We waved goodbye to Adonde with a few vague suggestions that pizza in Carriacou was a possibility if we didn't fancy making Prickly Bay in one hit and, sure enough, that idea won.

After yet another enjoyable and speedy sail with the wind just abaft the beam, we arrived in Tyrrel Bay, Carriacou in a squall, later to be told it had been the tropical wave forecast earlier (now we know what to expect - and we've had quite a few since!).

We spent the afternoon hitching lifts to Hillsborough and back as there were no buses, it being a holiday. The Customs and Immigration were nowhere to be found so after an hour we confirmed with the police in the adjacent office that we could come back and check in the next day.

Neil and Tracy arrived and we duly had pizzas, during which it was decided that they would kindly take us along the next day on one of the walks they had discovered as we were itching to get off the boat and "discover" Carriacou properly. We had a great walk, with Fi collecting locust tree (or "stinky toe" tree, as the pod resembles a big toe if you use a lot of imagination) pods and a sort of half-rotten calabash, much to Dave's disapproval.

We had such a great time we decided to go on another walk they had told us about the next day. This led us down to a beach and at the same time as Dave saying "I think this could be...." (enter Fi who spots a sea bean) "a great place for sea beans". Now, the story behind sea beans is as follows (I'll be as brief as I can): Christopher Columbus and his crews found sea beans washed up on shores of lands they discovered and, knowing they were seeds from plants or trees not indigenous to the islands they had found thus far, were excited in the knowledge that they must have travelled over the seas from places as yet unknown. Sailors thenceforth thought of them as lucky beans and folklore says that if you find a sea bean it will bring you luck and keep you safe whilst voyaging the seas.

Well, Fi found the first sea bean on a beach at St David's and decided to collect them. So, this day on the beach at Carriacou, the two of us beach combed and came up with no less than 9 sea beans (you can never have too much luck!). Dave was by now also hooked so the next few days we hunted again on various beaches and the collection so far stands at about 22. It's great fun collecting them as they are quite rare and we've expanded the collection to include sea coconuts, sea purses, starnut palm, beach peas, as well as the original sea bean, a.k.a. "hamburger bean" because it resembles one (see photos). We also saw a fair amount of wildlife - goats abound everywhere out here and one in particular had quite a shouting match with Dave whilst perched on a clifftop above us (see photos). We saw some birds on the beach similar to Dunlins and one squawked wildly whilst its mate feigned a broken wing quite convincingly which told us a nest was nearby. Sure enough Fi almost literally stumbled across its nest of 3 eggs whilst looking for sea beans (see photos again!).

We also enjoyed some great snorkelling on a nearby beach made up entirely of conch shells so, all in all, we really got to like Carriacou this third, and probably final, time.

Jan and Richard on Scorpio also arrived in Tyrrel Bay whilst we were there and we met up for the must-do Friday night at the Lambi Queen for the steel band and "Bongo" who is an incredible bongo player we saw there last time.

It was time to move on down to Grenada and we had a fairly easy and quick sail down to meet Chrisandaver Dream in Prickly Bay. Chris and Dave had had no end of problems to do with things mechanical and were just about pulling their hair out when we got there, after being anchored in Prickly for a month. We had a reunion drink, as you do, and lots of chatting about what to do and where to go etc etc.

After a few days we headed back up to Woburn where we were greeted warmly by friends in the dive shop - Pano, Andrew, Shorna, Sheldon etc - and it was great to be welcomed back by everyone we saw who recognised us from before. It really is like coming home for us here...

We had a meal, just the two of us, at the Little Dipper and Joan said that as we were going to be around the next weekend we must go with her to her tribe's celebrations. We jumped at the chance and said we'd go see her a few days beforehand.

We also said hi to Teresa, our friend on the market at St George's when we visited there a few days later with a promise to bring Dave's son along to meet her when he comes out to see us in a few weeks' time.

Adonde and Scorpio both came to Woburn and Jan and Richard hosted a great curry night in honour of Tracy's birthday which was also attended by Chris and Dave and Jean and Matt of SuperTed V. Dave and I had walked to Secret Harbour the previous day and, as I'd got a spare loofah from a few Dave had plucked from a loofah tree, I wrapped it and presented it to a worried looking Tracy. Not for long did she look concerned though - that girls got brains and she worked out very quickly what it was....

By this time our domestic batteries, which are only two years old, just about gave up the ghost so we went into Clarks Court Bay marina for 2 nights whilst Dave fitted shiny new ones. We enjoyed FRESH WATER SHOWERS! as well as getting much needed laundry done and Fi cleaned out the water tank which was then filled with lovely fresh water.

Coming back to Grenada, and Woburn especially, we realised how much we love this Country and its people. There are such contrasts - buses hurtle "with attitude" through the narrow roads to town with music blaring and horns hooting but by contrast, the same bus will stop and the co-pilot (as we call the money collector), a young man of about 20, will help the a young child off the bus and then put his hand up to halt all the other traffic to see the child safely across the road. The Grenadians have a lot of respect for their elderly and their young alike and are some of the kindest and friendliest people we've ever met.

Walking to the village shop, everyone says hello, as always, and an elderly gentleman out for a stroll will stop to chat then another man, busy in his garden, will stand up and wave as we walk past. The children wave from balconies and teenagers say "Hi mon!" And "alright sister" with a big smile as we pass.

We had a good time here with Chris and Dave and a few Sunday afternoons on Hog Island. What with Gilfie, a guitarist we know from the Bel Air Plantation at St David's, playing acoustic and singing on one side of me, Sheldon playing amazing drum on an upside down bucket on my other side between me and Chrissie, and another guy drumming at my feet, we all sang along until darkness told us it was time to go home after another great evening at Roger's bar.

Anyway, enough of that! We're actually back in Woburn now after spending almost a week in St David's where Chris and Dave have hauled. Dave was really pleased to see some traditional wooden boat-building being carried out at the marina and we said Hi to the guys who had worked on our engine, discovering also that the man who had a heart attack the first day he worked on is much better now - whew! We sang-along-a-Gilfie and Freddie (and danced) at the Bel Air and enjoyed a few evenings at the Barking Baracuda bar in the marina until it was time for Chris and Dave to fly back to the UK for three weeks to visit family (nice) and get some serious boat work problems sorted out (not so nice).

We've got to know Jean and Matt (Superted V) and they're a great laugh. Jean made Fi feel so guilty on a shopping trip that she was actually going to buy bread and not bake it that it was decided there and then that yeast should be added to the shopping list. Well, the first attempt turned out very well, though I say so myself, but this has had the unfortunate affect of Dave wanting more home baking so....thanks Jean!

We're sitting here awaiting Chris and Dave's return, and on the same flight will be Dave's son Kye and his girlfriend Claire, who are coming out to have a holiday with us for a couple of weeks. We're really looking forward to it - but hope it stops raining so much before they get here!