Variety is the Spice of Life in Grenada!
May 14, 2009
Thursday
Once again.....securely anchored in the Spice Island of Grenada!
I'm having a hard time writing this blog....we've just been moving from one anchorage to another here in Grenada, but truly just trying to realize that time is short and we'll soon be apart for 5 months!
We stayed an extra day at Union Island....because it was raining the Tuesday morning that we woke up! Glad that we did, though. Helen and Steve from DIGNITY invited us over to their catamaran on Tuesday evening with another couple from CAT TALES. So....we shared wine and stories and many laughs!
The next morning we left Union Island for Grenada......and sailed to Carriacou (one of three islands of Grenada) and checked in at Customs and Immigration at Hillsborough.
We picked up a few fresh veges and fruit from the market and Jim got a Sim card for his phone with a local Grenadian phone number. Now he is officially nearly and "almost" a dirt dweller!!!
We moved around the corner to Tyrell Bay (for Cinco de Mayo)
and anchored among the masses. The boat "boys" here were offering just a bit different goods.....the first one came by with bottles of wine for sale!!! But, luckily I still have a few French wines from Martinique!! Then the second guy came around selling "oysters" (which are really mangrove oysters) that have paper thin shells and not a whole lot of meat. Well....the price was right and we hadn't really had oysters since North Carolina....so we asked for a couple of dozen. Roberto said he'd return the next evening with the oysters. Well......he showed up promptly as promised with 4 dozen oysters and spent about 20 minutes separating them and showing Jim how to clean them and they ate a few raw with some sour orange squeezed over them. Jim boiled up the rest and we had fresh bread and steamed oysters with sour orange and a little horseradish sauce! Wonderful meal in the middle of "nowhere"!
On Thursday, May 7th, we sailed to the main island of Grenada, but were able to stay on the windward, Eastern, side. The forcast for the following day was rain and squalls with increased winds. We had 20-24K and big confused seas....just on the windward side of some little rock islands NE of Grenada....but after that the seas calmed down. We dragged a fishing line....again......to no avail.....but were keeping pace with the local Grenadian fishing boat alongside us! It's amazing how they can balance and not fall over in the seas we were encountering!
We were planning on scooting into St. David's Bay along the SE coast of Grenada....but we came thru the cut and found a huge swell sneaking in and all the boats were rolling way tooo much for our comfort. So.....we headed back out....and went down to Egmont Bay.....which has a little mangrove hurricane hole. We got all the way back into the anchorage and decided it was tooooo protected and there would be little wind and alot of bugs. So......we went back out the cut and made our way into Clarkes Court Bay. There's are 3-4 little marinas here, but we anchored off Calivigny Island where a resort is still under construction. It's a beautiful place to anchor....the reefs cut any swell or waves but you still get good wind and air flow (which is becoming more important as the days get hotter!!)
On Saturday we motored thru the reefs around Hog Island (about 2nm).....to anchor just on the leeside of Hog Island. On Sunday they had a BBQ on the beach at a little thatch roofed bar/restaurant called "Rogers". So....after we went for a little hike around the island....
we attended the beach BBQ of fish and chicken, pasta, callaloo and cake for dessert. There were a few cruisers and locals that showed up during the day and the food and prices were great! Not to mention the local Carib beers!
On Monday, the 11th, we decided to motor thru some more reefs to go into Prickly Bay.
We anchored and zoomed into shore in the dinghy to say "Hello" to the boatyard where we're going to be hauled out tomorrow.....stop by the local chandelry, Budget Marine, and pick out all the stuff we want to buy, but didn't.....then walked about 2 blocks to hop on a bus to take us into Grand Anse to visit the local bank and grocery store (10 EC round trip for two....about $4.50). When we got back to Bees Knees.....we lifted anchor, again....to head over to the nearby bay of Mt. Hartman
and anchored by ourselves just off a sand spot near the eastern shore of the Bay. It's also home to the Grenadian pigeon.....so there were several other birds as well, including 2 Great blue herons.
On Tuesday we walked around Mt. Hartman where there are just beautiful homes and flowers/trees.
We saw gigantic caterpillars.....an enlarged size of the same ones we saw at the Botanical Gardens in Rouseau, Dominica. 
They were destroying a plumeria tree....but they were sooooo beautiful and colorful. We walked up and down the streets in this neighborhood,
just enjoying the wonderful views of the Bay
and talking with the locals that were walking by or working in the yards.
After we got back from our walk and hydrated ourselves with plentiful water......we, once again, picked up anchor and moved back to Calivigny Island in Clarks Court Bay.
There are so many cruisers in Grenada that they have their own "net" on the VHF radio every morning at 0730. They give a weather report and you can introduce yourself if you're new to Grenada....or say good-bye if you're leaving. They have announcements and the usual trading of boat goods. So.....we took advantage of the great communication network and sold this stainless steel mast track that we've been carrying around with us for 2 years!! We bought it, thinking we'd put it on the mast for our storm sail.....then decided it was way too many holes to put in the mast and we'll save our storm sail for emergencies. We tried to sell this track in St. Martin.....and again in other islands......but here in Grenada we found a 70 something year old cruiser that has been wanting just exactly what we were trying to sell!! Whoooohoooo!! I know it must sound silly.....but you wouldn't believe how many times I stubbed my toes on that track lying on the starboard deck, tied to the stanchions!!!
On Wednesday we met up with Helen and Steve and caught a bus from Woburn to go into St. George's....downtown. (But I forgot to check my batteries in my camera...and they were dead.....so stay tuned to the next blog for pics of St. George's lovely architecture and activity!) We had a great time walking around, thru the spice market and fresh fruit and vege market, stopping by a few shops. We had a great lunch of rotis and drinks for about $11 US each couple. I had a vege roti which was chickpeas, potatoes, mango, lentils with a hot sauce of your choice, wrapped in a roti wrapper.....the best I've had yet!! We walked to the Grenada Yacht Club where Jim and Bees Knees will be for the summer and met Marilyn....the woman that Jim has been emailing regarding the slip. It's a great set-up with a restaurant/bar, laundry, showers and a dock that isn't tooo huge. We visited the other chandelry, Island Water World, and Steve was admiring a 6-squid lure. (they caught a huge tuna enroute from Bequia to Mustique). We all were pretty worn out from the sun and lunch and hopped on a local bus to take us back to Woburn about 1430. But.....we got on the wrong bus. The bus filled with little school kids and just kept going. We found out too late that we were enroute to Grenville....a sign said 16 miles!! So....the bus driver told us not to get off, but that he'd take us to Woburn after he dropped off the last of the children. Well......40EC later (after some negotiation) he dropped us off at Woburn, about 1 block from where we left our dinghies!!! Live and learn, right? There's an art to reading the buses....numbers and cities posted on the front!
That evening the cruisers had a "hamburger" night....yes they did have vege burgers......so we gathered for drinks about 5pm......met several other cruisers that we've been hearing on the radio over the past two years or seeing their boats anchored in the many anchorages coming down this way......met up again with DIGNITY and ARCTIC TERNs....and met a lovely couple from Holland on their boat, ZWIT. This AM, Devi (from ARCTIC TERN), gave a yoga class up on the deck at the marina at Clarks Court Bay. There were 5 of us yogi students stretching all over the place and really enjoying the birds flying by and the nearly full moon still in the sky at 0700!
Tomorrow we haul BEES KNEES out at Spice Island Marina in Prickly Bay. We plan on spending the weekend cleaning the hull....maybe doing a bit of varnishing, pulling the prop to prep for painting. Then on Monday we should be ready to have them paint the bottom! It's been since January 2008, in Marathon, since we last were hauled out of the water........so it's time!! We have ablative paint and it's nearly gone!!
So......hope you all have a Happy and Safe Memorial Day weekend!
Bye for now!
Thursday
Once again.....securely anchored in the Spice Island of Grenada!
I'm having a hard time writing this blog....we've just been moving from one anchorage to another here in Grenada, but truly just trying to realize that time is short and we'll soon be apart for 5 months!
We stayed an extra day at Union Island....because it was raining the Tuesday morning that we woke up! Glad that we did, though. Helen and Steve from DIGNITY invited us over to their catamaran on Tuesday evening with another couple from CAT TALES. So....we shared wine and stories and many laughs!
The next morning we left Union Island for Grenada......and sailed to Carriacou (one of three islands of Grenada) and checked in at Customs and Immigration at Hillsborough.
We picked up a few fresh veges and fruit from the market and Jim got a Sim card for his phone with a local Grenadian phone number. Now he is officially nearly and "almost" a dirt dweller!!!We moved around the corner to Tyrell Bay (for Cinco de Mayo)
and anchored among the masses. The boat "boys" here were offering just a bit different goods.....the first one came by with bottles of wine for sale!!! But, luckily I still have a few French wines from Martinique!! Then the second guy came around selling "oysters" (which are really mangrove oysters) that have paper thin shells and not a whole lot of meat. Well....the price was right and we hadn't really had oysters since North Carolina....so we asked for a couple of dozen. Roberto said he'd return the next evening with the oysters. Well......he showed up promptly as promised with 4 dozen oysters and spent about 20 minutes separating them and showing Jim how to clean them and they ate a few raw with some sour orange squeezed over them. Jim boiled up the rest and we had fresh bread and steamed oysters with sour orange and a little horseradish sauce! Wonderful meal in the middle of "nowhere"!On Thursday, May 7th, we sailed to the main island of Grenada, but were able to stay on the windward, Eastern, side. The forcast for the following day was rain and squalls with increased winds. We had 20-24K and big confused seas....just on the windward side of some little rock islands NE of Grenada....but after that the seas calmed down. We dragged a fishing line....again......to no avail.....but were keeping pace with the local Grenadian fishing boat alongside us! It's amazing how they can balance and not fall over in the seas we were encountering!
We were planning on scooting into St. David's Bay along the SE coast of Grenada....but we came thru the cut and found a huge swell sneaking in and all the boats were rolling way tooo much for our comfort. So.....we headed back out....and went down to Egmont Bay.....which has a little mangrove hurricane hole. We got all the way back into the anchorage and decided it was tooooo protected and there would be little wind and alot of bugs. So......we went back out the cut and made our way into Clarkes Court Bay. There's are 3-4 little marinas here, but we anchored off Calivigny Island where a resort is still under construction. It's a beautiful place to anchor....the reefs cut any swell or waves but you still get good wind and air flow (which is becoming more important as the days get hotter!!)
On Saturday we motored thru the reefs around Hog Island (about 2nm).....to anchor just on the leeside of Hog Island. On Sunday they had a BBQ on the beach at a little thatch roofed bar/restaurant called "Rogers". So....after we went for a little hike around the island....
we attended the beach BBQ of fish and chicken, pasta, callaloo and cake for dessert. There were a few cruisers and locals that showed up during the day and the food and prices were great! Not to mention the local Carib beers!On Monday, the 11th, we decided to motor thru some more reefs to go into Prickly Bay.
We anchored and zoomed into shore in the dinghy to say "Hello" to the boatyard where we're going to be hauled out tomorrow.....stop by the local chandelry, Budget Marine, and pick out all the stuff we want to buy, but didn't.....then walked about 2 blocks to hop on a bus to take us into Grand Anse to visit the local bank and grocery store (10 EC round trip for two....about $4.50). When we got back to Bees Knees.....we lifted anchor, again....to head over to the nearby bay of Mt. Hartman and anchored by ourselves just off a sand spot near the eastern shore of the Bay. It's also home to the Grenadian pigeon.....so there were several other birds as well, including 2 Great blue herons. On Tuesday we walked around Mt. Hartman where there are just beautiful homes and flowers/trees.
We saw gigantic caterpillars.....an enlarged size of the same ones we saw at the Botanical Gardens in Rouseau, Dominica. They were destroying a plumeria tree....but they were sooooo beautiful and colorful. We walked up and down the streets in this neighborhood, just enjoying the wonderful views of the Bay and talking with the locals that were walking by or working in the yards.After we got back from our walk and hydrated ourselves with plentiful water......we, once again, picked up anchor and moved back to Calivigny Island in Clarks Court Bay.
There are so many cruisers in Grenada that they have their own "net" on the VHF radio every morning at 0730. They give a weather report and you can introduce yourself if you're new to Grenada....or say good-bye if you're leaving. They have announcements and the usual trading of boat goods. So.....we took advantage of the great communication network and sold this stainless steel mast track that we've been carrying around with us for 2 years!! We bought it, thinking we'd put it on the mast for our storm sail.....then decided it was way too many holes to put in the mast and we'll save our storm sail for emergencies. We tried to sell this track in St. Martin.....and again in other islands......but here in Grenada we found a 70 something year old cruiser that has been wanting just exactly what we were trying to sell!! Whoooohoooo!! I know it must sound silly.....but you wouldn't believe how many times I stubbed my toes on that track lying on the starboard deck, tied to the stanchions!!!
On Wednesday we met up with Helen and Steve and caught a bus from Woburn to go into St. George's....downtown. (But I forgot to check my batteries in my camera...and they were dead.....so stay tuned to the next blog for pics of St. George's lovely architecture and activity!) We had a great time walking around, thru the spice market and fresh fruit and vege market, stopping by a few shops. We had a great lunch of rotis and drinks for about $11 US each couple. I had a vege roti which was chickpeas, potatoes, mango, lentils with a hot sauce of your choice, wrapped in a roti wrapper.....the best I've had yet!! We walked to the Grenada Yacht Club where Jim and Bees Knees will be for the summer and met Marilyn....the woman that Jim has been emailing regarding the slip. It's a great set-up with a restaurant/bar, laundry, showers and a dock that isn't tooo huge. We visited the other chandelry, Island Water World, and Steve was admiring a 6-squid lure. (they caught a huge tuna enroute from Bequia to Mustique). We all were pretty worn out from the sun and lunch and hopped on a local bus to take us back to Woburn about 1430. But.....we got on the wrong bus. The bus filled with little school kids and just kept going. We found out too late that we were enroute to Grenville....a sign said 16 miles!! So....the bus driver told us not to get off, but that he'd take us to Woburn after he dropped off the last of the children. Well......40EC later (after some negotiation) he dropped us off at Woburn, about 1 block from where we left our dinghies!!! Live and learn, right? There's an art to reading the buses....numbers and cities posted on the front!
That evening the cruisers had a "hamburger" night....yes they did have vege burgers......so we gathered for drinks about 5pm......met several other cruisers that we've been hearing on the radio over the past two years or seeing their boats anchored in the many anchorages coming down this way......met up again with DIGNITY and ARCTIC TERNs....and met a lovely couple from Holland on their boat, ZWIT. This AM, Devi (from ARCTIC TERN), gave a yoga class up on the deck at the marina at Clarks Court Bay. There were 5 of us yogi students stretching all over the place and really enjoying the birds flying by and the nearly full moon still in the sky at 0700!
Tomorrow we haul BEES KNEES out at Spice Island Marina in Prickly Bay. We plan on spending the weekend cleaning the hull....maybe doing a bit of varnishing, pulling the prop to prep for painting. Then on Monday we should be ready to have them paint the bottom! It's been since January 2008, in Marathon, since we last were hauled out of the water........so it's time!! We have ablative paint and it's nearly gone!!
So......hope you all have a Happy and Safe Memorial Day weekend!
Bye for now!
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