Malua is a 12:38.050N 61:21.462W on 27/12/2012 Tobago Cays

After a great traditional Christmas – ham turkey Christmas pudding and brandy butter along with a rain storm that had the boats close to us swing in all directions some comming as close as a fender, it was time to put some space between Malua’s topsides and other boats.  I checked the anchor which as I thought was round a rock because of the swinging so I dived down and released it.  We had breakfast and pulled up the anchor, motored down the bay and took the reefs out of the sail to hoist Malua.s main.

It was a good down wind run and then a broad reach around the south point of Bequia and then past Mustique – Mick Jagger had not invited us to his New Years eves party this years however Basils Bar did have a place for two.

We passed Canouan island with conical hill on the southern tip and sailed on towards Baleine rocks before turning SE to line up the day marks on Petit Rameau and the aft mark on Petit Bateau.

The depth came up to less than 20 m and the water colour turned to bright blue.  I knew we were back in the corral islands.  We passed Petit Bateau to the south (anti-clockwise) and anchored to the SW of Baradel Island and the turtle area. This time I was a long way out and a good distance from any other boat.  It will be only a few hours before a French boat anchors on top of me and I up anchor and move along.  This is living up to the reason I wanted to sail the northern passage to the west and not come to the crowds of the Caribbean.

The cays are formed by the large horse shoe reef on the windward side of the anchorage but there is an opening between the island that the swell seems to come in from and make the anchorage a bit jerky – not rock and roll but jerky. 

This is not like Minerva reef off Tonga which was calm and quiet.

Yesterday we went diving on the outer reef.  Lots of fish, some live coral and many crayfish.  I had to exercise great self control not to take a few as I swam over their holes especially as they retail here at 10 Oz $ per lb.

Tomorrow we will again dive on the reef and see what happens.

A magical moment on Malua.