Back to the Cays and out turtles

Sunday into Monday 

Here we are, back in Tabago Cays again. Eventide, six pm, riding lights atop the masts begin to twinkle against a sunset that starts dark blue to red to orange and yellow, washes that flood into one another. Twinkle twinkle little lights a fermament fifty feet above a dark evening sea.

Our arrival at 14:00 hours the sun was high. We had sailed out of Bequia on Sunday, leaving at 10:07 and headed 210 degrees on a broad reach, port tack and compared to the Friday passage skimmed across the swells. Sun high, sea frowns, Cloud Nine knows where she is going under the helm of Skipper Patrick and First Officer Jilly who in turns take the big wheel.

Fresh fruit abounds 

We left the mooring in Bequia at 11:00 hours and with main and jib up were heading south. The wind made for a broad reach  heading 220 degrees. Twenty two nautical miles later we were back in  Tobago Cays.

This familiar place, marine park, a place of Turtles. We gained a confortable mooring close by one of the tiny islands  that completes the horseshoe reef. Across the day we were over the side several times with snorkle and fins. 


Returning after these swims we would aggregate our discoveries, Turtles, Rays, a Leopard Ray, Sargent Major fish, and Trunk fish.

Bouncing around in Bequia. Health check.

Friday afternoon: Into the port on the RIB. Once for shopping and rubbish disposal and email collection. The second time for our supper at the Devil's Island resturant. This festive dive served a great meal and offered up all the pictures of Johnnie Depp one could ever wish for.  As we motored back to our mooring stars were bright and water dead calm. We saw the Milky Way drift and weave immediately above us.

03:00 on Saturday morning the first of a number showers blew through. Every cabin's skylight hatch was open so we all had a good dampening down of fresh water on bed, pillows or our kit bags.

A grey Saturday morning turning blue by 10:30 earlier Jilly (First Officer) and Chris (Fore deck crew) go off for a dive. The laundry boat arrives alongside to collect our washing and then we order more water. Unable to resist the retail scene in Bequia Angie has Patrick ride her across to shore for some therapy. 

Patrick, Sian and I stay on board, happy to wait for the water boat to come soon

The rest of Saturday was uneventful except for a most excellent lunch in Jack's Bar. Salads all round and Skipper Patrick and I talk seriously about the book we contemplated in May of last year. Which was how Sian and I blagged a two week passage on Cloud Nine in the first place. Idea: I will do a lot of drawings and paintings and he takes the photographs. We put this all together and hey presto we have a book . . .

A most excellent lunch in Jack's Bar

Early evening we decide my swollen feet need medical attention. So into the RIV with Skipper and Jilly and Sian. We go to the hospital just of Main Street Bequia and are politely shown through the hospital back out to the street to the Doctors house. We sit outside his house but for a moment when he pulls up in a beat up Toyota and shows us inside. 

A thorough examination from the good Dr Danyi put the trouble down to my BP, so he gave me a prescription. Diauritics. So we made our way to the pharmacy in the hospital who got me going with five pills. I made a donation to the hospital (signed the donations book).

We go to the hospital just of Main Street in Bequia

We returned to the pharmacy today at 0900, Sunday to get the full prescription and back to Cloud Nine and we were off.  

So the St Vincent and Grenadines Health Service was tested and found to be EXCELLENT.   

We head South.

Cloud Nine faces off wind and water

Handsome boats impatient on their moorings.

Royal blue sail covers

Jib sheets neatly wrapped around forestays

Shrouds glisten white against the blue

Spreaders clearly seen from where we stand

I make a hurried drawing,

The wind almost lifting the book from my hand

Returning to our boat Cloud Nine we get a goodly soaking as we face off the wind and water. We go swimming several times before and after the salad lunch. Along with the others I made a tentative snokel-assisted run towards the land and was rewarded with a shoal of Trunk Fish and a Ray who was to close for comfort and so mild panic set in and I headed back to the boat.

16:08 we weighed anchor and left Tobaco Cays. We made West towards the island of Mayeau. We killed the engine and let the jib loose sailed round to Mayeau. Sixty minutes later we were moored up and ready for early sundowners. Plans are laid to invade the island for supper.

Next morning we explore Mayeau