73) Grenada

Clifton Village, Union Island, St. Vincent & The Grenadines (anchorage)

12° 35.706 N 61° 24.902 W

In the overall picture it appears that we haven’t gone very far in the last couple weeks.  It has been quite a drastic change going from one goal of crossing the Atlantic to one of sightseeing.  It seems that we have been here in the Caribbean for a long time and we’ve really only been in this area for 18 days.  We’ve recently moved south of our most southern latitude of 13°, which was our landfall at Barbados.

Clifton Village, Union Island, St. Vincent & The Grenadines

 

We pulled up the anchor and left Union Island this morning; but not without delay.  They sent out a load of laundry yesterday and it was supposed to be delivered to us at 9am and was an hour late.  It had been raining off and on pretty hard this morning and we timed it to leave in between showers.  Once outside the markers John wanted to put up the Genoa since we had great wind in the high 20s.  But, first we had to deal with the flag halyard that broke again.  John strings up the American flag with a halyard and a thin line.  It is arranged so that the top of the flag is attached to a halyard shackle and the bottom of the flag has a thin line that is attached somewhere.  The first time it broke we were entering Admiralty Bay, Bequia.  The halyard was swinging with the flag attached because the thin line broke.  I captured it with the fishing pole because it was too high to grab.  He got more line at the chandlery and wanted to tie it up again.  I said to tie a messenger to the halyard this time so we don’t lose it.  Sure, enough it broke again and there was no messenger.  We realized that it had to be dealt with when we were trying to fly the Genoa after departing Union Island.

Immediately after I unfurled the sail the starboard sheet separated from the clue.  John was on that side and saw the event unfold.  When that sheet was flying loose it managed to rip the starboard navigation light from the pulpit and sent it to the water.  I saw it float by.  We had to put the engine in neutral and once again fish a line out of the water.  So, we motored the whole way to the next island.  Ugh, I hate diesel fumes.  On this boat the exhaust is amidships and it is difficult to get away from the smell anywhere on the boat.  You’d think with the wind blowing it would be ok but for some reason it isn’t. 

I settled in and read in the time-out chair after putting the cheap lure in the water. Within a couple hours we caught another skipjack tuna.  I fried it for dinner and made fish tacos sans a couple ingredients.  

St. Georges Harbour, Grenada

12° 02.727 N 61° 44.942 W

Grenada is an independent state in the West Indies, comprising the island of Grenada and some of the southern Grenadines. Grenada, in the southeastern Caribbean Sea, is the southernmost of the Windward Islands. The most important of the attached Grenadines is Carriacou, to the northeast. The country has a total area of 133 sq miles; Grenada Island has an area of 120 sq miles. The capital, largest town, and principal port (located on the southwestern coast) is Saint George's.

Grenada is of volcanic origin and is mountainous. The highest peak is Mount Saint Catherine 2,756 ft. Valleys interspersed between the mountains are picturesque and fertile, and many contain swift-flowing streams. The island also has hot springs, several mountain lakes, and excellent beaches. The climate is tropical, with an average annual temperature of 82° F along the coast. Annual rainfall is 60 inches on the coast; a rainy season lasts from June to December. Forests in the interior contain teak and mahogany trees.

The population of Grenada (2004 estimate) is 89,357. The people are predominantly black, and a majority is Roman Catholic. English is the official language, but a French dialect is also spoken. Education is free and compulsory for children between the ages of 5 and 16.

Saint George’s town in southwestern Grenada is the capital of the island nation, in Saint George Parish, in the West Indies. It is a seaport, with a well-sheltered inner harbor, and an administrative, commercial, and tourist center. Refined sugar and alcoholic beverages are principal products. It is a picturesque community, with streets winding up steep hillsides. St. George's was established in 1650 as a French settlement and was the capital of the British dependency of the Windward Islands from 1885 to 1958.

St. George’s Harbour, Grenada

The run today was only 40 miles.  In the middle it was quite rough with seas that were 8’ or more.  The wind was strong and would have made for a great fast sail. 

St. George's Harbor, Grenada

Looking aft, west, as we approached the harbor.

Grenada from a distance at sea and closer up looks like all the islands we have just seen.  The joke about same stuff different island really does apply in many ways.  But, the buildings looked more colorful and more attractive for what it’s worth.

St. George north of the harbor entrance. 

  St. George harbor entrance

           

Anchorage

  

After setting the hook we noticed that we had a couple hours of daylight left and decided to go ashore.  The walk over to the larger part of the bay, which is commercial, was interesting.  They drive on the opposite side of the road here and honk often.  While in a grocery store we found directions to KFC but decided against walking through the tunnel and we made the right decision.  We decided to go back to the boat and cook the tuna.  Walking on these streets is risky.  The cars drive fast and close to the edges and I’ve seen locals and tourists brushed by passing vehicles.  You must pay attention.

This place was very noisy, fast and dirty.  It was a culture shock coming from the smaller islands.  We made comments that it would be nice to be nearer a bigger city for better food but we are paying a price.