Cumberland Bay .. a newly found treasure
In the constant search for new and different anchorages to share with our guests, we decided to head north, braving squally downpours and 33 knot winds to reach the complete peace and calm of Cumberland Bay. St Vincent has received some bad press in recent years, particularly where yacht visitors are concerned with the emphasis on security issues, attacks on boats, etc. Cumberland Bay has had a few incidents of its own, and it is sad now to watch the scores of yachts heading straight down the coast on the north-south route between the Grenadines and St Lucia, without stopping in any of the Vincy anchorages. So after a recommendation from Makayabella, we felt it was time to check it out for ourselves. We were helped to anchor stern-to the beach, and were capably tied to a palm tree by Joseph the Rasta (not to be confused with Joseph the Fish !). We were also immediately bowled over by the beauty and serenity of this amazing place - crystal clear water, high cliffs against a valley backdrop of the greenest green, fronted by a palm-lined beach. A handful of other boatboys/line handlers came over to introduce themselves and offer the usual limes, fish, fruit etc., and were charming and polite even when refused. This was somewhere that we felt instantly at home. That evening we visited Mojitos restaurant & bar, just along the beach, for .. yes, you guessed it, a Mojito. Actually, we had two - and M didn't have much of a memory the following morning! One of the locals approached us and asked if we had a dinghy pump as they were trying to repair their dinghy - whereupon Bob found himself supervising the repair of quite a large hole with a couple of locals, with our own repair kit. Our visit to Cumberland also included taking about six of the local children out for a dinghy trip around the bay, snorkelling some amazing coral heads, a long dinghy trip down the coast to find a cashpoint, followed by the hairiest scariest bus trip to the next village to fill up the gas tank (petrol) because we'd come so far that we were short for the trip back to Cumberland ! Oh yes, and cheap water fill-up and a great laundry - just loads of reasons to revisit Cumberland with our friends and guests onboard.