Lobsters? Not at that price!
Oriole
Mon 30 Mar 2009 13:18
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Frigate Island, Union Island, St Vincent and the
Grenadines. 12:34.966N 61:26.266W
On Monday morning we caught the 0630 ferry from
Bequia to Kingstown, St Vincent with Martine who was taking the four of us
(Christine, John, Dudley and Lorna) on a tour of St Vincent's west
coast.
After an excellent bacon and eggs breakfast we
walked up to the Botanical Gardens where we only scratched the surface of
Martine's botanical knowledge during a quickie walkabout.
The west coast tour took us past all the bays which
we have looked into during our transits by sea. Many of them look very
appealing from the sea but the aggressive reputation of the boat boys and
vendors has prevented us from visiting any but the most remote where the boat
boys do not penetrate. Viewing them from the land did not change our thoughts of
bringing Oriole as the road runs close to most of them which is not apparent as
one sails past. The main objective was the Dark View Falls up in the rain
forest where we swam and took a shower under the falls with torrents of water
beating on our heads.
 Lorna and Chris showering in Dark View
Falls.
It was time to leave Bequia and on Tuesday
afternoon we made the short trip to Petit Nevis the island on the south side of
Bequia where the whalers used to land their catch. Some years ago the
owners of the island stopped them using it for this purpose but this has not
stopped the whaling tradition which limits the islanders to catching three
whales each year. The butchering is a bloody business - not for
the weak stomached. Before getting underway for the Tobago Cays we
stretched our legs for a couple of hours ashore and then enjoyed a light wind
reach with a calm sea.
 Another strange weather pattern developed and we
have been in the grip of quite strong winds and heavy overcast and rain showers
for most of three days. This has been coupled with forecasts of big
northerly swells which make the usual sheltered anchorages uncomfortable, so a
little ingenuity is required. We have therefore retired to shelter of
Frigate Island protected from everything but the rain.
 Frigate Island anchorage in Ashton
Harbour from Oriole's masthead
Eric our Trinidad weather man predicts rain
"whenever stumps are planted in the earth for an important cricket
match". We have started to do the same whenever we have guests, even
in the dry season!
The boat boys in the Tobago Cays have been doing
their best to sell us lobsters at 40 EC$ a pound (In Barbuda the price is
15 EC$ per pound) We finally got them down to 30 EC$ but we had set 25 as
our top price - sadly no sale was made and the lobsters await the more
gullible. However we did manage to buy some Red Snapper very cheaply
direct from a fisherman which more than compensated and were delicious. (4
EC$ = £1 on a good day)
By Sunday the weather was back to normal and we
worked up an appetite by with an hour's brisk walk for another fish
lunch but this time at a beach bar where we all fed well for the price of one
lobster!!
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