Tuesday, 6 Feb: Early rise to bright blue sky. Maybe today will be dry for once. The locals say all this rain is very unusual in this supposedly dry season.
After breakfast we take horsey to town. Well, to the Yacht Club actually, then walk to St.George’s from there. Apparently there is a 2nd part to the town after we go through a tunnel. After walking around the old harbour perimeter we find the Sendall tunnel, build by the French in 1894. It’s very low and narrow. We are a bit surprised that it’s used for both cars (one-way, granted) and pedestrians. All along the curved concrete roof are marks where some vehicles haven’t quite made it down the center-line!
Out the other side we find what looks like another town compared to the harbour side. Lots of hustle and bustle, fruit and fish markets and road side stalls. But still rather basic comparing with Bridgetown in Barbados. St.George looks very colorful because tomorrow is Independence Day celebrations – 44 years ago when Grenada became independent from British rule. Most people are wearing national colors, red yellow and green, and flags are up across the streets.
On the way back we visit the old French fort on the peninsula and find it completely dilapidated. But by contrast, the cannons on the roof are in almost perfect condition. You can clearly still see the serial numbers and each one is dated, mostly from the first decade of the 1800’s. How have they not rusted in this weather? The center courtyard of the fort was where the revolutionaries were all shot in 1983 after a Coup and later invasion by the USA to sort it all out. Apparently Cuban influence was a little too hot for the American’s liking.
Back on the boat and a quick lunch before we sail off to the south coast. Once we are in a stable anchorage, like now, it’s always tempting to just stay there. But once the anchor is up and we are moving again, it feels so good to be sailing to somewhere new. Especially here, where we can always sail rather than motoring – there’s plenty of wind compared to the Mediterranean.
At first it’s a gentle run under genoa to the SW tip. But once around it and heading East the huge eastery Atlantic swell hits us and we are soon dipping the bow into the on coming waves as we sail hard-on up wind with water rushing down the side decks. It’s nice to know that we can cover the boat with salty sea water and be assured the next rain will wash it clean again. Unlike the Mediterranean where Glen has to wash it all off using his improvised garden sprayer!
Within 2 hours we are heading in to True Blue Bay, the first real shelter on the south coast. As we get into the quiet bay, it’s hard to believe how rough the sea is just a mile offshore. Rather than anchoring we pick up a mooring buoy next to the Dodgy Dock restaurant & bar – which is recommended in the pilot. It’s quaint terrace, on wooden piling, overhangs the water. Soon we are having a happy-hour rum punch while watching the sunset. Later the restaurant fills up, a steel band starts playing and we can’t resist ordering dinner.
We get back to the boat just in time before the heavens open up, yet again, with a deluge of rain. Good, that’s the salt off the boat again. It’s so easy to keep things clean out here!