29. Grenada

Summer solstice in the Caribbean, watching the World Cup with Trinity, and my new Dutch friends from Nelly Rose at Prickly Bay marina. So much fun, football, half priced pizza, happy hour beers, I wish it could go on forever. Trinity gave me their old digital camera, so finally here are some photos again:

Thanks Trinity!

Nelly Rose

It’s so lovely here, I’d like to stay and work, and there are a lot of expats here, but work visas are very expensive, and therefore a disincentive for employers. Having a British passport helps, I asked around, tried with a yacht broker, but it seems very difficult, if not impossible.

Prickly Bay, Grenada

I really wanted to visit the chocolate factory; everyone says it’s great. I had thought I might be able to become their European representative and get them a big contract from Fortnum and Mason’s maybe. Or at least be able to jump in a chocolate river, or make friends with an umpa-lumpa. I did manage to stock up on Grenada chocolate though. So delicious, it won’t last long.

http://www.grenadachocolate.com

Prickly Bay Marina

So I will go to Trinidad for the summer. It’s an overnight passage to Chagauramas. Trinity are too fast for me, I wouldn’t be able to keep up with them, so I am going to buddy boat with Honey Rider. We will leave at midnight on Sunday and hopefully arrive before it gets dark on Monday. At 5 knots it would take 16 hours, but we may be able to go quicker than that.

28. Hurricane

I left Rodney Bay, heading for St. Vincent. Sally and Paul got a flight back to London later that day. Really fun to see them both and spend two weeks together, very sad for it to have to end. It felt like a holiday for me too; I spent a lot of time at the Ginger Lily hotel, relaxing round the pool and taking hot showers. They liked Reduit beach most, and we all loved the little Indian lady who walks up and down it selling hot rotis.

Wallilabou Bay

I left from Rodney Bay, all the way at the north of St. Lucia, so I had to sail for ten hours to get to St. Vincent, and Wallilabou Bay. What a magical place! I can see why Disney chose it as a location for Pirates of the Caribbean. There are still some of the set buildings there, which, for me, added to the magic. There were props too – canons, a gallows and lots of coffins. It was so cool; I wish I’d had a camera (the last few photos have been from Sally and Paul’s phone/ipad – thanks guys!). Here are some stolen from the net:

Wallilabou Bay (Port Royal in the film)

I walked to a beautiful waterfall nearby, had a swim and washed. The next day I sailed to Bequia and anchored in Admiralty Bay. Another amazing place. I wanted to get to Grenada for the World Cup, and to catch up with friends, so I only stayed for two nights and then had a smooth sail to Carriacou. I’d also heard there’s lots of chikungunya (a disease from mosquitos). I stayed in Hillsborough Bay for a night and then headed to Grenada.

Finally I arrived in Grenada and anchored alongside Trinity. We went to watch England play in the Yacht Club bar. So happy to be here with them. I feel like I’ve made it – escaped south of the hurricane belt. Yesterday we both sailed round to Prickly Bay and met up with Honey Rider. We will all head to Trinidad in a week or so.