Mrs. Captain's post: Grenada - Cancouan

Good morning, my name is Lesley, I like to think of myself as Mrs. Captain, General Manager in charge of guest relations, food and beverage but in reality I am chief cook and bottle washer, commonly know as mom.

Jess has decided (with some suggestion from Uncle David) that someone else should take a shot at writing the blog, to bring someone else’s perspective to our lives.

Jess is still the reigning queen of waterfall jumps as she has jumped from the highest distance namely 13 meters at Annandale waterfall in Grenada. Jess has earned Josh’s respect for this but insisted that he would jump it twice to show that he can beat his sister, fortunately for him we did not go back and left from Grenada for Sandy Island, Carriacou. I can say all this without fear of reprisal from Josh, as he doesn’t actually read our blog.

We had a lovely day motoring as unfortunately the wind was still coming directly onto the nose, so no sailing was possible. Everyone was hopeful that fish would be on the menu for supper but alas only one lonely barracuda was caught. Our latest rookie sailor Alex got to do the honors of reeling in her first fish. Josh kindly helped and gave Alex the line to hold up to show her fish off for the mandatory photo. The barracuda naturally disapproved and proceeded to give a big wiggle dangling from the line, Alex got such a fright that she waved the fishing rod around and gave Josh a great big thump on his head, we all of course thought it was very funny.

Alex's first fish

Alex and Josh

We picked up a buoy and were all tied up after dark at Sandy Island.  Great fun was had with Josh catching a Garfish by hand off the back of the boat. We were all up rather early and got ready to swim and dingy ride over to Sandy Island. The girls were all in the water but saw some little jelly fish so no swimming to the beach was happening.  Josh caught a jellyfish in a cup to prove to dad that they weren’t imagining things. A lazy hour or so was spent on the island floating in the little inland pool. Some spa treatment for sailor’s feet was undertaken with pink sea sand and pieces of coral. Some more snorkeling was undertaken at the edge of the natural coral wall that was created by hurricane Lenny.

All the girls on Sandy Island

Ian and I went to a local little beach bar called Off the Hook for drinks and to check out the spot as we were going there for supper for a beach braai. Curtis the owner and his lovely girlfriend Lesley made us most welcome. We met a lovely German couple who were off the cruise ship, they were doing a 62 day cruise from where the ship left from Hamburg and all the way back. Another American couple Debbie and Bob have been cruising for just over four years and are very friendly with the locals and were involved in helping the sailing club refurbish their little wooden boats. A very entertaining afternoon was had. Supper on the beach of fresh rainbow runner and chicken was a huge and tasty success.

Jangles

beach dinner

Rain called a halt to our planned tour of Carricaou so mid morning we decided to check out at Customs. Needless to say we got the timing wrong and they were closed for lunch. Josh, Alex, Ian and myself caught a local bus (we know them as taxis) to Tyrell bay for lunch and to see if our friends Sylvie and Peter from the boat Jambalaya were back from the UK.  Very unsuccessful trip, restaurant was closed and couldn’t find Jambalaya. The bus trip back was very entertaining as we dropped off lunch for someone, picked up someone’s shopping, dropped of diesel canisters at the petrol station, dropped off money and stopped at the local fish market and picked up some smelly fish in a blue bucket that was put under our seat. We did see an old man in an Aussie tee shirt. Everything in town seems to happen on the bus.

Checked out and headed off to Petite Martinique to get some fuel as Grenada were out of diesel. We had to hang around the fuel dock for about half an hour as the captain was shopping for beers (apparently the best place to buy wine and beers). Our docking against the fuel dock proved to be a very scary experience one that we will not repeat. The swell constantly kept pushing us up against the dock and we had all the fenders alongside to ensure no damage was done. Jess and I were on the dock trying to push Jangles away each time she was rammed up against the dock. After 30 gallons of fuel Ian decided that it was enough and we beat a hasty retreat for Petite St Vincent.

This has to be one of our favorite spots in the lower end of the Caribbean. It is a privately owned little island and luckily for us it had just reopened after closing for the hurricane season. As we smoothly motored in to drop anchor Alex was treated to her first sighting of naked French people showering off the back of their boat. This is a fairly common occurrence; which has to be seen to be believed. Josh and Jess took a fairly long swim to one of the buoys to mark the start of Jess training for Midmar Mile Dam swim in February next year (in South Africa). Josh sprinted the last ten meters to the boat and had a cramp for the rest of the day. Drinks and starters were had at the Goat Shed beach bar and dinner was had sitting at the wonderful beach restaurant.

Swimming in Petite St. Vincent

After an early morning swim and snorkel we pulled up anchor and headed for Union Island to go and check into the St Vincent group of Islands.  A very exciting anchoring exercise was had as we managed to drop the anchor just in front of some coral and it dragged back into the coral breaking off a massive boulder size of coral that weighted the anchor down.  With a lot of backwards and forwards maneuvering of the boat and with Josh in the water tugging and pulling he managed to dislodge the coral and we were able to drop anchor and head to town. Most of the little shops in town were still closed as the cruising season is just starting up again.  Got some lovely fresh baguettes and fresh veggies and fruit, hoped to show Alex the avos the size of rugby balls we had been telling her about but alas not to be found. We used the same guy to taxi us to and from shore that sold us some very dodge diesel the last time we were in Union Island, resulting in us having to flush the diesel tanks and buying some very fancy liquid that eats the bacteria and oil out of diesel. Ian is very impressed by this stuff and by the professional approach of the company (in Trinidad) that sorted our problem out. We unfortunately did not get any discount on water taxi fees to shore.

We took a leisurely afternoon motor to Tobago Cays. This has to be one of the most beautiful little groups of islands in the world. It is a marine park so no fishing or diving is allowed. Great fun was had after dinner hand fishing off the back of the boat. Josh rigged up this hand line as there were tons of fish at the back of the boat. They managed to catch and release 11 Slender Mojarra’s before they decided to call it quits for the night. 

Tobago Cays sunset

We moved to a different spot the next morning and then the fun began, loads of snorkeling with turtles, rays, trunk fish, trumpet fish, cow fish, squid, lobsters, eels and giant sea stars to name a few. Alex used a stinger swimsuit, as she wasn’t convinced that all the jellyfish in the water are harmless. There are extraordinary amounts of little clear jellyfish in the water thankfully without stings. Rebecca loves to hold them in her hands, as they are soft and squishy.  This is the first time that we have seen so many jellyfish in this area so we assume it has something to do with the change of currents do to the different seasons. There were a few trunkfish that seemed to like a spot under our boat and they come really close for a good look at you. Alex and Josh found it rather freaky.

Trunk fish

Green turtle

After a short afternoon siesta we moved back around to where we had anchored the night before to partake in a late afternoon lobster beach barbeque provided by Romeo. We got to see the stingrays up close as they were surfing into the beach to eat the innards of the crayfish and fish that were being cleaned for dinner. A really good question was asked to which none of us knew the answer, does a stingrays spiky tail grow back if it shoots it out for some reason, if anyone knows the answer we would love for you to share it with us, otherwise its off to trusty Google we go!! What a feast we had. The evening finished off with a wonderful cup of Ian’s coffee (yup no surprises there, we do have a coffee machine on board) sitting on the emergency life raft at the back of the boat looking up at myriads of stars, the milky way and the odd shooting star, how easy is it to just let the world go by.

Lobster beach braai

Our last day at Tobago Cays was spent pretty much the same way except for a moment of great hilarity when Josh and Alex on their first morning snorkel saw a large barracuda  (over a meter in length) swimming towards them, they almost walked the water to get back to the boat and climbed up without even using the stairs, we think Josh headed back in front of Alex. They were both horrified when Ian and I both jumped in straight away, in our pj’s to go and get a closer look and a few photos.

After a leisurely two - hour sail, yup the Genoa was up; we arrived in the pretty Salt Whistle Bay in Mayreaux.  Ian decided to stay on the boat and polish the stainless steel, the rest of Jangles crew took the “fifteen minute walk into town” to go and explore and get some lunch. What the locals failed to mention is that the walk is solidly uphill the whole way.   Much wheezing later, mostly by me, we made it to the top, to a view of the whole of the Tobago Cay’s and the St Vincent’s that took your breath away. The village has this beautiful old stone church where we were able to spend some quiet minutes reflecting on and giving thanks for all the wonders we see and the privilege’s we have in our lives, especially the miracle of Dylan’s successful operation.

Mayreau Catholic church

We found Denis’s hideaway restaurant and had a wonderful local lunch. Rebecca was so happy there was a pool and even more so when they said she could have a dip. There are only three hundred people that live on Mayreaux, with no bank and a ferry trip if they wish to shop for more than just the most basic of necessities, imagine a life that uncluttered.

A quick afternoon dash saw us arrive at Canouan, which means “land of the turtle”. Afternoon drinks were had at the resort on the island called Tamarind as well as a little inter-net time for the desperate few. Most importantly we had to investigate the resort for we are in need of a special dinner for tomorrow the 6^th of November, we have a birthday, Happy Happy birthday dearest Alex. We pray for a truly special day for you and for all of heaven’s treasures and God blessing and favor for your life. We are so glad to be able to share this day with you…….

Harmless jellyfish