The Indian meal turned out to be a really pleasant culinary experience after an early issue about the table location. Although it was predominantly fine quality Indian, some dishes were an Indian/Chinese fusion and the experience was lifted by this unusual variety.

We had intended to breakfast in the adjacent café/bakery but after waiting over 20 minutes for our order to be taken and witnessing others waiting longer for their meal, we decided to buy the ingredients and cook on board. Our departure was straightforward once we had identified that the bow mooring line was of the floating, not the sinking variety and needed to be taken away from our exit route by a dinghy.

We took a slow cruise north to allow Neville to deploy all 3 fishing rods. This tactic actually backfired as the lines all tangled and he and Lynn didn’t get them untangled (or rather cut apart) until we were nearly at our destination. So, nil fish for Neville in nearly 3 weeks while we watched locals landing them ‘hand over fist’!

We are now anchored off Reduit beach, Rodney Bay in view of the hotel we occupied with our wives in December. We have chosen not to enter the marina until tomorrow so we can avoid being antisocial as we intend to cook a paella using the BBQ on deck this evening.

On the subject of ‘antisocial’, it is significant to note that jet skis are banned in St. Vincent and the Grenadines while they are allowed in St. Lucia. As a result we are reluctant to venture away from the yacht while swimming for fear of our lives as they tear up and down at breakneck speed, clearly in the hands of children and novices !

Our meal last night was taken in the restaurant at the end of the bay, deep into the mangroves and this is part of their problem. The food was excellent and they were the only bar so far to serve a passable ale. BUT, we were bitten alive!

We all had a good lie in, listening for movement, reluctant to be the first to break the silence.

Connected to shore power we enjoyed toast for breakfast and avidly followed the rugby tweets. We adjourned to the beach (via the ferry) where we had an ethnic lunch and relaxed and swam.

This Marigot Bay destination is absolutely magical and seems to even draw cruise ship clients who are ‘bussed in’ to spend an hour or two on the beach. The wildlife is interesting as well.

We were determined to enjoy more of the ale and thought we had timed our return visit to coincide with ‘happy hour’ and to precede the insects. In the event, I think we failed on both counts.

Following a recommendation and suffering withdrawal, we decided to indulge in an Indian meal and will report back on this!

With only two short passages left before the family leave, Neville’s currently unsuccessful fishing has taken on an air of desperation. Not only did he interrogate the fishing tackle shop owner in Kingstown, we made substantial purchases and with a promise that the lighter winds will allow us to make way at the requisite slow speed, plans are afoot.

Neville has rigged no less than three rods with small lures having witnessed fishermen landing boat loads of tuna using no more than a hand line and tiny squid lure. Being unsuccessful on the ‘slow boat to Marigot’ we witnessed an old couple in a local dinghy trawling with rods just off the entrance. By chance, when we went to the pool in the Capella Hotel, the two Brits put into the dinghy dock and I chatted with them.

They had been visiting Marigot Bay for a number of years and made contact with a local with the boat who rented it to them for £10 a day. They were generally successful with their lures and showed me what they used. The hotel would cook their catch for their evening meals. We now have to buy the recommended lures in Rodney Bay (in the hardware store) and spend a morning trawling with them before we put in to the Marina. Anyway, we intend to have a ‘lay day’ here in Marigot Bay tomorrow and enjoy being connected to shore power, proper coffee and air conditioning!

I had warned that the long crossing to St. Lucia was going to be a challenge, a long beat, exposed to the Atlantic with winds over 20 knots. We tackled it with two reefs in the main and with both foresails but a little bit of jib rolled away. We fortunately had a favourable current and we were logging over 9 knots SOG at some stages. We did take some ‘big ones’ over the top but this was not really a problem as the wind and sun soon dried us off but left the salt behind.

We had the company of a couple of brown boobies riding the winds off our sails. Spectacular until they decided to ‘relieve themselves’!

Bound for Soufriere in St. Lucia, we were met by Byron, the first ‘boat boy’ a good 5 miles out. We picked up a mooring buoy and went ashore to clear in, wander around the town and have the obligatory beer. The whole bay has an underlying smell of sulphur which we imagine emanates from the volcano and that the smell has spawned the name.

I will let Paula and Lynn describe the antics of a ‘stag’ crew of Germans on an adjacent catamaran – they will do it better:-

As Nick said our crossing was eventful. The waves were huge. For sailors this was good sailing, for us it was white knuckles holding on desperately, in between getting a soaking as the waves gushed overboard.  Apparently that was perfect as it meant we got to our destination well ahead of our eta!

We promised that we would both go to church every Sunday if we survived the journey. It now looks that we will be on our knees for the foreseeable future.

Having lost breakfast we were rather hungry, but have made up for it by eating copious amounts of crisps.

Joining us in the anchorage this evening is a Bavarian boat full of what we can describe as middle aged, gay exhibitionists. We have seen them in their birthday suits and we believe the party is just beginning!!!  We will be using binoculars and cameras to check they are having a good time!!!!!

Our visit to Soufriere was interesting. It is certainly a colourful town, where all seem to be having a ‘good time’.  The customs clearing ‘in’ experience was once again a lengthy paper exercise with lots of carbon copies in triplicate in a room which is maintained at the highest temperature ever!!!!!!

We can report that Neville has still not caught anything with his very expensive lure. We have seen many fishermen with buckets full of fish….. We leave him sobbing into his Rum Punch questioning his skills as a hunter/gatherer.

Having ‘cleared out’ of St. Vincent and the Grenadines at Blue Lagoon, south of Kingstown, we have 24 hours grace to leave their jurisdiction and we have anchored in Cumberland Bay with our famous (?) ‘webbing’ around a palm tree ashore and back – on a ‘slip’, cleated back on board.

We will make the passage to St. Lucia, tomorrow, starting early so we can just slip our palm tree purchase at first light.

Cumberland Bay is very pretty but it has been an experience as we had four ‘boat boys’ alongside, clamouring for our attention as we tried to sort ourselves out. We managed to appease most of them with a can of beer, paying off with cash those that actually took our line (webbing) ashore. Later a couple of young lads trying to sell jewellery complained that the beers we offered in compensation for not purchasing were not cold enough!

We  felt obliged to use the nearest ‘Mohito’s’ bar but we were a little surprised when the proprietor, surreptitiously sent out for orange juice and the rum content in the punches seemed to be non-existent. Paula was dead downwind from the ‘ganja’ smokers so probably didn’t miss the rum!

Feeling more comfortable on board, we returned to adjust our mooring arrangement but although close to the shore, we have good anchor holding and with the keel raised, I am sufficiently comfortable for the night ahead.

Lynn is delighted with some news:-

Today we received the news we have been hoping for…..the little dog on Petit Nevis has been rescued….she is a lovely little female. The team from Mustique sent a video clip of their greeting….their words were ‘she seemed to be saying thank you!’ She has now been examined, the vet said her heart is fine…good start…no more fleas, no more tics…she is now being fed…So, so happy! She will be very well looked after now. She deserves it! The gentleman who organised the rescue was telling me how yesterday they lost an old dog through road negligence….so somehow this little dog will hopefully bring some solace…..His team are trying to educate local people on how animals also deserve a bit of paradise….education is everything! People here are not bad, they have a lot to deal with. When all is said and done, it is soooo nice to know this little dog will undoubtedly bring a lot of happiness. She was meant to be….I look forward to receiving news of her wellbeing.

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On a different note Nick has had his challenges today…mooring is not simple. We are anchored as well as ‘strapped’ to a palm tree! We seem to be secured both ends of the boat…as nice as the bay is…we will not be indulging in our usual swim. Water seems a bit dark and uninviting. Skipper says early to bed and early departure tomorrow….we all agree….Locals are very nice but also very stoned! Hey! Ho! We expect the journey to be a bit ‘choppy’ as forewarned by our skipper. But what must be, must be, we will survive!

Neville is still throwing the fishing line into the sea expecting a biting whale…a fortune spent in St.Vincent on fishing tackle hoping to catch Moby Dick! Watch this space……We find it quite entertaining! He is a bit desperate having seen locals landing tuna, barracuda etc with no more than a hand-line!

What a wonderful destination Blue Lagoon on St. Vincent has turned out to be. There is so much to tell but I am conscious that I have ben ‘hogging’ the postings so I must leave some revelations for the ‘girls’ to describe. As something of an ‘aide memoir’ to them, I will just mention pool, bars, lady up the mast, restaurants, school bus, KingsTOWN, Cathedral, flight changes, the freezer, spicy fries, the best Pina Colada, unexpected mutual acquaintances and THE DOG!

So, I will leave it all up to Paula and Lynn to comment:-

Where do we start…let’s backtrack to 2 days ago, anchored in the bay of Petit Nevis, a small uninhabited island. We spotted a dog on the beach but no humans….Nick swam ashore to check if snorkelling was feasible. He was greeted by this friendly, emaciated, abandoned dog. Clearly this poor animal was starving….Nick took a photo…heart-breaking….So started my mission to save this poor animal. I will save you the details but suffice to say that after dozens of emails and offers of financial assistance, he/she will be rescued….Mustique residents have organised a rescue mission, a vet will look him over and hopefully it will eventually find a deserving home. They have promised to keep me informed…watch this space….

This bay is perfect….everything without pretentions (or tuck up, Nick’s contribution!!!)…We visited Kingstown with its colourful architecture and community. What never fails to amaze us is all school children are immaculately dressed in their smart uniforms in spite of the evident lack of resources.

On return to the boat we settled by the swimming pool for a few hours of leisure! Moved our bodies to the beach bar where we enjoyed probably the best Pina Colada and Rum Punch….they keep improving!

We always say it is a small world….well it is! As we headed for the marina supermarket we met the boutique manager, a brief conversation quickly established she is from Windsor and knows Bobby King!!!!! Is there anyone out there who does not????

Needless to say I found a bargain in the boutique! Perfect end to a perfect day!

Lynn and Paula make an un-edited contribution:-

A Perfect Storm what a brilliant film!!!! However, what we went through this morning puts that film to shame!!!! Waves were three times the size that good old George had to endure. More importantly we survived, but it was an adventure, which apparently according to skip we have to experience again for longer in a few days’ time.  The 20 foot swell (at least) smashed the bow and water gushed onto deck leaving us drenched and hanging on for dear life.  The heroic crew took this in their stride!! You may think that Lynn and I are exaggerating; the lack of any photos proves that the bare knuckle ride was pretty scary.  We made it!!! Blue Lagoon was a welcome haven to the now battered crew. We were greeted by an amazing toothless local who guided us to a safe place in the marina. After kissing the ground we ventured to the bar for a dirty beer. The marina is lovely except for the cold showers a small price to pay for terra firma.

Tonight we are eating in the Marina restaurant to celebrate our survival!  We might even have a pina colada and a rum punch, this will be topped off with air conditioning on board.

What a life of excitement and luxury.

It was timely to raise the anchor in Saline Bay, Mayreau just as another cruise liner arrived and started to set up their equipment on the beach. We took a turn around the pretty Saltwhistle Bay before embarking on the 20 mile passage to Mustique with two reefs in the main.

We chose to pass Canouan on the Atlantic side so we could take a look at the new hotel and developments. Speaking to locals when we stopped on the west coast on our way south, it would seem that the hotel is open but that business is slow. How many up-market resorts can the Caribbean support?

The passage to Mustique was a little ‘lumpy’ as it was exposed to the Atlantic swells all the way but the Scopoderm patch (as approved by Stephen on the trans-Atlantic) that Paula is using for the first time on this cruise seems to be ‘doing the trick’ and her spirits stayed high for the duration. There were official mooring buoys available on our arrival in Britannia Bay at a cost of 200 EC Dollars but this includes an extra 2 free nights. They look substantial and passed the ‘full astern test’ so we confidently took the dinghy ashore for a reconnoitre which inevitably concluded with a rum punch in Basil’s Bar.

It being our intention to have a ‘lay day’ in Mustique we reviewed the menu and booked a table for the following evening when there is to be a live blues band playing. We returned to Hejira before dusk for a ‘spag bol’ on board, a series of dominoes and another early night.

Paula and Lynn write:-

Well its about the time that we have to pamper ourselves. Both of us need to deal with worn out nail polish. The idea of setting foot on Mustique without neatly tailored toe nails is just not worth thinking about.

Yet another beauty spot! Whilst this is a private island it is nice to know they allow non-residents to walk along the beach and trek the island providing you stick to some rules…no pictures of residents!!! Makes you very curious…A  brief visit to the very ‘up-market’ boutiques confirmed we would not be shopping here….a nice little top to wear over a nice little swimsuit…only $425.00US!!!!! Probably a bargain for most residents here. A quick scan with the binoculars does not find a small dwelling, all properties seem vast….

Our fellow shoppers, in the very well stocked supermarket, were clearly the staff dispatched for fresh supplies. Another world! We feel very lucky indeed to be able to share this bit of paradise. We are looking forward to our meal this evening…what to wear??? Little dress? Maybe….how to get into the dinghy with a dress and remain somewhat elegant?? Hmmmm…….