The Trip: 2013

Hi everyone,

The day after we picked up our new windlass, we made the trip from Grenada to St. Vincent & the Grenadines and checked in. This time the windlass did not fail us. To celebrate, Rob bought lobster from one of the “boat boys,” or locals who come up in boats and try to sell you things, and we cooked it on the grill with garlic butter. The next morning we headed a scant three miles to the Tobago Cays, which happen to be one of the most beautiful places on earth. If you have watched The Pirates of the Caribbean, there is a scene where Jack and Elizabeth are abandoned on a deserted island. One of the Tobago Cays was used to film this scene. Right next to this island is a reef called “World’s End Reef.” As the name implies, snorkeling and diving around here are incredible. We anchored behind a small barrier reef, right next to a turtle sanctuary. This area, marked with buoys, is home to around fifty sea turtles at a time. While dinghies are discouraged, snorkelers are welcome to swim with the turtles in the shallow, eight foot waters of the sanctuary. We spent most of Rob’s visit here in the cays, exploring different reefs and swimming every day. Finally, on the last day of his visit, we sailed to Canouan, a close island with a decent airport. We waved goodbye to Rob as he left for the airport, closing the chapter on a wonderful vacation week.

The first beach that we saw when we entered the Tobago Cays.

This is where we anchored for the week. The turtle sanctuary was marked between us and this island, making it a great place to swim to.

Here you can see the distinction between the shallow waters behind the barrier reef, and the darker blue waters of the ocean beyond.

Dad and Rob running the flag of St. Vincent & the Grenadines.

Julia relaxing in front of the gorgeous water of the Tobago Cays.

Rob kayaking over to the island used in the Pirates of the Caribbean.

Jumping off the roof in the cays.

Not to be outdone, Julia quickly followed me.

Snorkeling in the Tobago Cays.

This is a filefish. Notice the iridescent blue dots down its side.

Julia does flips underwater just outside of the barrier reef.

A coral head with several Sergeant Majors.These are the small fish with yellow and black stripes down their sides and grey heads. I count at least four in this picture.

A ray glides along the sandy bottom.

Here the ray is being followed by two trunk fish. These fish are white with brown spots, and are triangular.

Here is a head-on shot of a trunk fish. Although it looks big, this one is probably only eight to ten inches long.

Inside the turtle sanctuary, we spotted a turtle lazing finning along the bottom.

Another turtle, this one with a lighter-colored shell, swims around the sanctuary.

We also spotted a small squid in the sanctuary.

This is the view from the top of the island next to the sanctuary.

Here I am standing on the island. And yes, those are cactus you can see in the upper right corner of the picture.

Julia and I stand on the beach in the sanctuary.

Dad relaxes on the bottom.

Here I am using Dad’s scuba gear for a quick swim under the boat.

Now its Julia’s turn!

Rob tries on shirts from one of the boat boys.

Julia and I chose to get matching shirts.

Dad and Rob also chose to get matching shirts, just in a different color.

Here we all are, showing off our new tee-shirts.

The sun goes down behind an island, setting the sky on fire.

Stunning streaks of pink and orange pervade the sky long after the sun has set.

Rob, Julia, and I swim with a pool float, a present from Uncle Rob.

Rob gets flipped as we play King of the Float.

Everyone relaxes on the float.

A view of the rest of the anchorage, from the roof.

A view of Canouan, as we enter the harbor.

Over the next few days we traveled to Bequia, an island with a great waterfront and plenty to see and do. As a birthday present, Julia and I got to take an intro to scuba diving course. We spent an afternoon going over the ins and outs of scuba diving with our instructor, then we were taken on a dive to the Devil’s Table, a cluster of coral and sea life which was around thirty feet deep. We also walked through town, and had dinner at a restaurant called The Whale Boner (yes, I spelled that correctly). The Whale Boner is unique in the fact that it is partially built out of whale bones. Bequia is one of the only places in the entire world that is still allowed to hunt whale, as it is significant to their culture and economy. While they are only allowed to hunt through traditional methods, they usually catch two to four whales per year. The entrance to The Whale Boner is located through an archway of whale pelvic bones, and the seats at the bar are made from whale vertebrae.

The anchorage in Bequia. As you can see, it is a popular destination.

The sun sets behind a tanker as we enjoy our first night in Bequia.

Dad stands outside Dive Bequia, where we went for our dive lesson.

Mom and Dad went out for pizza on their first trip into town. Julia and I stayed home and did school work.

Julia and I came to town a few days later. Here we are on the main street in Bequia.

Julia and I stop for ice cream

After a week of exploring Bequia, we had to head back to Canouan because we had another guest. Aunt Joann flew into the airport in Canouan for her week vacation, and the next day we sailed over to the Tobago Cays. This time, we visited the island where Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed. We walked along the white sand beaches, found hermit crabs, took pictures with palm trees, and had a great time in general. After several days, we traveled to Mayreau for a night, and then back to Union Island. Here Dad had his birthday. While we were at Union, we went to a full moon party on the beach. Union Island is a popular kite surfing area, and one of the kite surfing instructors had attached glow sticks to his board and kite. Under a full moon, he glowed brilliantly as he did jumps and flips. After a week, we waved goodbye to Aunt Joann and prepared to leave once again, this time for the French islands. That, however, is a story for a different blog post.

Aunt Joann relaxes after her four-flight ordeal to get to Grenada. She brought us so much food!

Schools of fish swim through coral in the Tobago Cays.

Another colorful sunset in the Tobago Cays.

A shot of the island where Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed.

Standing on the island where Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed. Dad brought along a bottle of rum to use as a “prop.”

Julia standing on the island. Behind her you can see the other Tobago Cays.

A shot along the beach. As you can see, we were the only people there.

Aunt Joann relaxing during happy hour.

The family having happy hour in the Tobago Cays. On the table you can see a fish card with illustrations of common sea life.

Dad, Aunt Joann, and me sitting at the helm as we move to Mayreau.

The first anchorage that we visited in Mayreau. Unfortunately, a reef prevented us from anchoring here overnight so we moved to a second bay on Mayreau.