Back to Bequia

Back to Bequia 

Thursday 14^th April 2016 we raised anchor at 0730 and headed north. With about 10kts SE and not much swell all day we had a gentle sail eventually having all the sails up with no reefs. Can’t remember when we last did that.

Aptly named!

It took 9 hours to sail the 46 miles accompanied by Red Billed Tropic Birds, Sooty Terns and Red Footed and Brown Boobies. Dozens of Laughing Gulls gave us a cheerful welcome to Princess Margaret beach. 

The walk down from Tanty Pearls

We caught up with Ansari and Remedy with socialising on the boats, walks down to Lower Bay for excellent lunches at Dawns Café, a few meals at Cheryl’s Fig Tree restaurant and a really steep walk up to Tante Pearls with magnificent views over the bay.

Lunch at Tanty Pearls

Tuesday we woke up to big northerly swells rolling in which got worse as the day progressed. Eventually we moved right into the bay and took a mooring where it was perfectly calm but we could watch the huge waves crashing on the shore.

 








   

We stayed on the mooring until Friday hunting all over town for a new battery for my mobile phone which we eventually ordered from Sunny Computers on the opposite side of the bay. It will be here next Thursday – not bad.

We had an interesting walk with Kathy and Peter to Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary. Up the steep hill behind Port Elizabeth, out of town and into dry forest. 

Hiking to the Turtle sanctary

We eventually followed a track down to the sea into an old coconut plantation, the trees at least a hundred feet tall. There were also the remains of a sugar making factory, no buildings, just the kiln areas and foundations. It was a very pretty bay with a small island and a few fishing boats and nets drying under the trees.

Over another hill and then we were at the sanctuary. We have been before and it is rather whacky. The owner used to hunt turtles but later decided they needed conservation so he has a few indoor pools with a selection of turtles. I think he is well meaning but many of the turtles had bits missing. Apparently they bite each other and don’t let go – their normal way of feeding. 

 

 A few larger ones have holes drilled in their shell and when he goes spearfishing he takes one with him for a swim in the sea! We gave him a donation unsure of whether we should encourage him or not!

Not part of the Turtle sanctuary but a piece of space junk from a satellite rocker launcher - It fell from the sky and washed up on the beach!

On the way back we stopped for a very welcome drink at the Sugar Reef right on the beach as well. We decided the lunches were a bit pricey so headed back to town for a delicious roti at The Porthole.

With the swells subsiding we left the mooring and returned to the anchorage off Princess Margaret beach. The bay was empty but not for long and we were soon surrounded by friends old and new! Looks like Bequia is going to be very sociable again! 

The Plantation house announced they were showing a movie one evening. This seemed like a nice idea as we haven’t seen a movie for ages. We turn up at the appointed time to find the staff fiddling with the projector, computer and sound system. An hour and a few rum punches later they were still fiddling and no movie, eventually the movie was officially cancelled! Oh well never mind we met some nice people while we were waiting so not a total loss!

Anchored off the beach we spend time snorkelling the reef between Princess Margaret and Lower bay, 

 

This is really a good spot as we always see so much interesting life here. Rowena had fun trying to photograph all the blennies and gobies which are mostly less than 5cm long.

Seaweed Blenny

Saddled Blenny

Bequia seems to be one of those places that is difficult to escape from! The skipper has now taken on the job of controller for the local VHF radio net and what with a never ending social whirl of lunches and sundowners, it looks like we will be here a while! This presents other problems, the propane tank will need refilling and we will have to get water soon. 

How to remove a Booby from the mizzen  - with the aid of a sharp stick!

Deciding to use Daffodil’s water barge to water up as we are almost empty and take on 60 gallons. Later we discover that the water has a funny soapy taste! We change the filter but that doesn’t improve things much. We are going to have to get bottled water for drinking and cooking until we have emptied the tanks. This is the first time we have had a problem in four years away. (Make a mental note to self to taste all water before putting it in the tank).

 

Repairing the last whaleboat in Bequia. No longer used as they have finally stopped whaling but it is planned to use it for whale watching trips to give the full whaling experience!

We have been here for 3 weeks now and as much as we like it here we really need to be going somewhere else, we are after all cruising. Tobago Cays here we come!

Carriacou, Cricket and a Correct Injector.

Carriacou, Cricket and a Correct Injector.

Another OCC get together!

No sooner had we dropped anchor than Ken on Badgers Set came over to invite us to the first of very many great social events. This was Pizza night at the Iguana Cafe at the boatyard which became an OCC mini rally, the majority of us being members. Good pizza made in a proper wood fired oven. This became a regular event during the month we spent here.

Independence day decorations

Uwe, the engineer, came on Saturday afternoon and within an hour we had a 100% working engine! Quite a strange feeling as now we were free to go anywhere. So far, all this season, wherever we had gone it was always followed by “and then we will go back to Carriacou”. However, as Rowena was not feeling too good again (Chikengunya) we elected to stay for a while and catch up with the many boats that we knew in the bay, and of course, we met a few new ones too.

Sunset over Tyrell Bay

There were two birthday dinners, Roger’s (Golden Fleece) 70^th and Richards. Roger had a BBQ dinner on the sea front at Tante Lizzies and Richard a dinner at Tante Mavis, who we think is the best cook in Carriacou. Both evenings there were about 18 of us and a good time was had by all.

Watching T20 cricket

Several more lunches, dinners and sundowners followed on various boats. Later it was time for some to move on south, so we said our goodbyes and stayed on for the cricket. It began with World T20 on TV at the Iguana Cafe. The final was England West Indies so great atmosphere and lots of cheering when WI beat us!

Or if you don't want to watch the cricket there is always the wildlife

We watched a few games of local 40 over cricket, taken very seriously by the players. Funds are low so often you see a batsman walk off and hand the bat to the next one. 

Even the aeroplanes don't distract from the action!

There is no scoreboard, even though we were watching in the national stadium, so every now and then one of us would walk over to the players pavilion to hear the score. 

The locals enjoying themselves in the 'Jack Iron' stand - note the sheep and goats to cut the outfield!

Peter, our friend, sponsors cricket here so all the players know him and now and then they would walk over for a chat and we could get the score, even though they did not always seem sure what it was!

Relaxing in the 'members' stand!

Rowena started going to water aerobics again, rather feebly at first, but improving. Richard’s new hobby is his ukulele and he is improving all the time too!

Round the boat the sea continues to intrigue. We have spotted turtles, 1m long barracuda, needlefish and even an eagle ray. The most interesting are the fishing bats which we have not seen since Culebra. Coming back in the dinghy at night they swoop through the torch beam which must attract the little fish they catch. If we keep the torch on the water they will stay around but then we feel bad about all the little fish they are eating.

A Laughing Gull feeding frenzy

 There are hundreds of Laughing Gulls here at the moment and their manic laughter is a constant background to our day. They are not like seagulls in Europe that scavenge, they catch fish in their red beaks while their little black legs seem scramble along the surface of the sea.

Of course, once a feeding frenzy gets going, the Frigate birds arrive and try to snatch the gulls catch. A few Brown Boobies usually join in the melee and then the Brown Pelicans come crashing in. Cattle Egrets and Little Blue Herons fly to and from the mangroves. 

Rufus - The best fruit and veg in Tyrell bay

With winds due to turn south easterly we decided to have a trip up to Bequia. We are not going to go far this season, having decided to leave the boat in Grenada while we go back to Europe. 

Sorting the days catch on the foreshore

After a lovely but short catch up with Compass Rose we set off on 14^th April to catch up with Ansari in Bequia.

A view north from Carriacou - This was taken from the balcony of our friends Peter and Cathy's house. On a clear day you can see all the way to Bequia some 40 miles away and all the islands in between.                                                                Sometimes even as far as St Vincent. You lucky people!