We have a dare for you. The next time you are wandering around your local garden centre (Bagshot Lea for example) take some time away from the coffee shop and nick knacks that are so central its financial well being and potter off to have a look at the tropical fish section. When you get there find the biggest tank with the brightest fish and surreptitiously pop on a mask and snorkel. Now submerge yourself (as best you can) into the tank and you'll have some idea as to just how fruitful, bright and exciting, our time has been in the islands of Grenada has been.

The need to move was upon us as was the need to buy some food. Amazingly we have managed to live off the stores that we took onboard Ruffian all that time ago in the Canaries and with them running low and with our dinner concoctions taking a somewhat bizarre turn we had to find somewhere to reprovision. Ruffian sailed into the bay of St Georges and we joined the throngs of students at the 'Super Value Supermarket'. It was the Ronseal of supermarkets and was super value so we filled our trolley with abandon and with the eye's of people who have not shopped in 3 months. We then crammed ourselves and our shopping onto a bus and returned to Ruffian ready to push off to pastures new.

Leaving St Georges we knew that we'd be in for a shock. We've sailed downwind for a long, long time and as we are now moving north through the Caribbean chain we'd be doing battle with the prevailing trade winds and the Atlantic swell. It was time to go upwind and time to start our beat north. Upwind we went and finally made landfall in a bay on Carriacou that is described as 'sometimes crowded'. We found a bay that was not crowded, but heaving. Boats were anchoring on top of other boats, in the mangroves and even in the breakers by the reef. Luckily we found ourselves a safe cheeky little spot that would give us the opportunity to hike ashore and scrub all the new growth off the bottom of the boat that had made itself known on our upwind sail. The barnacles, weed and crabs weren't too happy about being made homeless and battled valiantly and after many hours Iain emerged from the water with grazed arms, cut fingers and finger nails so short he'll not be biting them for months.

We were still in search for our idyllic Caribbean anchorage having not found it at Tyrell Bay. We were looking for somewhere deserted, with a white sandy beach with palm trees gently blowing the breeze and snorkelling in bright turquoise waters. We finally found this on the Ronseal of islands, Sandy Island. It was sandy, duh huh, and had the prerequisite palm trees which swayed gently in the wind as waves crashed on the reef which Ruffian was anchored behind, in waters that were so bright that they positively glowed. The snorkelling from Ruffian and from the beach was breathtaking, which gave rise to some interesting snorkel malfunctions and the fish were so abundant that they covered the seabed and obscured the visibility is quite a remarkable way. We'd found our idyllic Caribbean anchorage and the snorkelling was better than anything that we could have found at Bagshot Lea.

Plunging cliff faces at St Georges makes for a great anchorage.


Proper shopping for the first time since we left Las Palmas 3 months ago.


Early morning departure from St Georges.


Upwind. Errrr the boat is learning over. Is that right?


That diesel doesn't look right.


No Iain, that's diesel and not a sweet sugary drink.


That'll be the cause of the funny coloured diesel.


Grenada is ramping up for its carnival. The steel drums are tuned to perfection.



Ahhhh sundowners.


Check out the water that the anchor was dropped in.


Alex and his traditional fishing boat. He has the joy of going upwind, getting soaked and not even able to make tea.


The water is so bright it shines.


Yes Fiona, it's a beach.


Images of Barbuda.


All happily alone.