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…….