Liming in Grenada
Oriole
Sat 22 Mar 2008 14:39
St David's Bay, Grenada. 12:01.22N 61:40.77W
On Monday we walked the length of
Union Island from Chatham to Clifton to check out of St Vincent and the
Grenadines with Customs and Immigration. This pantomime that you have to go
through whenever you move from one island to the next can be a real drag but the
penalties in the unlikely event of being caught are severe. Its a great walk but
you need to carry plenty of water to remain hydrated. The reward is a
lovely French restaurant in Clifton for lunch. Anchored outside the
restaurant was Santana, a Saga 40 recently sold by David Walker who lives just
along the road in NF. When we returned to Chatham Bay we were surrounded
by a Sunsail flotilla with one yacht about to collide with us. The
professional leader of the flotilla was a delightful Brit who sorted out his
flock and peace was declared.
Oriole, far right, was surrounded by a Sunsail flotilla on our
return.
View from Union Island to Mayreau (left) and the Tobago Cays
(centre)
The north side of Union Island walking into
Clifton.
Santana ex Newton Ferrers on the dock in Clifton.
In beautiful quiet conditions
10-12 knots on the beam we sailed down to Grenada on Tuesday and have been
sitting at anchor in St David's which is delightfully quiet but has the great
advantage of having the Grenada Marine Boat Yard at its head from which we are
getting an excellent free wifi internet connection from Oriole and a good walk
to our favoured watering hole at La Sagesse.
The beach (and restaurant) at La Sagesse gets an annual visit.
The swells have arrived from the
storm off the US Coast and the cruise ship dock outside St George's was closed
yesterday when a cruise ship started battering itself in 12-15 foot swells, but
most of the yachties we have talked to have managed to find snug anchorages away
from the mayhem. The swells were pretty impressive and are said to be the
biggest non hurricane swells since 1991. Two people were drowned in heavy surf
in Barbados and a cruise ship skipper broke ribs while evacuating his passengers
from the beach at Montserrat. It does pay to listen to the weather
forecasts.