AHOY TURTLES

AHOY LOGGERHEAD TURTLES

     With the current being so strong at Horseshoe Reef, we came into the beach at Baradel Island of Tobago Cays and drug the dingy way up on the sandy bank. Slipping our snorkel and fins back on, we swam out into the calm turtle conservation area. 

     It took a while to find the turtles grazing on the bottom. Gene captured some good shots of them munching grass like cows do and strolling about.

Gene thought there must have been some strong storms this past hurricane season as the sand seemed to cover much of the grass the turtle's like to eat. Turtles also eat jellyfish. If they didn't we couldn't swim in the ocean without being stung to death. Plastic bags and stray fishing lines are the main killers of turtles.

They're bigger than they look!

Long-spined sea urchin.

Horseshoe Reef

HORSESHOE REEF

The reef is outside of the anchoring area. We hopped in the dinghy and Gene drove us out to one of the mooring buoy's designated for dinghies.

Phia Oceana jumping in the oceana. (It looks like she's standing on the bottom of the oceana, but she's not. She's just caught in the midst of an enthusiastic leap in!)

This is a sergeant major reef fish. They are a very common and grow to only be about 5-inches long.

Fish and soft, flexible corky sea fingers.  As you can see it was murky due to wind and waves.

The dynamic duo.

Gene's finger and Phia with a conch that she gently put back. 

I gave up trying to take pictures almost immediately. The current was too strong for me. I was afraid I'd bash into fire coral or something--anything! So the new word for a person who's a chicken is "poultry." (You had to be here to appreciate that inside joke.)

This is a yellowtail damselfish.  It's hard to see, but they have metallic blue spots. Adults grow to be 7-inches long and their spots tend to be smaller and fewer. 

I was in L.A. the morning Deb went into labor. I didn't get to see Sophia Oceana be born as I had a flight back to Washington. But it was still a memorable morning (to say the least!).

Tobago Cays

TOBAGO CAYS

We tried to let the crew sleep in as it's 4 hours earlier at their California residence than it is here in the West Indies. But at 0936 we got them. I made cafe and Gene made a Mexican scramble. They sat excited watching us slip the Young Island Cut mooring buoy lines from Moody Blues and we head out.

With the rolling sea it wasn't too long before Deb was out, not seasick, just out. Captain Gene was taking us the long way past the east side of Bequia and the west side of Mustique, the very exclusive movie star/actor island, saying it's the closest I'll ever get due to the island costing $100 a night with a 3-night minimum on one of their mooring buoys. Anchoring is basically a no-no.

 

After we passed Mustique, we passed Canouan on it's east side and came near Mayreau Island to head into the cays. The Tobago Cays are a intimate group of deserted islands that are protected by Horseshoe Reef, an amazing snorkeling and diving destination. People come from all over the world to visit this national park. Anchoring is easy and vendors come from Mayreau and Union Island to sell fish, lobster, fruit and veggies and T-shirts.

There's this sweet, narrow cut one can enter the cays in. We took it as it's always very interesting, bright and lively. Always people are on this beach from the cruise ships that are anchored outside of the circle of cays.

It took us around 6-hours to go the 36.2 miles to the Cays from Young Island Cut. It was a pleasant sail, Phia's first. She was a natural for it, but she should be being the hot surfer chick she is! Once anchored, we decided to just snorkel around Moody Blues as it was getting late. We figured the next day we'd let the sun rise and give us good visibility along Horseshoe Reef.

Deb & Phia Arrive!

THE CREW ARRIVES!

We left Bequia about two in the afternoon on Monday 1-19-15, and sailed 8-miles NE over to St. Vincent the capital of the St. Vincent and its 32 Grenadines (islands).

In Young Island (photo above) Cut, we took a mooring buoy for the night. The anchoring in the cut is iffy, and the current is swift. Being we would be leaving the boat shortly to go to the airport it was well worth the $50--that's EC (Eastern Caribbean) money, only $20 USD. Like the mon says: "You no worry on a mooring buoy." True, true. (Not MB in the photo.)

We locked the dinghy up at shore on the St. Vincent side of the cut and hiked up the small hill to grab a bus. We knew from being here before with Greg & Kathy s/v Indigo, that the bus could drop us off right at E.T. Joshua Airport. It too, was maybe 8 miles away from where Moody Blues was were moored in the cut.

Deborah Sarlo and Phia Oceana's flight was coming in around 6:20 p.m. They had left L.A. 19 hours earlier. It was L.A. to Miami, change planes, Mia to Barbados, then Barbados to St. Vincent. 

"CATCH OUR DRIFT?" don't ya love it?

We didn't catch their drift so had to hide out. We (can't really see Gene) look really happy. This is Deb's third time visiting Moody Blues. She's our first mate! No, I am, she's 2nd mate!

Everyone and anyone loves a nice ice cold St. Vincent made Hairoun Beer.

THE AIRPORT'S CONTROL TOWER.

THE PLANE FINALLY ARRIVES! 

PHIA COMES OUT FIRST!

THEN DEB!

 AREN'T THEY GORGEOUS? 

 SUSEA'S BEEN MISSING HER GIRLFRIENDS!

WE HOPE GENE CAN HANDLE THREE MATES ON BOARD!

Clifton, Union Is to Admiralty Bay, Bequia

5 HOURS OF GREAT SAILING!

Sorry don't know how to post a video.

Wind E 15-26, swells 6' - 9', 9.1 kts top speed.

29.8 miles. Now in Bequia.

Union Island

CHECKING OUT & IN 

Safely back on board from all the rain, we thought tonight, our last night in Tyrrel Bay, we'll get a green flash! Nope. That sailboat coming in totally blocked our view. Oh well.

The next morning we took on 100 gallons (imperial) of diesel check out of Grenada. We had to wait because the custom's guys had gone to Hillsborough, Carriacou's main town. Luckily, we got to wait at the fuel dock and didn't have to go back out and anchor again in Tyrrel.

 It took us 2 hr & 50 minutes to go 9.7 miles to Union Island, which the main check-in point heading north for St. Vincent & the Grenadines. We thought the wind would lay down . . .

Union Island

Frigate Island, Union Island

Happy Island Restaurant & Bar, Clifton, Union Island

Down with the Q flag and up with St. Vincent's flag. Now we were legally in St. Vincent & the Grenadines.

Trip to Hillsborough

BUS TO HILLSBOROUGH

We're not sure what butterfly this turns into. 

Bet it's beautiful though and BIG!

We got off the bus back in Tyrrel Bay

just as the squall hit.

We ran for cover!

And had a rum punch (normal run not the 100% proof)

at the Lambi Queen along the bay's malacon.