everything checked out well at Barefoot and we proceeded to the ferry dock to catch the 11:30 ferry. Upon arriving at Bequia, we grabbed our luggage and headed to the New York Bar to allow the commotion on the ferry dock to calm down. As we were walking down the road we ran into Fat Man, our taxi and asked him to pick us up in a half hour for our trip to Keegan’s. I told Darcy I would quick run to Alicks to see if he was going to need me for crew. I was stunned to hear that he did want me on the boat and to be at the boat around 10:00 the next morning so we could get the boat to Friendship Bay for the start of the first race the following day. This vacation just kept getting better!

The next four days were spent preparing and racing the Limbo Dance and Darcy became a wharf widow. The experience racing with the locals was incredible. Limbo Dance began life 47 years ago and was designed to transport supplies between a store owner on Bequia and St. Vincent prior to the current ferry service. This proved so reliable that other stores contracted to have their supplies brought across the channel by the Limbo Dance. Alick being a purest has resisted most alterations to the boat. The boom and sprit are bamboo which can be found on St. Vincent and belaying pins are used to secure the sheets in lieu of cleats. The cedar planked hull was in excellent shape and the large daggerboard gave the boat great upwind performance. Without winches, the jib sheets were 1 inch diameter which would allow one of the crew to trim by hand and the other would take up the slack on the belaying pin. The last time I was on a trapeze was probably 35 years ago, but Alick appeared to be pleased with the job I was doing for him. When we tacked I would come into the boat and drop into the deep vee section forward of the spar and try to get quickly unhooked and keep my legs from getting wrapped up in the jib sheets as we tacked. Alick’s other crew consisted of Calvin and Leonard, two local lobster and conch divers who handled tactics and jib trim and Paulo who tended the main. Kincaid was a young boy who was also on the trapeze next to me.

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The afternoon parties were great. While the yachtie types hung out at the Frangipani, the locals had some outstanding parties. After the first race the party was in Paget Farms and the next day it was outside of De Reef in the lower bay. Temporary food stands were set up with the best chicken, ribs, and other delights coming off the coals. After packing the boat away on the beach the second day, I found myself being interviewed by a local radio announcer.

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Word was out that someone from the outside was on a local boat and they were hungry for details. Shortly after the interview, Darcy and I were enjoying a beer at Keegan’s with Fat Man when he whispered that Glen Beache, the SVG Minister of Tourism was standing at the end of the bar. I excused myself and introduced myself to him to express our enjoyment of their country and the people we met along the way. I returned to my bar stool and next thing I know I have a beer in front of me compliments of Minister Beache. I returned to thank him for the beer and he offered me his SVG bracelet he was wearing. It was a great gesture. I’m not one for bracelets, but this thing is not coming off my wrist!

After the final race the awards ceremony was held at the Frangipani. The place was packed with locals and yachties alike. For the fishing boats there are two levels of prizes, the first is a cash prize for each race, which the owner is not allowed accept and the second series of prizes is the trophy for the regatta. I was sensing something was up as Limbo Dance was announce for first overall in our division and nobody from the crew moved forward through the crowd to accept it. It was apparent they wanted me to accept this prize. I walked through the crowd and kindly accepted the envelopes on behalf of the boat and crew. What an honor.

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Alick’s son, Lincoln went up to collect the overall prize and Alick received a commemorative plaque for his past contributions and efforts in racing the fishing boats.

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Running into Alick after the awards I passed him the envelopes and thanked him for everything. We then partied hard with the remaining crew.

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With it being our last night on the island, and after making Darcy a wharf widow, I had promised her dinner of her choice, but that idea was quickly evaporating, as we both opted to spend our time with our new friends. After much partying, we figured our best bet was to run to the Green Boley and see if we could score a roti. Turned out they had closed the kitchen and were no longer serving. We decided to hang anyway and enjoy visiting with some English friend’s Darcy made, while listening to Socony play his guitar and singing songs.

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I had some making up to do….. It only got worse when we called Fat Man for a ride back to the Lower Bay and he informed us he had made a reservation for us at Fernando’s that evening, but couldn’t track us down! That one hurt….

We decided to take an early afternoon ferry back to St. Vincent which allowed us a quite morning. We said goodbye to Fat Man after he dropped us off at the Visitors Center near the ferry dock as we knew they would watch our bags until we were ready to board the ferry. After some errands we decided to hit the Green Boley for that roti we missed the night before.

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As we were enjoying our meal the coconut telegraph was in full swing, Liston, the owner of the Green Boley, poked his head through the window and said that Alick just made an announcement on the VHF radio and was looking for us to stop in his loft prior to departure as he had a gift for us. We returned to finish our meal wondering how Liston knew it was us that Alick was trying to track down…… After settling up with Liston we proceeded to Alick’s loft. We were looking forward to seeing him and Selma one last time, but neither of us was prepared for what happened next. After exchanging pleasantries, Alick said that he and Selma were talking last night about how much they enjoy us and our contribution to the Limbo Dance and they decided to give me the first overall keeper trophy for the regatta. We were both stunned and honored at this gesture. What wonderful people.

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Time was short and our two week vacation was rapidly coming to a close. Our last night was spent at Barefoot’s apartment which allowed us to catch up with Seth, talk about next year’s plans and say our goodbyes. The next morning Liat gave us outstanding service off the island and with a layover in Antigua we were back in Minneapolis just before midnight.

As we reflect on this trip, it is again apparent the islands are a wonderful backdrop for the people you meet along the way. It was great to reconnect with friends we made during our first visit and then to establish new and lasting friendships on this second visit. You get one guess where we’re going next year…..

John and Darcy
Sailaway2_ & sunsearcher