Wallilabou Bay and Bequia

Silver Bear
Ray Lawry
Tue 26 Jan 2010 16:06
13:00.1770N 61:14.6720W
Wallilabou Bay, what a great name and attractivce bay situated on the west coast of St Vincent. It's where they filmed Pirates of the Caribbean and where we stopped off overnight on our way south to Bequia where we are now.
 
Ann and Iain Gibson managed to dodge snow bound airports at home to join us on 10th January. They were a little delayed having had to divert from Gatwick to Heathrow for their departure, but they were lucky considering the number of cancelled flights. We spent a very pleasant few days sailing the St Lucia coast, anchoring off Pigeon Island and sailing down to Soufriere Town and the Pitons. We took a lacal taxi around the southern end and visited the botanical gardens, ably guided by our local expert ' Alexander the internet' who was able to name every species there. Iain seemed to be in his element and knew most of the latin names but I have to confess the internet lost me shortly after logging in!
 
We returned to Rodney Bay, which by now was beginning to feel like home, and set off for a weekend of luxury pampering at the Windjammer Hotel, our prize from the ARC presentation (and gratefully received -thanks to all at the ARC). Our two bedroom villa complete with pool was most welcome, particularly following our week after returning from UK spent living in a dusty boatyard whilst repairs were carried out to a leaky rudder stock (nasty complaint). Anyway the Windjammer was excellent relaxing on the beach sipping rum punch and cooling with the odd dip or two.
 
Ann and Iain were booked into the Marigot Bay hotel for the second week of their holiday where we joined them for a couple of days mooring in the beautiful bay next to a rather large motor yacht with a 70 million price tag. This thing was so big a bloke with a saw had to come and make a hole in the handrail of the little bridge over the dinghy park. The hotel was brilliant with big thick cushions on the sunbeds and very helpful staff willing to assist your every need (they did'nt realise we were non paying interloppers)
 
Silver Bear has needed some attention. In addition to the boatyard repairs the fridge packed up requiring more expensive remedial work, then to top it all we had our dinghy and outboard stolen from the pontoon where we parked it overnight, right next to where we were sleeping in the boatyard, so all in all it was a grim week but hopefully that is behind us and we are back in the cruising mode taking it easy and seeing some wonderful sights. I managed to buy replacements although because of the transport cost everything out here works out a lot more expensive and the insurance will fall short. At least everything for now is ok and there is a lot to experience here which costs nothing.
 
Below Iain and I enjoy a Piton at the Pitons
 
Above; sunset at the Windjammer