FISH FRIDAY FILL THE WATER TANKS AND WE STOP OFF IN CANOUAN

Cheryl at the Fig Tree restaurant has been running a splendid fish Friday and we booked our table and were not disappointed.

The music was good the fish was excellent and the dessert dish of chocolate samosas just outstanding.

Saturday we filled the water tanks as it has been a long dry spell and we could have problems down island. Daffodil's water barge arrived eventually, they definitely run on island time.

We watched this boat pass two days in a row, either extremely heavily loaded or partially sunk. Very odd indeed.

Good to see that the kids that are growing up and past the Optimist stage have local boats to sail.

CANOUAN BOUND

We left on Sunday past the floating multi story car park otherwise known as Club Med 2

Dizzy who clearly hates sailing adopted this post as if he was hanging over the side and being sick. Poor boy. Still he perks up as soon as the anchor goes down and soon is demanding to be fed.

We pulled into Charleston Bay the big anchorage on the west coast and were soon enjoying a cooling swim followed by a sundowner.

Our vigilence was rewarded with a green flash and a great sunset

The next day rather than head for the Tobago cays as I had planned we followed the recommendation given in the new Doyle cruising guide and rented a golf cart to tour the island. Now there was no nonsense about license or insurance we were just let loose on it. I checked it over and found it was correctly licensed and had excellent tires. Both being a little unusual for island vehicles.

We had to watch out for very slow moving foot traffic.

Rain showers gave us an excuse to stop for some refreshment.

We liked the two cattle egrets standing guard over the goats.




Ho Hum off to the Cays tomorrow and Gisela hopes to swim with turtles again.

ISLAND TIME IN BEQUIA

It has been a busy few days. My toilet broke and the spare needed was the only thing I did not have on board. A quick call around the anchorage on the radio produced advice but no spare.

I knew I needed to get it fixed before I left Carriacou because the chances of finding the part in Union or Bequia was between slim and no chance. { and Slim has left town }

So two days later got the spare and after struggling with stiff hoses in very inaccessible lockers we have a working toilet. BTW Murphy's 4th law states boat toilets go wrong just before guests arrive.

Sailed up to Union then on to Bequia in time for the Easter regatta. I came across one boat that was in trouble and wanted a tow in but as I was single handed I felt it was more than I wanted to tackle so called for help as I could see the SVG coastguard was in the bay and stood by the disabled boat until they arrived. Watching the spinnaker class start was exciting as always as conditions were pretty gusty and there were quite a few spectacular round ups.

The local boats are getting more sophisticated each year and a carbon fibre mast must be next on the agenda for some. The one I support is called Confusion and was leading the fleet on day one. More results to come.




But one class that seems to defy innovation is the coconut class.

Gisela enjoyed the sunset as well as the preceding sundowner and after catching up on sleep we romped down to Bequia.

She was also amused to see how Dizzy cuddles up to me for safety when we are sailing.

The hook is down in Bequia and we are both being laid back tourists running on island time.

So we could admire this somewhat unusual assymetric two piece hard dinghy

and wonder why the local kids were collecting starfish.

The Tobago Cays are next on the agenda and some snorkeling with turtles.

RED LETTER DAY

LIAT arrived only 45 minutes late\, that is on time for LIAT it runs on ISLAND TIME, anyway it was bring gorgeous Gisela all the way from cold, wet and windy Germany to the sunkissed decks of Elephants Child in the Caribbean.

I am very happy to see her for another visit not only because she arrived bearing GIN but she bought something which I can not find in the islands, a new coffee filter cone.

We are anchored in Young Island Cut at the moment but will sail over to Bequia soon and be anchored in my favorite corner in Admiralty bay.

More to come with pics as soon as I can find the time and a good connection.

Carriacou to Union Island

Well that was a really crappy sail. The Caribbean two step was running that short period steep faced see that just stops you. I would get smacked back to 3 knots accelerate to six and SMACK back to three.

Anyway check in to SVG and off to Bequia tomorrow.

FIVE AND A HALF HOURS FOR 34 MILES

Hook up to hook down.

Great sail up to Tyrell Bay in excellent conditions.

Surprised again to see 3 charter cats with charters not delivery crew motoring in perfect sailing conditions
.

Bound for Carriacou

The wind has finally ticked to the South so I am on passage from Grenada to Carriacou this morning. Fluffy trade wind clouds and a good forecast.

Dizzy as usual is not happy about this sailing lark.

FISH FOR DINNER

I have had a few quiet days doing not much as I came back from skiing with a really bad cold. You know " MAN FLU ".

But I had an exciting episode fishing for small fish as a treat for Dizzy. I was bringing a tiddler up to the surface when something much bigger took the tiddler and set off at a hundred miles an hour taking all my line and bent the lightweght rod in two. I was sure it was going to be another, fishing story about the one that got away but about half an hour later I hauled in this big Spanish Mackerel. So it was fish for dinner for Dizzy and me and plenty for the freezer.




Only in America OR here is something you don't see every day.

When asked about the tree in her grille the woman answered that she could not remember hitting anything.

She did fail a field sobriety check and was arrested for DUI.