Martinique to Grenada
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We anchored up at Martinique, right next to the main town Fort de France. Right under the Fort walls – where the Navy set a big bonfire and covered our boat in black ash! A nice spot considering it’s so close to town. We spent a couple of days shopping as the town had most things and we had a shopping list of stuff we needed for the boat. Richard finally got his hair cut too and we explored the town. Despite being a French island with nice food, the first place we ate at was McDonalds!! Although we have been enjoying the island food, it had been too long between big macs. We made up for it the next day by going to a great French restaurant and having some classic French food and wine. We explored the market, and bought fresh fruit and veg. At the fish market, Richard did a deal on about 30 small crabs. He managed to avoid being nipped and we cooked them up. They tasted delicious, but separating the (very sparse) meat from the inedible bits was just too much hard work and I gave up on my second crab. But Richard and Ryan plodded on for a good 45 mins before giving up too and ditching the rest over the side of the boat.

We then headed off for Rodney Bay, St Lucia. We anchored outside for one night. We took the dinghy ashore and relaxed with some Pina Colada’s in the breeze overlooking the bay. We had a very rolly sleepless night at anchor. Then we were off to Les Pitons, still in St Lucia. Very stunning location, they are twin volcanic peaks that rise like teeth vertically out of the sea. We picked up a mooring bouy about 30’ from the vertical cliff, which ensured I kept my concentration up so we did not hit any coral or rocks! The snorkelling on the reef right under our boat was amazing. So many colourful fish, including shoals of Sergeant Majors, Hogfish, Parrot fish and Stoplight fish. We also saw a big moray eel and a sea snake which we instinctively knew to keep a safe distance from.

The fishing over the next few days got very exciting. We hooked our first big swordfish (big for us that is, not the species). After fighting the sod for about 45 minutes, we got him very close to the boat and were ready with the gaff hook. Everybody was anticipating swordfish steaks for dinner and plenty for the freezer. But alas, it was not to be. Just as we were getting him alongside, the line snapped and he was gone. Undaunted, we put the lines out the following day and this time, we hooked a real monster. We put the clutch on the reel up to the maximum and he was still screaming off with the line. He jumped a couple of times and we saw just how big he was (somewhere in the league of that famous quote from JAWS where Roy Scheider gets a look at the shark for the first time and says “.......we’re gonna need a bigger boat.....”). He was taking the line off so quickly that the reel actually started to smoke. I kid you not! People talk about this happening but I always assumed it was just a euphemism. Apparently not. Anyway, after running out nearly all the line, it eventually stopped and thinking we still had him on, we started to retrieve the line, only to find that he had spat the lure out.

SWORDFISH 2, QUINTESSENCE 0

Not long after leaving the Pitons towards Wallilabou Bay in St Vincent, Richard and Ryan saw a Pilot whale broaching near the boat. We were also joined by some dolphins playing on our bow wave as they love to do. They turn on their sides while getting a free tow to look up at you and check you out. Wallilabou Bay is the famous location where Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed. Much of the set is still there - here is Quintessence tied up to the end of it.

More great snorkelling despite Richard and Ryan getting stung by little purple jellyfish – not dangerous ones, but they looked like they had brushed against some stinging nettles when they got out. I managed to avoid them but got tiny stings from what we found out later are called sea ants. Not painful, but very annoying under water!

After a couple of days we were off to Bequia (pron. Beck-wee) A nice town, with a fruit and veg market. Unfortunately I let Richard go on his own, and he bought enough fruit to last a lifetime (he claims he was forced into it), we would never eat it all! Also, they ripped him off and he probably paid at least double what it was worth. He also excelled himself in the variety of what he bought. Fruit I have never heard of before, so it was fun to try them out. Some were delicious, but some – like the giant green knobbly ‘soursop’ never ripened and ended up in the bin. We found inventive ways to put some of the lime mountain to use in cocktails and the like. The rest is still festering in various cabins round the boat..... About this time, we started to see little black bugs on the boat in the area of the galley. We didn’t know where they were coming from, and as there were not too many of them, we didn’t worry too much.

Then we were off to the Tobago Cays, but we HAD to stop in at Mustique at the famous Basil’s Bar for lunch. Mick Jagger owns it, but sadly he was not there. I think we would have recognised his ugly mug if he was in attendance. The island is privately owned and those with very deep pockets holiday here. We didn’t have to pay a penny – except for the extortionate burger of course. After the fantastic burger and some photos we weighed anchor for the quintessential small sandy islands and coral lagoons of the Tobago Cays. Wow. Such a stunning place. Not a bad view from the boat?

When Ryan headed up the mast, he took some pictures of the lagoon as well as us looking like ants on the deck below him....

Next stop, Clifton in Union Island, just to clear customs. Then off to Hillsborough in Carriacou for the night. A nice non touristy town.
The Caribbean fruit mountain was by now down to about half its original size and the odd little black bug was still appearing in the galley... We caught a small tuna during the day – but more than enough for a lovely fresh dinner for the three of us. Unfortunately we also caught a bird – a booby! It dived on our fishing lure and got hooked. I was very worried about the poor thing, but the guys managed to reel it in and unhook it and let it go with just a small wound on its neck. They were sure it was going to be OK. The ships log has a note saying “caught a booby but forgot the endangered species cook book”. Hmmm. We put the fishing rods away after that.

Next stop St Georges in Grenada. On the way along the Grenada coast, a squall from the island went over us and our already damaged genoa got ripped even more as we had to let it flog (fly free) as the strong wind passed us. Another job for the long list of repairs. No rest for the wicked!
To read about our previous passages since Florida, just click the archive on the right...

Love from Richard and Sarah

xxx