Bequia 13 00.32N 61 14.77W
Persephone... Cruiser/Racer
Nigel & Karen Goodhew...
Fri 17 Feb 2017 17:02
We then close reached in bouncy, sunny conditions, up towards Bequia, some 24 miles to the north. In 20 plus knots of wind, the Caribbean is usually rough between the islands, and we were showered in spray as Persephone charged forward. Silver Lining left an hour before us, but sailed a lower angle, away to the west, arriving in Bequia some time after us.
Bequia has not changed. The stricken coaster is still rusting on the rocks to the south west, and Port Elizabeth remains a vibrant pattern of pastel colours. The kids still play on the dock, practising for their future skills as boat boys...."can I look after your dinghy, Captain?", and the surf still washes powerfully along Princess Margaret beach, past Jacks Bar.
Jacks Bar itself may have experienced a makeover since Christmas 2012, but the rum punches are just as good as they were then. The beautiful bay was less crowded than on our previous visit, and we were able to take up a mooring for the first night, close to the town, handy for the shops.
As is often the case, we made contact with friends shortly after arriving. In particulalr, Richard and Rowena, from Galene, not seen since October 2012.... who promptly advised us of a musical "happening" set for the afternoon of the following day....so we told Ena Vigo....
The happening was fun. A few beers and a variety of performers, including Richard on one of his ukeleles! Next, we moved Persephone back towards Princess Margaret beach to hang on the anchor, and caught up with Win2Win, who came around for dinner! Anna created a chicken and mango salad plus trimmings and we washed it all down with fizz fron W2W and exchanged Atlantic crossing stories. Quite emotional. Lilian had even made a commemorative rosette for us to mark our 2017 joint Atlantic crossing.
The four Persephoneers went ashore the next day at the Plantation House and organised a table for the evening to celebrate Annas birthday, before setting off on a walk around to Friendship Bay in the south of the island. Some reassuringly expensive cocktails at lunchtime in the resort hotel there (specialising in an elderly, and presumably wealthy clientele) readied us for the return trip.
The meal at Plantation House was indeed, very good. Steaks and lamb were consumed...all excellently prepared.
Our increasingly hectic social calendar was concluded in Bequia with a fine evening aboard W2W, Eltjo was the chief chef, concocting a fine spicy chicken dish, with salads to accompany. We talked long into the night, way past "sailors midnight" ...many cruisers are routinely tucked up in their bunks before 2200!
Bequias turtles swim around the anchorage and we saw a few of them.
Its a lovely spot. Our only downside was the slight damage done to our dinghy and its engine when it was forced under the concrete dock at Jacks Bar, by the enormous RIB from one of the larger boats in the bay.....
Sent from my iPad