02/Feb/2010
A view across the Tobago Cays and here is a link to some film of swimming with turtles at Tobago Cays. Our friend "Welly" from yacht "Rapau" took her underwater camera and captured the elegance and graceful movement of the creatures we so enjoyed swimming around with.
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31/Jan/2010, Canouan - St Vincent & Grenadines
... and here is one of snorkel-diver Susie... her first time trying out this mode of swimming underwater.
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31/Jan/2010, Canouan - St Vincent & Grenadines
Off into the blue and inner space again but with friend Welly and her versatile waterproof camera. Fantastic views of coral and fish dancing in the sun beams penetrating the clear turquoise sea, coral fans and structures swaying gently in the oscillating movement of the crystal water produced by the rocking waves above.
An impromptu Sunday lunch aboard Danish yacht "Navigo". Robin and Michael went off spear fishing with the local fishermen and came back with Old Wife Fish, Lobster, and a blown up Puffer Fish. No puffer fish experts in our crews so we steered clear of that one. Maria and Michael did us proud with thirteen for barbecued fish and lobster lunch. The homemade bread was delicious and a chance to get to know the Canouan fishermen Aaron and Glen, and Glen's wife Colette.
Depending upon weather (wind direction and strength) tomorrow we may be heading back to Bequia. The name of a good guide who can take us into the St Vincent rain forest was provided by a contact on this morning's SSB radio net. We will most likely leave "Spruce" in Bequia and take the ferry across for a visit. We hear security of your boat, if left unattended in St Vincent, is a chance affair.
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30/Jan/2010, Canouan - St Vincent & Grenadines
Fisherman Glen returns from his morning's work with Robin looking happy and cheerful. Several hours of tiring diving, in water too deep for Robin to reach the bottom, produced but a few fish. Mainly blue coloured parrot fish. Spruce bought them from Glen to make a tasty lunch for four. A shame to see the demise of such beautiful creatures but local livelihoods are dependent and they are such succulent eating.
Glen gets the medal for trust. Into the water with Robin and then he hands him a "loaded" spear gun! Wow! That is trust indeed:-)
Photo is "Blue parrot fish in blue bucket" ... no influence from Picasso:-)
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30/Jan/2010, Canouan - St Vincent & Grenadines
A chatty day on the radio nets this morning. The OCC net at 07:30 and the "Coconut Telegraph" net at 08:00. A chance to hear where people we know are now located and to follow up a little more with people that we might meet up with again soon: "Aleria", "Luturna", "Tullulah" and "Rapau". Definitely some difficulty in these islands with reception and transmission of radio signals, quite a challenge to work out whether the issue is with one's own installation or the general radio atmospherics???
Robin has taken the opportunity to go off with one of the local fishermen doing some spear fishing, hope the fish don't cost too much too buy afterwards ... the agreed fee. Sue and Susie are off to the nearby reef for some more snorkeling. Andy is holding the fort (Floating the boat?) and doing some maintenance jobs.
Starting to plan the next few days as we head north. The winds have been unusually strong for the past 3-4 days and will hopefully ease up before we sail back to Bequia and the nearby islands to make the trip a bit less bumpy for those still finding their sea legs. A picture to show the latest beauty enhancement worn by cruising women in the Caribbean... our models today are Susie and Sue:-)
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29/Jan/2010, Canouan - St Vincent & Grenadines
Last night was very windy leaving visibility on the reefs at Tobago Cays somewhat degraded due to stirred up sediment ... so onwards to the next island northwards. Canouan! A small island with only 1,200 population. However, a large part of the land has been bought up by a hotel and resort consortium, Raffles, who are turning the place into a destination for the wealthy. A variation on Mustique further to the north.
We are anchored at Rameau Bay north of the main town called Charlestown. With a name like that it harks back to the Jacobean era, English Civil War and the 1600s. A rocky outcrop with abundant coral lies just astern of us and provides a wonderful area for snorkeling. A reef lies on the edge of a steeply deepening sea-bed down to almost one hundred feet. This supports a variety of differing corals at greater depths than seen so far. Multitudinous fish dwelling on and about the reef gave a wonderful show as we swam around for an hour. The parrot fish and trigger fish, particularly colourful, permitted us to get very close before sculling away or hiding and cautiously peering from beneath broken rocks.
Just over a mile in the inflatable dinghy took us to Charlestown itself. To find supplies of food. The ferry had just docked so fresh fruit and vegetables were available. The quay was a hive of activity as small trucks danced around each other merrily unloading goods and rushing it off to the handful of shops in the town stead.
We attracted the attention of the local police who bemusedly watched us trying to chain the dinghy to a large bollard. "Nobody will try to steal it here." they assured us. Supplies procured and our trusty steed was still there to transport us back to Spruce and an evening meal of flying fish.
The picture shows Susie having a lesson in driving an inflatable in gusty conditions. The smile became a little strained a while later... after a good soaking from wind driven spray:-)
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