Leaving St Lucia, we sailed south to the Grenadines. St Vincent has a dramatic coastline, but few protected anchorages and a reputation for security incidents, so we skipped it and headed for Bequia. We anchored in Admiralty Bay, which was quite full. The town is busy and has developed a lot since we were last there, but it is still charming, with a boardwalk all the way around the main harbor as far as Princess Margaret Beach. Substantial effort has gone into maintaining and improving the island, and it pays off.

We stayed for three days, which gave us time to explore the island a little more than we’ve done before. We walked over to Friendship Bay and spent an afternoon swimming and sipping cocktails at the Bequia Beach Hotel. We had dinner at the Frangipani restaurant one night, and on another, attended a party on a luxurious catamaran belonging to fellow Salty Dawgs. We also walked to the end of Princess Margaret Beach and snorkeled under the cliffs there.