Tuesday, 6 Mar: Another rather unsettled night for Glen as he is up and down a few times on anchor watch. We were a bit worried because the wind was gusting 26knts in the late evening and we were only just 2 boat lengths in front of a catamaran, and upwind was a large motor yacht that was yawing all over the place.
We awoke to another dull rainy day. This anchorage in Windward Bay on Mayreau Island may look superb in bright sunlight but nothing special in this dull weather. So we up anchor, intending to anchor on the lee (west) side of Mayreau, where we can go ashore and walk the island.
But as we come around the corner into what should be the sheltered Saline Bay, we find there is a huge swell coming from the west, which is very odd this time of year. Once in the bay we soon realize there is no way we are landing the dinghy here, as the waves are crashing on the beach and sweeping right into the palms above. Even the jetty is getting covered by each wave as it rolls in.
So we carry on heading clockwise around Mayreau Island hoping that the picturesque Saltwhistle Bay will be OK. As we approach, lots of yachts are leaving and we can see why. Again the waves are rolling in and sweeping up high onto the beach. Disappointing, as this bay was supposed to be a highlight.
So we continue around the top of the island, into the wind, then sail down the east side, weaving our way along Snake Channel, through the reef. We decide the best plan is to go and anchor exactly where we were last night, as this seems to tick the 2 boxes: sheltered from easterly wind and westerly swell. We will just have to land the dinghy on this wild beach and find our way through the jungle to the little village.
Once anchored, a boat comes alongside with 3 locals sell us a yellow fin tuna. After a bit of negotiation, they prepare and steak a whole fish for us. Enough for 2 large dinners. Half go into freezer, half ready to BBQ tonight.
As planned, we land the dinghy on the beach, pulling it up as high as we can, and tying it to a tree. After a short walk along the beach we come to some local fishing boats and a dirt road. “Dirt” being the word. Lots of very muddy parts and soon Glen has managed to splatter mud all up his back and legs. Oana, surprisingly, is wearing a dress which she now holds up around her waist to protect it. Quite a sight we are!
Eventually, we get to the start of the village and walk up the hill towards the ancient church where there is a nice view over the Cays. The village is very local but has the usual array of funky, but deserted, restaurants. After avoiding a few rain showers we end up walking to the far end of the island, and down to Saltwhistle Bay. Sure enough, as we had seen this morning, the waves are coming up the beach and into the array of make-shift bars, washing them away.
We talk to a local who tells us this swell is very unusual, and that last night the bay was packed with yachts, but all have left due to the swell coming in. Only one yacht is left, a bit of a wreck of a thing, and it is rolling violently right next to the reef. People seem to be trying to help them. But we learn it belongs to a local, and the yacht has neither working engine nor rudder …. so we guess it’s not going anywhere else today!
We can see that with calm water and sunshine this bay would be extremely pretty – but today it’s just a damp windy piece of sand and palms. This must be how the Caribbean looks like, out of season, when tropical storms come through. Back in the village we try one of the deserted bars for a beer. It’s all a bit sad really, that they don’t seem to have business, or maybe they just live for the odd occasion when a cruise liner dumps it’s cargo on the beach for a BBQ, every few days.
We make it back to Cloudy Bay without getting rained on. Good job we bought the umbrella, but not so sure about Oana’s dress! Don’t worry Oana, there will be more civilized islands soon! Just before it gets dark we BBQ the tuna for lunch …. it’s yummy. Then settle in for another evening tinkering with blogs, photos and videos.
Another item on the pottering front today: Glen dismantled the day fridge. We have been getting a lot of condensation around it and the damp was starting to get into the teak, turning it into an ugly black. A drying out and varnish is needed to reseal it. So right now we are down a fridge, but as fresh supplies are getting low, it’s not a problem.
We did achieve one thing today, we completed a circumnavigation of our first island in the Caribbean!
