Finally, departure day! I know, just a little late but the weather was kind and circumstances got in the way. Our last weeks were filled with projects on the boat and retirement paperwork and parties for Pieter. He has retired from the Independent Boatyard after 15 years, lots of great memories and good friends but lots of seas to cross in our future! He plans to be part of the day sail business too, it seems he wants to sail the boat - not just fix her when I bring her home with a problem!
Our cruise from St. Thomas, broken only by short stop in Tortola for a clearance, to Bequia was storybook perfect. We had a full moon, the best view of Mars when it was so close to earth, calm seas and time to check out all the new toys-radar, auto pilot and the single side band radio. We love them all, we can see ships and squalls so easily with the radar, SSB tells us about the weather and the autopilot never complains and always steers a perfect course, doesn't eat anything either - a great crew! The passage took two and a half days and we sailed into Admiralty Bay, Bequia in time for breakfast. We lived in St. Vincent for 6 years in the early '70's, I started my day sail career on our old schooner there and Bequia was the favorite destination, like St. John is to St . Thomas. It was great to be back, some changes but enough familiar landmarks that we found our way easily.
Our plan was to spend a few weeks exploring our old stomping grounds down as far as Grenada and then head back to St . Vincent and start the work part of this cruise. The cruising part was so much fun. We snorkeled in the Tobago Cays, amazing, had a reunion with St. Thomas friends in Carriacou and a wonderful week in Grenada with old friends from our days in St. Vincent. Grenada is a beautiful island, we rented a car and drove all the way around, found 2 waterfalls and countless old stone churches and forts to explore. Although we were anxious to get up to St. Vincent and see our old friends, we knew that when we got there the lazy cruising days would come to a screeching halt.
We didn't go straight to work, we stopped at Salt Whistle Bay on Mayreau for a night. Last time we were there son Paul was a baby and now he is 28! It is still gorgeous and we hiked up to the town and the lovely little stone church is still there and the view of the Grenadines is still breathtaking. A last night in Bequia, Friendship Bay this time, and off to St. Vincent, friends and work. Our friends have been so supportive and the work is going well. Independence will have a new forward cabin, a small office, a new galley and countertop in the head and we will finally have non leaking windows in the main cabin. Huge projects, funnily enough the windows are being the biggest headache, but we have help, my old crew from Evoe is here and a very good varnisher, our friends son is a carpenter and he has a friend who does windows and so it goes. We are staying ashore for the worst of it and really looking forward to getting back to the lazy cruising life. More on that in the next edition of the log.
We have been watching the weather and sweated out Fabian and Isabel, no problem for the Caribbean, yet, but so much destruction in Bermuda and the east coast of the U.S.A. It was our plan to be out of the main track of storms this summer and so far the hurricanes have stayed north, hope we have seen the last of them this year.
We'll be back on our mooring in Red Hook, St. Thomas in time for Thanksgiving, give us a call if you will be in the area, we'd love to take you sailing and show off all our projects!
Fair winds - Pat and Pieter
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