We are writing this update moored in Charlestown Bay off of the island of
Canouan. This island is dominated by the Raffles Resort and golf course where you can spend as much as US$4050 per night for a room. Of course, there is the option of having a five-bedroomed apartment ... for a mere US$20,000 per night!! We're sticking with a mooring buoy, just 200 yards from the shore.
We left Tyrell Bay on the island of Carriacou and made our way around to the town Hillsborough which is a clearing port to leave Grenada. We stayed a couple of days here in a blustery anchorage and early on Monday, we checked out with Customs and Immigration and made the 8 mile passage northwards to Union Island - and Clifton Harbour. As Union Island is part of St Vincent & the Grenadines (a country in itself), we needed to clear in with Customs and Immigrations upon arrival. Charges are often incurred and having arrived with quite high denominations of currency, the Customs Officer (about 22 years old, IPOD playing on the desk - blurting out funky Caribbean tunes) was unable to provide any change thus Adrian suggested we go to a shop to break a note into smaller amounts. The Customs Officer was happy with this idea, but said he'd like to keep Jackie hostage until his return! His two suggestions as to where to change money were both closed but eventually a loaf of bread secured enough change to get Jackie released!
Clifton town has a really strong Caribbean feel to it - as the picture of the vendors market illustrates - although perhaps the prices reflect the shortage of customers they are currently experiencing.
The anchorage off Clifton town lies behind a large reef which provides protection from the waves but not the wind. The water is crystal clear and enabled us to take our first snorkelling excursion off the back of Oceans Dream ....
One of the attractions of Union Island is the secluded anchorage of Chatham Bay on the western side. We upped-anchor from Clifton early on Wednesday 9th December and were surprised to see in the distance what looked like the 'Black Pearl' moored off of Palm Island ...
A fast sail saw us arrive in Chatham after just a couple of hours. The 'Windward Islands Guide' says 'the wind tends to come over the hills in shrieking gusts' and by 'eck, didn't it just! To try and find the most protected area in the bay, we moved four times until eventually we found the perfect spot.
There is abundant sea life in Chatham Bay and so also a large seabird population who entertained with their acrobatic flying and diving for their catch. This picture was taken as we swam ashore mindful of the fact we didn't want to be mistaken for a tasty morsel!
We received guidance from Vanessa and Captain Seckie, a local couple who run a bar and restaurant on the beach - but let's put this into perspective, there's no electricity and the water is what's been collected when it rains. Maybe it's a sign of the times but their Happy Hour runs from three in the afternoon until six PM. They are desperate for any business they can get. We went ashore to eat and enjoyed the delights of Vanessa's Creole style cooking by tucking into tuna, breadfruit, rice, roasted plantain, beans and salad. All beautifully spiced in a traditional Caribbean style.
The next day we decided to stretch our legs and walk across the island to the town of Ashton. The map we had wasn't that clear, so we asked fisherman, Elred, the best way to go. He had lived on the beach for 19 years and could've been Robinson Crusoe! Barefoot, he lead us through the dense undergrowth to a small track which he described as taking us in the direction we wanted to go - with it being the shortcut AND "a little steep". Based on the fact he was probably 70+, "a little steep" shouldn't trouble us ... or so we thought! An hour later, we found ourselves close to the summit of Mount Taboi, a climb of 1,000ft+! The view was spectacular but no sign of Ashton!
Next we were heading to Canuoan. Unfortunately, the winds at the moment are not in our favour being from the North-East and this is the direction we wish to travel meaning we have to sail almost directly into the wind. Nevertheless we set off early and sailed as close to the wind as we could but in the end, had to motor-sail the last couple of miles arriving here in Charlestown Bay at midday yesterday. The guy on the yellow 'boat' below is the yachties refuse collector, he'll take rubbish ashore for a minimal fee.
We plan to sail the 16 mile passage to Bequia in a couple of day's time where we hope to spend Christmas.