Friday 2 Feb: Today was a looong day. Once we were 40 miles clear of Barbados, in the early hours, the cross swell finally settled into one and the wind piped up to a healthy 25, gusting 30 kts. CB loves this wind with twin head sails, stable and fast to the sound of rushing water as we average a steady 9 kts.
For a while we are treated to a full moon but mostly it’s hiding behind clouds. Several of the clouds give us a solid pelting with rain. Only this time, now that we have the bimini up and tent packed away, our cockpit is fully exposed to the horizontal rain. All we can do is huddle in the corner in rain coats. And it’s cold!
By dawn our feathered friend has flown off. Probably he saw land before we did. But he leaves his mark with several poops on the bimini.
Land-ho just at 4am and sun rises as we pass the north tip of Grenada. In the dawn light we can see the volcanic shapes of the Grenadine islands stretching to the north of us. Likewise Grenada is volcanic with rugged mountains, almost 900m, covered in very lush green rainforest. Quite a contrast to Barbados that was a flat coral island.
We gentle sail down the western lee side dotted with the occasion cottages and one small town but otherwise wild forest down to the shoreline.
By 10am we are in the historic harbour of the main town, St.George, where colorful buildings and Anglican churches surround the harbour and upwards. There is a local side to the harbour, with no space for yachts, and a leisure side with the Grenada Yacht Club and Port Louis marina. No where to anchor so we head back out and anchor among about 50 yachts just outside the town. A bit rolly in the swell, but after the Atlantic crossing, rolling is all relative these days!
We potter and rest till late afternoon watching the yacht racing in the bay. This week is the Grenada regatta. In the fleet we spot The Blue Peter, a 1930s sloop from Burnham on Crouch. This is the yacht met on the leg Gibraltar to Lanzarote last year, and took shelter with in Morocco. Small world.
Late afternoon Horsey (our trusty dinghy) takes us ashore to clear customs and immigration at the marina. The marina is amazing. So clean, so organised and 1/2 the price of Barbados.
After sundown we head back into the town to explore. But find the old harbour relatively quiet and the streets very dark. So we head to the Port Louis marina and join the regatta evening party. It’s very lively and most people already pretty jolly. Oana starts to dance by the bar and is soon whisked off to the dance floor by the crew from a super yacht that we have latched into. A bunch of Brits, a Filipino and an Aussi.
Later we all pile onto a taxi and head to a more local bar – The Brewery. And boy-oh-boy is this one ever lively! It’s actually in a beer brewery warehouse. Soon the gang are dancing on the tables to great music and having a great time. The Filipino calls Glen Captain and seems to want to wait on him all evening – even coming to hunt for him when he goes to the toilet for more than 5 minutes!By 1am we help take them back to the marina – yes they needed help!
A great end to a long day. Think we are going to like Grenada!