I was so pleased when Si said we had time to whizz over to the rocks to take some photos of the pelicans before we left. I adore these birds with their comical expressions and think they all look like cartoon characters. These were not the huge pelicans we saw in Australia but much smaller and thinner with not quite so humorous faces: In fact a tad snooty I would say. They were a picture perched on the rocks and I tried my best to capture some in flight as well, as they clumsily came into land. I fear there will be few photos worth keeping when I eventually find time to sort them through.

  The big swell still rolled into the bay as we upped anchor and set off. Fluky winds played havoc with the sails until we were clear of Canouan then close hauled in clean air we headed for Mustique with a fishing line off the stern. It was a great sail and we didn’t really want fish for tea anyway!!!!! As we approached Britannia Bay who should be approaching from the north but ‘Liberty’: How wonderful. We picked up mooring buoys next to each other. I was actually surprised there was space left with the blues festival starting tomorrow and I was so pleased that although it is renowned for being a rolly anchorage, today all was calm. Si had dived in to rescue Liberty’s boat hook which had fallen in the sea and then tied their line to the buoy for them. I dived in too when we were all secure and for the second time we sat in Liberty’s cockpit dripping puddles of salt water while we caught up with events from the last few days. We also paid our mooring fees to the harbour master and asked about the plan for the festival launch tomorrow. He suggested we book a table in the bar for the weekly BBQ buffet to ensure a table. We agreed to catch up in the famous Basil’s Bar at beer o’clock.

   Mustique is a picture with blue and turquoise water lapping onto white sandy beaches backed with palm trees. High in the hills magnificent properties of the rich and famous sprawl through the trees. Basil’s Bar, a collection of wooden huts built out on stills over the water wasn’t as tidy as I’d imagined and sits next to a small white beach with the brightest painted wooden boats pulled up under the palms. A few shops and a tiny fish market stretch to the headland. The whole island is owned by the Mustique Company which is owned by the property owners of the island. There are only about ninety houses, one hotel, a few shops, a few apartments and a few restaurants. They do their best to keep the riff-raff out. Workers arrive by ferry from St. Vincent; there are strict rules about who can live here; no one can be born or be buried here. They charge 200ECD to moor which entitles you to a three night stay if you can stand the rolling. For now it seems worth a visit. We swam in beautiful clear water and spotted several puffer fish amongst shoals of others before sprucing up for drinks.

   I foresee problems landing the dinghy if or when the swell does pick up as even in these calm conditions it was a bumpy landing for our sundowners. We found a table with a great view of the setting sun and chilled with our friends. It will be a different atmosphere tomorrow night.