Leaving Carriacou, we went over to Clifton Harbour on Union Island to check back in to the Grenadines. This meant that poor Jeremy had to deal with Customs and Immigration for the fourth time in four days! We had been avoiding Clifton Harbour due to its sketchy reputation for unreliable moorings and scams; however someone guided us to a National Parks mooring and all was well. We didn’t stay long, heading instead for Chatham Bay, where some of our friends from the Salty Dawgs were anchored. We got together for hiking, happy hour and dinner at Susan’s Bar on shore. Susan also provided us with her own fresh-baked bread, ice, and a much-needed case of beer (provisioning error in Carriacou!!). The water was clear and fairly calm, and we enjoyed swimming and snorkeling.

Finally a couple of days of light wind were forecast, so several of us decided to take advantage of a good window to visit the Tobago Cays. It was much calmer than when we were there the previous week. A highlight was taking a dinghy through the dinghy passage on the reef and snorkeling in deeper water. Apparently I have finally got over seeing Jaws at the age of 13: A small reef shark swam by me and I did not immediately swim for the boats!

We enjoyed spending these few days with fellow sailors, moving at a slow pace and appreciating the beautiful surroundings. However, our boat was salt-encrusted, the fridge looked like an igloo, we had a lawn growing on the keel, and the batteries needed charging, so we said goodbye and headed up to the Sandy Lane Marina at the south end of Canouan to do some work on the boat. This end of the island is all new development, with a super yacht marina and an airport next door that is capable of taking business jets. There weren’t actually many super yachts around – we’ve been wondering all season where they are! However, apparently Jeff Bezos got off one early in the morning. Meanwhile, although the marina is beautifully designed and maintained, there was almost no one here. They are actually a bargain, and a welcome stop for a boat of our size, with a bakery, multiple beach bars and pools, and very attentive staff. I hope they flourish!