We were due some exercise and a day out, so we went ashore in Tyrell Bay and walked north, to Paradise Beach, which took around 30 minutes. We ambled along the beach, with a view of Sandy Island, until we reached the Paradise Beach Club, which had been recommended to us by Maurice and Jackie. It was still only 10.30am and they didn't open until 11, so we pulled a couple of sunbeds into the shade of an awning to wait. The walls all around the restaurant, bar and parking lot were covered in hand-painted boards with the names of boats on them, many that we recognised from our travels. We later learned that painting day was on Wednesdays, between 3 and 5pm. I stripped down to my bikini and went into the shallow, turquoise water to cool off. I was surrounded by little fish wherever I swam or floated. Once out of the water, I realised that they were using me as protection from the boobies, that were diving for the fish, very visible in the clear water, over the sandy bottom. When the bar opened, we had a drink and booked a table for lunch, as the venue became busy. For lunch, we chose the snack platters, one fish and one chicken wings, which came with various side dishes, including garlic bread, Asian slaw and potatoes and we splashed out on a bottle of sauvignon blanc. The food was delicious, not expensive and the service was excellent. The view from our table, at the front of the deck, was stunning. On our way back to Tyrell Bay, we called into a little bar, just north of Budget Marine, for a cooling drink. The bar was run by a man who had lived in Bedford and had family in Huddersfield. It was basic but cheaper than the bars in Tyrell Bay. Last stop was the supermarket, for provisions. Back on board I enjoyed the luxury of a full hair wash and conditioner, before we headed to shore, to DJ's, where Nigel was playing at the open mic night. The dinghy dock was ridiculously rickety and unstable and I wondered how we were going to pass back along it after a few beers. The mic night was fun, with a few local characters and the crowd soon grew with passers by. The smell of weed was strong. Somehow, the crossing of the dodgy dock didn't seem so bad on the return trip and we made it back out to the boat without issue.
I had a sleepless night, with a banging headache. I had only had 3 small beers, so it was either the Carib, after the Stag ran out, or the fumes from other people's weed. Having enjoyed Paradise Beach and the view of Sandy Island yesterday, we motored round there in Muirgen and picked up a buoy on the east end of Sandy Island. It was windy and the sea very choppy. Sandy Island looked beautiful, with its sandy shore, lined with palm trees and surrounded by the turquoise water in the shallows inshore. It was strange how Paradise Beach looked so far away, when Sandy Island had looked so close yesterday. We wouldn't make it over there in our little dinghy today, so we called the restaurant and booked their free water taxi for 3.30pm and a table for dinner. I was still feeling rough, so I went to sleep in the forepeak, only to be awakened at 2pm as the water taxi was here. It was looking for business around the mooring field and Pete didn't want them to have to make another trip for us. When the paints came out, we created our wooden sign for Muirgen. It was difficult to be artistic, using the stiff decorating paintbrushes and the rather solid gloss paint. The 'N' on Muirgen ended up going round the edge of the board. Pete used a cocktail stick to add the date and 'Born of the Sea'. It went on the rack to dry and is now presumably hanging somewhere on the wall. We met the families from Pinnacle and from Pink Lady, whose children were helping create their signs. It's a great form of visitors book.
We again had a table at the front of the restaurant and also a good view of the stage, where there was live music. We both chose the fish with pesto sauce, with sides of potatoes and vegetables. It was artistically arranged and superb. The portion size was perfect for feeling comfortable. The music was provided by Julian and Vaneeta, with the same guy on the drum that had played at The Original Slipway. Apparently, everyone uses him and he used to play with Bob Marley, back in the day. We stayed longer than planned, before getting the taxi back to the boat. The wind had dropped and the sea had calmed when night fell. In the early hours it rained, so we had to close the hatches, making it hot and humid on board. Hatch covers are needed for next season!
We slept late and decided to stay a second night. The sea was calm, so we snorkelled to the shore, which was very steep and crawled out of the water. We walked the length of the island, taking photos, before snorkelling on the reef at the far east end. There were lots of large fish swimming around the boat that would be good eating but it's a marine reserve and fishing is prohibited, except by locals. Back on board, we had messages from Sara and Nigel, asking us to come over to Anse la Roche anchorage for BBQ at Tim's. We agreed to go, as we hadn't yet paid for the second night on the buoy. Pete pre-ordered the ribs and I the fish. Nigel had also ordered ribs and Sara the fish, chicken and curried conch combo. It was head to wind, going the 3 miles east, under engine, so the going was slow but we made it in time to get a good anchor spot in the little bay, just before 2 charter cats arrived. It was tight for them both to get in. We went ashore in Nigel's dinghy. Only spirits were served, as this is a turtle beach and bottles and tops are not allowed. There was one nest visible up the beach. When the food eventually came, the feast was massive. The sides arrived first; rice, baked potatoes with garlic, chilli and cheese, salad, fried plantains. Next came 4 large tuna steaks and 4 chicken drumsticks, then the coconut curried conch. We decided that they had the order wrong, so the boys started to tuck in too. Then the ribs arrived. There were 2 and they were about 15 inches long. Pete was over-faced. Nigel tucked in. The dog ended up with a few ribs too. The food was delicious but on reflection, we thought the Paradise Beach Club was better value for us.
We had enjoyed our stay in Carriacou, with its variety of anchorages, restaurants, bars and great supermarkets.