Tyrrel Bay Carriacou.
Oriole
Sun 17 Apr 2005 16:56
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All the islands in the Eastern Caribbean derive a
large proportion of their
income from tourism and their governments are increasingly aware that the yachts provide more income than the large cruise ships now seen in all the harbours. However yachties in some of the islands are very shabbily treated by the very people who should be nurturing them. St Vincent which we have just left is one of those where the boat boys who ostensibly are there to look after yachties are often rude and abusive and sometimes downright hostile. Some delightful anchorages are plagued in this way and for many yachts they have become no-go areas. Clifton on Union Island at the southern end of the Grenadines is a place it is difficult to avoid as one needs to visit for Customs clearance. The boat boys here can be very difficult as we discovered again yesterday when John was grossly overcharged for a boat-taxi ride by a boat-boy who had refused to quote a price and then became unpleasantly threatening when his charge was questioned. In those cases unless you are very brave or stupid you have to back off, but he will certainly have none of our custom again and we will warn our friends too. Only a month ago a yachtie was robbed at knife
point here, though probably not by a
boat boy. So
paradise even eludes the Caribbean but such incidents are rare.
Looks like a snake but actually is an eel.
We spent a few days in Bequia which as usual was delightful although the wind was funnelling hard down the anchorage. We did a couple of dives although with the strong winds and big sea running the visibility was not great but there were fish in profusion and we saw a pair of 5 foot long tarpons in the gloom - very eerie. Bequia is famous for seahorses which we have seen there before but none were on show this time. As predicted last week we have been well supplied with lobsters and have just reluctantly refused a large pair brought alongside by a delightful boat-boy. It is illegal to sell small lobsters, and this week we were undoubtedly conned into buying 7 very small lobsters, described by their vendor who swam out to Oriole, as Brazilian lobsters. "These doon't get any bigger man, trust me man, very good price" Well, we had them at a very good price and they were the best we have ever had, but on reflection they were probably kidnapped from their nursery where they should have remained for a few more years.  What
a disgusting spectacle!
We caught up Eowyn again yesterday with David and Ruth Thrush aboard and had supper with them ashore last - lobster again, barbequed this time. They have just sailed off for Grenada from where they fly home on Wednesday. We will be following on early next week for a few days before we head down to Trinidad. |