Since we last wrote, we have spent 2 weeks in Bequia enjoying the friendliness of the locals and cruising community alike as well as the infamous Bequia Easter Regatta. The sponsors Mount Gay Rum and Heineken ensured all yachties were well looked after - be they racing or not! Whilst we were in Bequia we were determined to capture a picture of the green flash as the sun sets across Admiralty Bay. Unfortunately we were not successful but there were some dramatic sunsets.
The days quickly passed and at the beginning of the month, Harriet joined us for a 10 day break on Oceans Dream.
Adrian & daughter Harriet on Oceans Dream trampoline
The minute we boarded Oceans Dream having picked Harriet up from the airport, the heavens opened and didn't close until late into the evening. The next couple of days were also a bit damp but not to be deterred, we spent time ashore showing Harriet Bequia's capital, Port Elizabeth before heading off to Mustique - the island of celebrities. It's 13 miles to Mustique from Bequia and we were there in time for lunch having sailed the short passage.
We walked ashore having tied up to a mooring buoy to investigate the island to eventually end up for a drink at Basils Bar. On our walk we quickly appreciated the value (if you can afford it!) of living on this pristine island. As we walked along the shoreline, we encountered countless gardeners raking up the dead leaves and manicuring the beaches. There are also countless Manchineel trees along the beaches which are poisonous.
Warning sign close to Manchineel trees
The local fisherman also harvest the conch for their meat and discard thousands of shells overboard which eventually end up on the west coast beaches of Mustique...
Mustique's conch shells
Everyone was very friendly but in an odd sort of way, we didn't feel at home. We slowly made our way back to the dinghy and realised we were too early for a drink so went back on board with a plan to return later. Unfortunately, it soon became clear that we'd not be visiting the infamous 'Basils Bar' after all - well, not unless we wanted to turn up looking like drowned rats! We had some torrential rain that night - great as far as collecting fresh water is concerned, but not so good for dinghy rides ashore!
The miserable weather continued the next morning so we slipped our lines and headed the 11 miles to Canouan and the secluded bay on Charlestown. Here we enjoyed some much calmer weather although it did rain a little and we ate ashore at the Tamarind Hotel - fish 'n chips all round!
The following day we continued our journey south to the Tobago Cays. The Cays really are a sight to see, the turquoise clear waters are just magical - particularly when the sun is out. However ... upon entering the Cays, the squall came our way, the sky turned black and we were thoroughly drenched within minutes!
Rain on it's way!
We were beginning to wonder if the weather would pick up for the second half of Harriet's visit and the next day we had our answer. The sun shone brightly over the Cays, it was now time to go and find some turtles and iguanas. Both were easy to find and the turtles as beautiful as ever whilst the iguana tend to look more and more prehistoric!
Green turtle on it's way up for some air!
Footage of swimming with a Green Turtle in the Cays
Iguana on island of Baradel, Tobago Cays
The final couple of days saw us on Union Island. Firstly in Chatham Bay. A large protected anchorage giving plenty of room for everyone! We enjoyed the peace and tranquillity and a walk along the long beach before welcoming our friends Keith and Marcy from Santa Cruz off of their Lagoon 38, Mimi on board for a few nibbles and drinks. We always have a good time with the crew of Mimi and shall miss them as they head south and we plan our trip west.
Yesterday, we made our way round to Clifton on the south east side of Union Island. The airport is located here and we anchored up mid-morning for Harriet to enjoy the final few hours of Caribbean sunshine. We had a fantastic goodbye supper ashore at Bourgainvillas and Harriet was packed off the next morning a little browner than she was when she arrived and having swum with turtles, a shark (nurse), but sadly no glimpse of dolphins.
For more photos from Oceans Dream, visit our Picasa Albums by clicking here or alternatively, selecting 'Photo Gallery' to the left of the latest blog post.
NB - we of course join the islanders in celebrating some long-awaited rainfall. For some the wait has been as long as four months, the islands are looking greener already.
Having both worked hard we decided we should enjoy an exciting and challenging retirement whilst we were young enough and fit enough. To realise this dream, we replaced our monohull with an ocean-going liveaboard catamaran. [...] Through our blog we hope to stay in touch with our family and friends sharing our experiences to ensure others learn from our mistakes!