TravelTalkOnline Forums Trip Reports (Read Only) Trip Report and Photo Archives St. Vincent and Grenadines Trip Report - Part 4

Fifth day, Tuesday May 25, Mayreau … no wait … Tobago Cays:

After another hot rolly night in wide-open Britannia Bay we were more than ready to watch Mustique fall into our wake. We departed at about 9:15 am and after clearing the bay we settled onto a broad reach and course of about 190M which netted us about 220T over the ground. This took us to windward of Petit Canouan, just ‘cause, and it was cool to see the big swells breaking on the east side of this tiny island. Our destination was Salt Whistle Bay on the north side of Mayreau. The wind was fair, and we were soon cracking along under full sail at 6-7 knots. Passing leeward of Canouan is where the trouble started. Half way past the island the wind clocked around to the south, forcing our heading farther and farther west until we were forced to tack back to the south east. Thinking this was an island effect on the wind we stuck with it until it became very clear that the wind had simply dropped and shifted almost dead south – right on the nose. Truly odd! With only 4 miles to go and a desire to spend it on the beach vs. fighting the wind and current, we fired up the Diesel and motored the rest of the way to Mayreau.

Just prior to our arrival we watched a big catamaran motor into Salt Whistle Bay, swap ends, and motor back out again. Rut-Roh! As we pulled in we could see that the anchorage was filled with boats perhaps 15 or more.

After a quick discussion we decided to swap objectives, so we made an abrupt Louie (that’s a nautical term) and we headed east towards the Tobago Cays. The range identifying the safe course in was not visible, no doubt blocked by a big red and white catamaran anchored west of Petit Rameau, so we jockeyed a bit and simply followed the bearing of 143M into the gap between Petit Rameau and Petit Bateau which we found filled with boats. Mister Quality met us in the gap in his brightly colored boat and waved at us to follow him exactly, and we shot the gap behind him and into the Tobago Cays anchorage. A crescent of 25 boats were strung out between Baradel and Jamesby, some anchored and some on moorings. Mister Quality wanted us to anchor roughly half way between these two islands, but we had our sights set on Jamesby so we eased on down south and he helped us pick up the last mooring in line at just about 2pm. Having just arrived hot, hungry, and thirsty we were not prepared to shop T-shirts just yet, so we asked him to come back in a couple of hours while we relaxed and got some lunch.

After lunch Woody, Lisa, and I paddled the dingy the last 100 yards to Jamesby, motors are for sissies, and beached it. Barb remained aboard Wind Dancer. Jamesby has a very cam and pretty beach in it’s east side and we were quickly joined by other that snorkeled over from a nearby boat. On the north-east side of Jamesby you can clamber up a steep trail from the beach and gain the summit ridge. We found a large iguana and a green and black lizard on the ridge, but they were shy and quickly retreated into the scrub. The view of the anchorage from the top of Jamesby is spectacular, and we took quite a few pictures. You also get a good look at Petit Tobac to the east-south-east, which lies on the other side of the reef. This is the island that we really coveted above all others, and if the seas are calm enough you can dingy there through a gap in the reef that is due east of the northern tip of Baradal. Back down on the beach we discovered sea birds nesting in the rocks, and one eyed me warily while I snapped pictures of her and her one large crème and brown spotted egg. They seemed very unafraid, and let us get close, but we remained respectful and didn’t bother them.

After a couple of hours we paddled back to Wind Dancer, and exploiting the huge abundance of over-ripe bananas we had at our disposal Lisa started mashing them flat with a spatula and with rum, orange juice, and coco-lopez made a tasty approximation of the Banana-Cow we had at Basil’s the night before that we dubbed the Jamesby Jammer. As the sun set while we sipped Jammers in the cockpit of Wind Dancer Lisa noticed that we could count just about all of the masts in Salt Whistle Bay! This was info we knew we could use in a day or two when we left the Cays.

Here's a pic of the Tobago Cays anchorage between Baradal and Jamesby, from the top of Jamesby. Lisa and Woody in attendance! Wind Dancer is dancing to her own drummer... All the other boats are facing east and she's facing North! It takes great skill to get a boat to do this (just BS'ing... I have no idea why she's riding like this!) <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" />



The pretty beach on Jamesby Island.



Petit Tobac from the summit of Jamesby



Sea bird and her egg nestled in the rocks just behind her tail.


Green and black lizard on the summit ridge of Jamesby.