What a spectacular sail! We left Petit St Vincent early after an unpleasant rolly night, hauled up the main, pointed the bow south and started to roll down the waves, the sea floor rushing past 15m below us.
The day started bright and cloudless, and the breeze quite unusual: NNE, I think for the first time since we’ve been here; it’s almost always more easterly. This downwind sailing is perfect for our big kite, so we rigged up the sheets, clipped the snatch blocks to the toe-rail and hoisted the chute into the breeze. This is a bit of a challenge for two people, but Greg and I have it approximately sorted. And it’s so fun to sail. The speed increase is phenomenal, especially on a boat with a hull that is so easily driven.
We left it up all day, sailing down the windward side of Carriacou, past the natural hole in the rock, near (but not over) the active underwater volcano called Kick em’ Jenny, and then opted to run down the windward side of Grenada. I had had this passage recommended by the Shafers (the former owners of this boat) and it’s a tremendous and beautiful run. So we’re not anchored in Prickly Bay, on the island’s southern end. After spending last night rolling from one side of my bed to the other, this bay is beautiful, calm and quiet.
Grenada has had a striking recovery too. I was last here in 2001, and it’s much more developed and a lot more fancy than it was then. And you have to remember that hurricane Ivan absolutely destroyed Grenada a few years ago. No wonder everything looks new. Still, it’s the most modern island we have been to in a while, and there’s a lot of yachts here. I just took the dinghy into the Prickly Bay marina and there must have been 50 other dinghys tied up. Ah, happy hour!
We have a few things to do here: it’s duty free so we’ll buy some beers and food, and some diesel. There are good marine chandlers too, so the inevitable series of broken boat parts and spares can be replenished.
From here the day-sailing is over: we have an overnight passage ahead of us. But we do have a choice. We can head south, by pass Tobago and head to Trinidad. This holds some excitement as the annual Carnival starts today. If we leave tomorrow at dusk, we can be there in time for the real festivities that start Sunday.
Alternatively, we can head SW to Los Testigos. A small island off the coast of Venezuela. A friend we met in Bermuda and who has sailed all over these parts for the last three years, said “in my opinion, knowing the passage you’ve done and islands you’ve been to so far, Los Testigos will be your first taste of real Paradise”.
Heavens. We’ve seen some incredibly beautiful spots! What on earth can he be getting at?
1 Feb 2008
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