It was May Day in the Grenadines and the day started with torrential rain but it didn't last for long. The engine was on at 0730 hours and Pete brought up the anchor, the first time since the motor had been repaired but all was fine. We motored round the headland, passing the derelict homes of the 1960's eco community, Moonhole. This is now a private reserve. We continued to motor, heading east through the narrows between Bequia and Petit Nevis, with the 18 knot wind and the tidal flow on our nose. We were down to 1.5 mph at times. We avoided the overfalls to the north and south and in big seas, we raised the mainsail, with a reef in. With the wind and tide as they were, we would have been tacking all day, under sail alone, to reach Baliceaux, so we motor-sailed with the wind at around 30 degrees. We were still making slow progress, with 3 metre swells but it was more comfortable with the sail up than it would have been without and the sail generated some lift. About 3 miles out from the island, the sea started to calm and the current did likewise, as we came into the shelter of the land. The wind also came round, such that we didn't have to tack to reach the anchorage, where Sara and Nigel were waiting, on Nessa V. We arrived at 1130 hours, dropping the anchor on sand, in 3.9 metres. We had tuna melts for lunch; delicious and then Pete did some snorkelling.
Baliceaux has a horrific history, courtesy of the British colonial authorities, who orchestrated a genocide on the Garifuna (black Caribs) in the 1790's. Around 5000 Caribs were exiled to the island, which has no fresh water source and more than half of them died from disease and starvation. The 2500 survivors were then removed to the island of Roatan, Honduras and their descendants live as the Garifuna people in Honduras, Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua and the US. The graves of those who died have never been properly marked, or excavated and the island is essentially a graveyard and unlikely ever to be developed.
Sundowners and fishing were on Nessa V but nothing was caught, despite Nigel having caught fish every other day that they had been there. There was no moon and the night sky was incredible, with us sighting the Plough, upside down. In the early hours, the rain came down in torrents and the morning dawned grey and miserable but by 9am there was a hint of sunshine. At 0930 hours, we lifted the anchor and hoisted the mainsail in the anchorage, before motoring out between the reefs. The winds were light and fluky initially but we let out the foresail and I helmed the boat. The wind filled in and we had a great beam reach the rest of the way to Mustique, touching 8 mph, an hour and 15 minutes, door to door. It was lovely to cruise in company with Nessa V, 2 Westerly Typhoons together.