On our way to Grenada via Canouan, Mayreau Union Island and Carriacou

On our way to Grenada via Canouan, Mayreau, Union Island and Carriacou all pretty islands some better than others.

Time was moving on and we lifted the hook in Bequia which we agreed we will return to some day, maybe on our way back up. We were hearing stories about the increasing Chikungunya virus and 2 yachts we know some folks that are quite poorly. According to the news this problem is rife in St Lucia, Bequia and the USA, as we did get a few mosquito bites the thought of being ill didn't appeal at all.

Monday 2nd of June 2014
So first stop Canouan after a good sail dropped the anchor here
12 42 N 61 19 W in a little over 3 metres of water. We just chilled out watched the turtles never even went ashore.

Wednesday 4th June
Oh no! Broken bits, 2 in one day,
Don found the sump below the engine full of water a hose clamp had broken off and a hose emptied the water from the engine, thank goodness we hadn't started the engine and we weren't at sea. Then another leak from the generator yet another hose clamp but it was a real squeeze in a small space to replace it, me on one side and Don on the other. I do have my uses sometimes.

You can see the Tobago Cays to the East of Mayreau if the weather conditions would have been ok thats where we wanted to go, it would have reminded us of the Bahamas, oh well maybe later.

Sargasso sea

Sargasso weed a small patch

As we have sailed through the Caribbean and Atlantic we are often surrounded by weed which comes from the Sargasso sea, its huge patches inches thick yellow weed clogs up everything and takes anything small along with it. Our dinghy has grown beards many times, small fish stay in it, crabs, baby turtles, eels and to much to mention.  The Sargasso sea is a sea within the sea which has no land boundaries, its broken off bits at times have had us surrounded, it does however stop the waves breaking on top of the swells.

So late start 10:10 off to Mayreau Saltwhistle Bay, wow the anchorage we chose looked very nice but as it is very open and there were charter yachts we decided to move onto the next anchorage.

Saltwhistle Bay 

Mayreau

Mayreau, Saline Bay. 12 38 N 61 23 W just a 2 hour sail from Canouan, it would be so nice if all the places were that close oh well I can dream.

We were greeted by a boat boy Ralph who was very pleasant he waited until we were anchored and settled then asked us if we needed anything. To cut a long story short off he went and later that day bought us a lovely red snapper which Don then cleaned and gutted ready for dinner. The local gulls had fun with the bits we threw away.
I have photo's somewhere urgh

Again we didn't go ashore but the beach did look nice so maybe next time, apart from a few buildings on the hillside we didn't see much at all.

4th of June  12 35 N 61 24 W Union Island, Clifton, so we could check out, Union Island is pretty scary with dangerous reefs and renowned for poor anchoring, its also open to every bit of wind hardly protected at all. So after the second attempt to anchor in a tight spot Don managed to get a boat taxi take him ashore so we didn't have to spend too much time there. I was in the cockpit wishing Don was back on the boat so we could leave.

Don and the water taxi

The exit meant weaving in and out through reefs but ended up a bit of a bumpy ride down to Carriacou Tyrell Bay
12 27 N 61 29 W dropped the hook.
So far so good the bay is pretty big with sandy beaches and a few places to buy provisions along the roadside. There is a big dock which always seemed busy with commercial ships coming and going.

Carriacou is the place we needed to checkin for our stay in Grenada, its the largest of the Grenadine islands next to Grenada.

We met another yacht we know who we first met in Gibraltar, Quilcene with Kit and Belinda. We met up a few times and went ashore for pizza in the Lazy Turtle. Just remembered they were in Bequia too but didn't get time to catch up before.

At the Lazy Turtle with Kit and Belinda, no its not gin its salad dressing in the Bombay gin bottle

A nice beach walk

Took a walk along the sandy beach a few times, the sand is black in some places but these are volcanic islands so its what to expect.
One day we caught a local bus to the capital Hillsbourgh not too far away the only problem was it was Saturday afternoon so lots of places were closed.

If we had eaten from here we may have ended up in heaven

Found him along the beach

The far end of the beach in Hillsborough

After my lovely Panama hat went for a swim then shrunk I needed a new hat, it will do for now

Lots of fellow cruisers here too most are heading south like us, we are beginning to see the same yachts more and more now.

Next blog Grenada which will be our refuge from hurricanes we hope!

BFN
Don and Glenys
Agua Therapy